Books for Christmas Part 4: Books to make your mouth water...and your home looking great too!

If there is one category of books that sums up Christmas more than any other (apart from books on Christmas of course) it's cookery books. Here's a gift that might not just get read, but actually used. 

But cookbooks are funny beasts: they can become trusted friends in the kitchen but, like any friend, the way their advice is given to you is critical: whilst some like the direct, simple, no-nonsense approach to help them with day-to-day problems, others prefer friends that come along periodically and challenge you out of day-to-day routine. It's the same with a good cookbook: the style has to be right.

We hope your mouths are suitably watering by the end of this list. And not just because of the recipes, because we've got books for garden and home lovers here too...

River Cottage: Light & Easy - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - £25.00
Chef, entrepreneur, food activist and someone who has done more than most to raise awareness of the environmental consequences of our food production. After forays into Fruit and Veg, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall serves up 170 recipes that are dairy-free and wheat-free. These include fruity almond dairy-free shakes, wheat-free spinach wraps, ten-minute fish curry, spicy black bean tofu and raw chocolate and raspberry tarts amongst many other healthy alternative takes on a range of cuisines.

Cook The Perfect - Mary Berry - £25.00
A regular visitor to Abingdon (Mary has a grand-daughter at a local school) Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect is here to help you cook to perfection - just like Mary! Whether you're wondering exactly how to cook salmon so that it melts in the mouth, how to cook a steak to the perfect shade of pink, or how to bake a cake that is both beautiful and delicious, Mary will guide you every step of the way.

Plenty More - Yotam Ottolenghi - £27.00
If we had to pick a favourite cookbook from the last few years, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi wins hands-down - for its inspiring mixture of food, history, culture and a subtle message for peace. But before that, there was Plenty - the cookbook that brought Ottolenghi to a wide audience. Plenty More picks up where Plenty left off, with 120 more dazzling vegetable-based dishes, this time organised by cooking method. Grilled, baked, simmered, cracked, braised or raw, the range of recipe ideas is stunning.

Paul Hollywood's British Baking - Paul Hollywood - £25.00
Join Paul Hollywood for a personal tour around the regions of Britain and discover the charming history of their finest baked delights and learn how to create them in your own kitchen. A special treat for his legion of fans!

Handmade Gifts From The Kitchen - Alison Walker - £20.00
A beautiful collection of culinary gift ideas for you to make and bake at home for friends and family. In a world where mass-produced is the norm, 'home-made' carries a certain potency of care and thought. Show that special someone how much you care by making or baking a wonderful gift, whatever the occasion. Alison Walker shows you how!

Tom Kerridge's Best Ever Dishes - Tom Kerridge - £25.00
Tom Kerridge may be Blur to Paul Hollywood's Oasis (definitely? maybe!) but as the most down-to-earth but high-flying chef on the food scene, Tom Kerridge has become known for his big flavours and beautifully crafted yet accessible food. Find the big man's twists on loads of favourites including tomato soup, chicken Kiev and rice pudding. Contains more than 100 of his favourite recipes.

Inspirational Gardens Through the Seasons - Helen Gammack - £14.99
The National Trust looks after some of the world's greatest gardens, and this glorious guide follows their progress through the seasons. From delicate spring blossom and carpets of bluebells at Emmets Garden in Kent, to luxurious mid-summer roses and wild meadows at Tyntesfield in Somerset. From golden leaves and fiery autumnal landscapes at Stourhead in Wiltshire to winter topiary and snow-dusted statues at Chirk Castle in Wrexham. There is something for everyone in this beautiful book, whatever the season. Whether you enjoy visiting gardens, shaping your own outside space, or are simply an flower and plant enthusiast, this visual feast offers inspiration to everyone, and visits a wide range of gardens - from small herb and vegetable patches to sweeping landscapes

House & Garden Fifties House - Catriona Gray - £30.00
The post-war consumer boom of the 1950s, coupled with a desire for new, innovative design resulted in one of the most exciting decades in the history of interiors - a visual revolution. Here the best illustrations and photographs to show how the use of colour, pattern, homewares and furniture evolved through the decade. 

Mother's Day 2014 - we recommend twelve top titles for a special Mum

Last year, our 'Baker's Dozen' of twelve titles for Mother's Day seemed to go down extremely well, so we've raised the bar again for Mum this year. All the staff have pitched in with suggestions for a special gift for Mum this Sunday, and as usual the selection is a mix of things you might expect, and quirky stuff that you get from an indie bookshop.

All you need to do is clear a decent amount of space in the diary for her to enjoy her gift...here we go...

In 'The Road to Middlemarch', writer Rebecca Mead writes passionately about her relationship to this remarkable, much-loved Victorian novel, and shows how we can live richer and more fulfilling lives through our profound engagement with great literary works. Investigating George Eliot's unconventional, inspiring life, Mead reflects on her own youth, relationships and marriage.

