Top 10 Gifts for Bookworms this Christmas

Over the last forty years the London Review of Books has grown from a niche operation to Europe’s most revered and respected literary journal. This is the story of how that incredible ascent was achieved. Luxuriously produced, as befits such a definitive tome, this incomplete history makes an exceptional gift for every booklover.

Attractively presented in vintage Penguin livery, this is the ultimate literary quiz, packed full of questions on everyone from Dickens to Dahl. With such a broad range of genres and topics covered, The Penguin Book Quiz really is the perfect antidote to tired parlour games and awkward small talk this Christmas.

Fusing literature with cookery in a stunningly designed and illustrated volume, The Little Library Year provides deft book recommendations that perfectly complement a mouth-watering selection of seasonal dishes. Ideal for anyone wanting to create an immersive dining experience or get fully attuned to the seasons have to offer, Kate Young’s exquisite book is an absolute marvel.

Share twelve months in the enlightening company of the Bard with this gorgeous anthology of Shakespeare’s most resonant and lyrical quotations. From the editor of A Poem for Every Day of the Year, this is a fresh and exciting new way to engage with some of the finest, wisest lines in literary history.

A splendid collection of quotes and sayings from everybody’s favourite pensioner sleuth, Murder, She Said reveals the wit and wisdom of Miss Marple, all-knowing resident of St. Mary Mead and one of the sharpest minds in crime fiction. Accompanied by an essay on Marple from Agatha Christie herself – available for the first time in book form – this is a must-have for all budding amateur detectives.

The publication of the annual Faber and Faber Poetry Diary is always a significant literary event; it really is an essential resource for all self-respecting bookworms. This year’s elegantly designed journal is a thing of beauty, as is the list of stellar poets included in its pages. From Blake and Byron to Collins and Copus, Faber’s impeccable quality has more than been maintained.

From the pen of one of the most accomplished modern children’s writers comes an extended essay about the benefits of reading children’s literature into adulthood. Infinitely wise and thought provoking, Rundell’s short book is a perfect one-sitting read.

The latest in Thames and Hudson’s gorgeously presented monographs of renowned children’s illustrators is devoted to the late, great Judith Kerr. Curating images from The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Mog and beyond, this exquisite book is a timely reminder of her unerring artistic talent.

E. Nesbit’s life was one of contradiction and complexity. This new biography from Eleanor Fitzsimons digs deep into Nesbit’s personal life and personality traits to lucidly explain the woman and author behind such iconic children’s classics as The Railway Children and Five Children and It. Authoritative and absorbing, it is hard to imagine this account ever being bettered.