We've picked the brains of our friends at The Girly Book Club to see which books they recommend we drop hints about this Christmas.
1. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell Jewell has done it again with her new book, released in July this year. If you're familiar with any of her other (ten) books - most of which reached the bestseller list - then you won't be disappointed with the newest addition. Meet the Bird family and follow along as idyllic childhoods make way for unimaginable tragedy, lives separated and ties broken, until...
2. One Night In Winter by Simon Sebag Montefiore (bestselling author of Jerusalem) A dark, enigmatic thriller set in Stallin's Russia. Montefiore may be best known for his biography on Joseph Stalin 'Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar and Young Stalin', but the way he weaves history and fiction is a true gift. Snuggle up in front of a warm fire with a glass of red and this captivating story.
3. Dust by Hugh Howey Originally a self-published phenomenon - Dust is the third and last novel in a thrilling set (Wool, Shift, Dust). Dust can stand all alone, but then you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice. Now that all three books are published, it's best to request Howey's trilogy in its entirety and get lost in this apocalyptic page-turner.
4. The Fields by Kevin Maher The paperback isn't out until 2 January, but if you've not yet read Maher's book, that extra week after Christmas is too long to wait. Pick it up in hardcover and enjoy it over the Christmas break - guaranteed to make extended family visits more endurable. Maher's laugh out loud debut novel is hilarious!
5. The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani The epic love story of Trigiani's maternal grandparents, relayed to her through letters and family, is a story that crosses continents and decades. Examining the role America played as the promised land for so many immigrant families in the early 1900s, specifically Italians that moved over in search for a more prosperous future. You'll fall in love with the characters and they'll have you rooting for a happy ending.
6. The Last Kings of Sark by Rosa Rankin Gee Rosa, after graduating from university was offered the chance to visit Sark, the fourth smallest of the Channel Islands, and this was the beginning of a novel that wouldn't properly come to fruition until some years later. She loved the island, and although her visit was brief, she noted down enough about her stay to make it come alive in the pages of her début novel. A captivating story with a twist ending.
7. The Feast of Artemis by Anne Zouroudi A Greek mystery novel that follows main character Hermes Diaktoros through a perplexing yet very considered journey. If you enjoy Zouroudi's style and quirk then you can always check out her other six books, which see Hermes exploring each of the seven deadly sins. Bring on lust.
8. The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan Sullivan sets her book in 1947 where we are introduced to Frances Gerety, a copy writer in an advertising agency and the guy that wrote the infamous 'A Diamond Is Forever' slogan for a De Beers campaign. The book spans nearly 100 years as we follow one engagement ring's progress as it's passed through the generations - and explore different themes of love, marriage and betrayal.
9. Kate: Kate Moss The Book La Moss never seems to go out of style, so for more of a lighthearted ready -and with her 60th anniversary Playboy shoot just around the corner and her 40th birthday in January '14 - there's never been a better time to look back at her best fashion moments.
Need more gift ideas? We've handpicked 100 gorgeous Christmas presents.
More information about The Girly Book Club.