This is a gift for every lover of literature who cares about why we read books and how they read us.

You might think 'the last thing Mum needs is another cook book' but please take a look at 'The Ginger & White Cookbook' by food stylist Tonia George. A cookery writer for eight years, and former editor of Waitrose Food magazine, Tonia has taken inspiration from the famous Hampstead cafe, and you can now bring bring some Ginger & White magic into your own kitchen.

There are recipes for four puff pastry tarts, a range of modern cakes and lunches (lots of tasty gluten-free ideas as well - a real bonus). With 80 super-simple yet indulgent recipes for salads, soups, sandwiches, cakes and more, you can enjoy their Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic Mayo on Potato Sourdough, famous Stem Ginger Loaf, and best-ever Lemon Polenta Drizzle Cake at home.

(No, we're not sure what a 'food stylist' is either, but it sounds a lot of fun, and Tonia George is extremely good at it!)

Journaling is gaining popularity around the world, as people seek to escape from the digitization of their lives, and instead document their thoughts and experiences (and express themselves artistically) through a journal. We stock the Moleskine 'Japanese Albums' which allow you to get artistic and creative, but Canadian author Keri Smith takes an altogether more extreme view with Wreck This Journal.

Described as an anarchist's 'Artist's Way', this books is for anyone who has ever wanted to journal, but had trouble keepping going (or starting, for that matter). It's a super-subversive collection of suggestions, and challenges readers to muster up their best mistakes, and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Inspirational, mad and totally unique for the creative Mum.

A superb reimagining of 'Northanger Abbey' by top crime writer Val McDermid is our next pick. The wonderful McDermid ups the menace, suspense and the secrets in the second of 'The Austen Project' contemporary reworkings of Jane Austen's novels.

Unworldy Cat Morland is charmed by Henry Tilney and is thrilled to be invited to his gothic pile 'Northanger Abbey'. But are there secrets among the crumbling stonework and sinister empty rooms? Or is it simply Cat's imagination, sparked by too much romantic reading and a sheltered life? A great way into Jane Austen for teens, or simply a new way to enjoy the novels, it follows the successful 'Sense & Sensibility' by Joanna Trollope last year.

We already featured 'The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simpson in our Valentine's Day picks last month, but it's such a funny, original and uplifting read we've picked it again for Mother's Day.

Scientist Don thinks he can take a scientific approach to everything – from time management, calorie intake, work and exercise. He’s not so hot at the social skills, however, so he devises a Wife Questionnaire he thinks will help him find the perfect partner. But when Rosie (who would answer all the wrong questions) seeks his help, he’s thrust into a chaotic, madcap world. Will his world ever recover?  And will he find the perfect wife? Definitely the most fun rom-com of the year, and now out in paperback.

Good writing makes even the quirkiest subject matter a delight to read, and we reckon 'Love Nina' by Nina Stibbe deserves to be a modern classic. Stibbe was nanny to LRB editor Mary-Kay Wilmers's children in the 1980s. Her letters from Wilmers's house at 55 Gloucester Crescent - witty, irreverent and brilliantly observed - provide a fascinating glimpse into 80s literary London.

Frequent visitors included Alan Bennett, Michael Frayn, Jonathan Miller and Deborah Moggach (amongst many others) but it's the dialogue and interplay with the children that is this book's core delight - and laugh-out-loud-funny.

'Mary Berry at Home' featured on last year's list, but this year we're recommending her autobiography 'Recipe for Life' as an unashamed treat for any of her legion of fans.

Packed with photos, interspersed with recipes from a very British childhood, Berry's autobiography is the story of a life of juggling that working mums everywhere will recognise. It's a warm, engaging story, told honestly, and proving that you can be a style icon and at the pinnacle of your career in your 70s.

'Me and My Mummy' is a wonderful little box set of four picture books to share each one about the love between Mums and their children, ‘Little Bears Special Wish’, ‘My Mummy and Me’, ‘The Most Precious Thing’ and ‘Big Bear Little Bear’ in a nice little slipcase.. It also has a lovely Mothers Day card and some stickers to decorate it with so is overall a perfect gift for that special day (and a hint for anyone buying on behalf of a little one!)

We always try to get one 'business' book into the selection, and - admittedly - this isn't what might immediately spring to mind. But 'Toast and Marmalade' by Emma Bridgewater is both a celebration of her distinctive pottery and designs, and also a heartfelt and extremely moving story of how she came to be one of our best-loved designers.

Packed with photos and stories, this is one for both fans and anyone who appreciates the global success of this particularly English brand.

'Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase' by Louise Walters is a beautifully told tale with a dual-time narrative that will appeal to lovers of historical fiction who will also appreciate the modern storyline.

