They're not the most inconspicuous of presents when wrapped, but books are worthy present contenders nonetheless, and, usually, a safe bet. It is a fine line though – and the £5 shelf in W.H.Smiths is not the place to start unless your loved one really does need another Bake Off volume in their life. Instead, do your research (or just continue reading!) and think about the small things that please that person. Whether you're buying for a parent, a friend or a partner (which really means yourself if you cohabit...), this list is intended to generate that warm sense of satisfaction when your gift is opened and the person goes "ah... that's so thoughtful".
A book that screams educated taste. Alec Soth is a huge name in the photography world, but he was fairly unknown until the seminal exhibition of his work at the Science Museum's Media Space (on show until March). Songbook comes from prestigious art book publisher Mack, and will transport you from boxing day woes to a cross-state road trip of the USA. Soth’s images, taken between 2012 and 2014, tell a timeless tale of community life in every state from Georgia to Silicon valley.
Nigel Slater, A Year Of Good Eating, £9.99
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Nigel Slater. Last year so many copies flew around our present opening ceremony there was an awkward shuffle as the realisation dawned that someone was about to get two copies of ‘Eat’. A Year Of Good Eating is yet another Slater classic containing simple recipes wrapped in poetic dialogue. Makes for excellent Sunday reading.
Joji Koyama, Elsewhere , £12.99
The trend that took over 2015 – adult colouring books – have only really looked cool when in the hands of Japanese artist Joji Koyama. Penguin smashed it out of the park though with this edition, where the pages are full of abstract designs that won't make you feel bad for colouring outside of the lines.
Daniel Stier, Ways of Knowing, £28
"A curious outsider's view into the world of science" is how Daniel Stier & Yes Editions present their latest release. The book transports you into a world of science in a highly engaging photographic manner. With a pleasing transparent blue jacket and colourful depictions of researchers working in labs, the book opens up a conversation and creates a fantastical link between the artistic and the mathematical.
Featuring essays by Professor Pedro Ferreira (Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford), the book is guaranteed to please photography and science fans alike (plus anyone looking for a beauty to adorn their bookshelf).
One of the most celebrated fashion photographers today, Viviane Sassen's books are always (sell-out) beauties. Umbra is no different. Instead of a traditional, bound book, it's a collection of 11 prints with a booklet of poems by Maria Barnas. Making it the perfect gift: prints for the wall and a book for the coffee table. The book explores the theme of shadow, fitting firmly into Sassen's carefully cordoned-off zone of personal work. The photographer and poet collaboration wallows in the darker ephemera, but somehow results in a compilation that shines.
More Letters of Note: Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience, £15
A compilation of some of history's most famous letters and correspondences, this book will deliver the reader laughs, tears, and all the feels in between. The letters range from Richard Burton's farewell to Elizabeth Taylor, to Albus Dumbledore's written response to a reader applying for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts. A book that will challenge you to buy it and not keep for yourself.
Magnus Nilsson, The Nordic Cookbook, £22.05
From Acne to HAY, it's fair to say we are pretty obsessed with Nordic design right now. Head Chef of Swedish restaurant Fäviken, Magnus Nilsson's new book The Nordic Cookbook features over 700 recipes from all over Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, all of which can be made without needing a trip way out north to purchase weird and wonderful ingredients. More than just a recipe book, it's also packed with anecdotes and photographs from his travels, as well as an explanation of Nordic cooking techniques.
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