With the holiday season upon us, when all the Christmas stress of buying presents and cooking the turkey with all the trimmings is over, you may want to take time out for yourself. This is the perfect time to catch up on your reading and this Christmas there is lots on offer for all members of the family. BY LIZ GRIFFITHS
For adults
Non-fiction
Big Book of Top Gear 2010
Featuring all the highlights of 2009 such as revelations about the infamous Stig, the best and worst new cars on the road, behind the scenes gossip and, of course, plenty of jokes at the expense of Jeremy Clarkson. All the madcap adventures featured in the new series including the potentially ill-conceived road trip through Vietnam and the presenters’ return to the US to road-test a new generation of American muscle cars.
The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi
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Detailing the late movie star’s career and plight with cancer, the book is a moving memoir of his remarkable life in the spotlight and away from it.
Patrick thought he just had a stomach ache in January 2008 but, in fact, had stage four pancreatic cancer. Patrick went on to fight the cancer until his death in September 14, 2009.
A constant in Patrick’s life was his marriage to Lisa which transcended the typical celebrity marriage and continued to grow stronger as they fought the cancer together.
Delia’s Happy Christmas by Delia Smith
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This Christmas, Delia helps you to take the strain out of Christmas with this completely new edition of her classic cookbook. With over 150 recipes illustrated with full-colour photography which includes 100 brand new recipes along with time planners and menu plans. The book is perfect for the less confident cook as all your favourite traditional dishes are included along with quick-and-easy versions.
Fiction
The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton by Catherine Alliott
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Evie Hamilton has a secret – one she doesn’t even know about … yet. Evie is the wife of successful, handsome husband Ant and mother of high-achieving, accomplished daughter Anna, and her biggest worry in life is whether or not she can fit a manicure in on her way to fetch Anna from clarinet lessons. She doesn’t think about much else outside her own, charmed circle. There simply isn’t time – but all that is about to change.
I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk
Angela Clark can’t believe her luck – an English girl living in New York with a dream job at a hip magazine along with a new sexy boyfriend. Her latest assignment is to fly to Hollywood to interview hot actor James Jacobs and feels rather thrown in the deep end. She takes along her best friend Jenny and soon discovers the Hollywood life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when she and James are snapped by paparazzi in a compromising position.
The Sign by Raymond Khoury
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In a remote shelf in the Arctic Circle, a small TV crew is braving the harsh conditions to film the breaking off of a major ice shelf – yet another nail in the planet’s eco-coffin. Then someone calls out, pointing at something up in the sky overhead. The camera pans up and they look up to see a blazing symbol clear, burning high over the bleak, deserted terrain. Thus begins a series of strange events worldwide as the mysterious sign appears over the sites of conflict, natural disasters and terrorist atrocities.
For teenagers
Robert Pattinson Annual 2010: Beyond “Twilight”
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Robert Pattinson is officially the hottest young actor around – the star of Twilight and New Moon is profiled in this annual. It is packed with up-to-date news, the gossip from the set of New Moon, the latest photos, facts and quizzes. You can take the test to see which Twilight character you are and even discover if you could be Robert’s perfect partner. The book comes with a free and exclusive calendar and poster.
Harry Hill’s Whopping Great Joke Book
British comedian Harry Hill loves jokes so much that he has put together a side-splitting joke book for youngsters. Containing Harry’s favourite jokes picked from the world’s joke archive.
The book also features brand new jokes by Harry himself.
For children
Peppa Pig: The Official Annual 2010
Perfect for children this Christmas. They are able to join Peppa Pig and her family in this annual. Follow the exciting stories and games with the favourite piggy family. It is filled with fun activities with puzzles, colouring in and things to make and do.
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus
A sequel to A.A Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh stories which takes the reader back to the Hundred Acre Wood for more adventures. In this authorised sequel, Pooh, the Best Bear in All The World, and his friends get up to more mischief which is illustrated by Mark Burgess in the original style of the original E. H. Shepard illustrations.
Look out for more great Christmas gift ideas for book lovers in next week’s First Edition!