Working in a bookshop, Roberta discovers, among some donated books, a letter written by her grandfather. This contradicts the fact that he died in 1940 and Roberta, intrigued, sets about investigating. She uncovers a secret long buried by her grandmother, and its discovery will have ramifications in the present. It's a story of loss, missed chances and enduring love that is charmingly told – and there are wonderful descriptions of the joy of handling books.

'Americanah' is the latest novel (now out in paperback) by acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's the story of two Nigerian sweethearts: one goes to America, the other heads for Britain, in the search for opportunity. It’s an epic tale that takes in modern attitudes to race, and is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today’s globalized world.

This is Adichie's third and most ambitious novel – her first, Purple Hibiscus, was longlisted for the Booker prize and her second, Half a Yellow Sun, won the Orange prize. A highly acclaimed 2009 collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, cemented her position as one of the most promising African writers of her generation. She was awarded a prestigious MacArthur "Genius" grant and in 2010, the New Yorker featured her in its list of the 20 best authors under the age of 40.

Letter writing seems to be seeing a resurgence (and not just ex-president Jimmy Carter who writes by hand 'to stop being spied on'). A hand-written note or a heartfelt letter can have a huge impact in our electronic, ephemeral age - and we have some beautiful Letter Sets now in stock by the fabulous Roger La Borde.

With a gorgeous butterfly design in a beautiful wallet, they are a lovely gift for just £6.99.

Finally - and yes, it's a baker's dozen again - if you are buying a gift for a gardening Mum, we can recommend 'Of Rhubarb and Roses', the Telegraph Book of the Garden.

Writer, historian and Telegraph columnist Tim Richardson has dug through the gardening archives of the newspaper to put together this eminently dip-in-and-out-able collection on subject as diverse as box hedges, foreign gardens, extreme weather and large vegetables. Contributors include Sarah Raven, Bunny Guinness, Sir Roy Strong and Germaine Greer.

3 4 Friday - Views from a life spent writing, baking...and looking down on Earth

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it." - Winston Churchill

We all love a good memoir – thoughtful, insightful, well-written – they can be amongst some of our most cherished and important literature. Or it can just be a peep behind the curtain of a famous sports person, pop star or actor.

At this time of year, amongst the ex-football managers and pop stars grabbing the headlines, we've tried to pick three of our favourite autobiographies for today's 3-4-Friday #FridayReads.

In 'Ammonites and Leaping Fish' author Penelope Lively looks back on her own life in this utterly beguiling and surprising not-quite-memoir. Penelope addresses the realities of ageing, memory, time, and a life lived in the 20th century. As she says: “One of the few advantages of age is that you can report on it with a certain authority”.

Erudite, elegant, moving and deeply enjoyable, it talks about tricks of memory, the objects accumulated on the journey - and a life spent reading and writing. A beautifully designed hardback, and an original memoir by one of our leading writers.

Britain seems to be baking-mad at the moment, and few television presenters spark as much genuine warmth and affection than Mary Berry. Her autobiography ‘Recipe for Life’ is a wonderfully honest and at times unexpected memoir of the life of the ‘Great British Bake Off’ judge – someone who, born in 1935, has spent over half a century teaching Britain how to cook.

Packed full of beautiful colour photos, and interspersed with recipes from a very British childhood, Berry shares her life story and proves that you can still be a style icon and at the pinnacle of your career in your 70s.

For us, Chris Hadfield is one of the biggest stars of 2013. Not since the Apollo missions has an astronaut captured the popular imagination and turned people on to space and science, whether young or old. Remember *that* version of David Bowie’s 'Space Oddity' broadcast from the International Space Station?

Well, Chris has spent an awful lot of time in space, and in his book 'An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth' he looks at his training, experiences and the reasons why he has enjoyed every minute of it. A natural storyteller, his eye-opening, entertaining stories are filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises. From his perspective on top of the world, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement -- and happiness. 

Baker's Dozen - twelve titles for Mother's Day 2013

This year, thanks to Easter being so early, it may have escaped your notice that Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday) is almost upon us this Sunday. But fear not. It's our (completely unbiased) opinion that a book might be a lovely gift for Mum, so if you are looking to buy something special, we’ve put together some suggestions from the shop to inspire you (and not just books).

This year it’s difficult to move for baking and cook books. But our top pick is woman-of-the-hour, bake-off supremo Mary Berry. Her book 'Mary Berry at Home' is an imaginative collection of her favourite dishes that she cooks everyday for her family and friends. Over 150 simply prepared, delicious, reliable recipes for lunch, dinner and parties as well as mouth-watering, foolproof bakes. Mary invites you to enjoy afternoon tea, with an array of delicious cakes, traybakes and treats. 

Perhaps your mum might prefer the 'Fabulous Baker Brothers' (looking mean 'n moody as they lean against their little Morris Van on the cover there), or a rather splendid reissue of 'Delia’s Cakes'. But if you're looking for something a little different amongst a batch of top titles, how about Lynn Hill’s 'The Clandestine Cake Club' - a club which meets once a month at a secret location only revealed a few days before the event.

They bake a cake on a specified theme and then try a bit of each others’. In this book Lynn Hill (creator of the club) has collected together their favourite recipes in this great book. With everything from traditional Victoria Sandwich to Shirley Temple Mocktail Cake, it’s a great, quirky baking book gift.

If the Mum you are buying for is more into brand new fiction – and a nice, gifty hardback to boot – then we can definitely help!

First is the ever-readable Maggie O’Farrell, whose ‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ is a definite change of direction for the author of ‘The Hand That First Held Mine’ and ‘The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox’. Set in London during the unending heatwave of 1976 (does Mum remember that?) it’s the tale of an Irish family’s meeting after their father disappears, with a gradual unravelling of tales of sibling rivalries, religious guilt, shame and secrets. The characters are really brought to life and draw you in to their hopes and disappointments as the story moves from London, to New York – and eventually back to Ireland. 

A new book by Margaret Forster is a perfect treat for Mother's Day and 'The Unknown Bridesmaid' is vintage Forster territory. An observant writer, she writes about ordinary lives, but in a captivating way that makes even the unexceptional seem anything less than ordinary.  'The Unknown Bridesmaid' is full of compassion about the disintegrating life of Julia, a child psychologist, whose own troubled past is coming back to haunt her.

Barbara Kingsolver is an author with legions of fans, and ‘Flight Behaviour’ is a gripping, absorbing tale with similarities to her much-loved ‘The Poisonwood Bible’. Anyone who loved this book will recognise the brilliant way Kingsolver conveys blind belief and the inability to face up to reality.

Dellarobia Turnbow thinks she has seen a miracle. Her life is soon part of a media circus and scientists with reputations to make clamouring for the story. She was witness to the unexpected migration of the monarch butterfly, but why has it suddenly become erratic? Dellarobia ekes out a living in the Bible Belt – a life dependent on the seasons and where unpredictable and unreliable seasons are already making her precarious existence more perilous and leaving her son with no future. The explanation is there for everyone to see, but still everyone seems to grapple with the evidence. An absorbing and entertaining story as well as a timely novel that deals with the subject of climate change.
  

'Sweet Girl' by Annabel Lyon is a strong and intriguing historical novel that follows an intelligent and educated young woman's life in Ancient Greece and her struggle to find her place in society and empower herself at the same time. It's a moving and absorbing story that shows us both the life of the wealthy and the more seedy underbelly of Athenian life. With beautiful, sparse prose, the story unfolds at a wonderful pace with some astute observations on the challenges women faced in this society.  

Just out is Jess Richards’ 'Snake Ropes', a skillfully written debut novel in the vein of Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. It’s a terrific and evocative story in which Jess Richards vividly creates a remarkable island community for us; from their ancient myths and their subtle creole, to the harsh and self-sufficient lifestyle they lead and their isolation from the mainland and their fear of the ‘tall men’ that they trade with. According to Ellie “It is quite magical and a beautiful novel that follows two girls living on the island and the mysterious disappearances of local boys whenever the tall men visit. An enthralling and original debut novel.” 

Another gift idea is a classic from children’s laureate Anthony Browne. Publisher Random House have produced a special mother’s day version of the classic ‘My Mum’ – and it even contains a mother’s day card! Here’s what Julia in the shop thinks: “A beautiful celebration of what it is to be a mum with fantastic illustrations and a free mothers day card. Perfect for mummies, mothers and mums!”

And while talking of gifts, have you seen our new range of mugs by Urban Graphic (who also design some of our most popular greetings cards): 'Where There’s Tea There’s Hope' and 'If The Music Is Too Loud, You’re Too Old' A stylish alternative to a book...

Finally, Moleskine have gone all colourful this year with their fabulous large hardback notebooks now in colour (available in pink, blue, green and yellow)! Perfect for someone who needs to keep plenty of notes, plus likes a bit of style (Mum).

And if you can't totally move over to an electronic notebook, we love the Moleskine Folio Smart Phone Cover, in a set complete with a Volant Notebook (it fits phones such as iPhone 3G/3GS and a Sony Xperia) and gives you space to write things down the old fashioned way!

That’s a whole dozen choices for you! If you’re still after ideas though, just ask a member of staff who will happily recommend other great titles for the perfect gift this Mother’s Day.

And if you are in the shop for browsing on Saturday we’ll also be having a baking celebration of our own and offering cupcakes! So why not join us?