It seems a little late to be doing a Christmas book haul but I really wanted to share the books that I got for Christmas and haven’t been able to get this post together until now. As a lifelong bookworm I sometimes get one or two books for Christmas but up until I met my husband these book were always books I had asked for as most people say that they can’t buy me books because either they think I already have everything, or they think books are boring! My husband has always given me some books for Christmas as stocking fillers and I’ve always been so happy and grateful for them. This year though I got a book mountain. I think there are twenty-six books in total…
Firstly, I got this gorgeous set of eight Vintage Christmas books
They were in a lovely set together and I’ve already read two of them. The titles are:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
Dickens at Christmas by Charles Dickens
Christmas Holiday by W. Somerset Maugham
Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
If On A Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome
I love that some of them are more winter reads than Christmas reads as it means I can continue reading them now Christmas is over. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the more festive ones as next Christmas gets here.
I also got this beautiful Puffin hardback edition of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This book was one of my all-time favourite reads a a child and whilst I still have my original copy, it’s so old and battered that I wouldn’t dare re-read that edition. I’ve kept looking at this hardback copy online but couldn’t justify buying it for myself, I’m over the moon to finally own it and will definitely be re-reading it this year!
Continuing the theme of childhood reads, he also gave me this beautiful slipcase edition of Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass. It’s such a beautiful set and I’m looking forward to re-reading these books.
I have a pet guinea pig (called Robson), who is so adorable, so these next two books were perfect for me. I’m now wondering whether I could bribe Robson into dressing up as Oliver Twist! Haha!
Back to serious reading now… Here are the novels that I was given:
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell
Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus
Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern
The Girl from the Garden by Parnaz Foroutan
Unbecoming by Rebecca Sherm
The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle
The Non-Fiction books I got:
The Age of Bowie by Paul Morley
Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story by Mac McClelland
Turn Around Bright Eyes by Rob Sheffield
The Girl by Samantha Geimer
There was one short story collection:
This book is called Music for Wartime by Rebecca Makkai and it sounds like such a brilliant book. I can’t wait to dip into these stories. Also, what a gorgeous cover!
It’s become something of a tradition to get me one of the illustrated Carol Ann Duffy poem books for Christmas and this year he chose Another Night Before Christmas because it is illustrated by Rob Ryan, whose illustrations I love.
The final gifts weren’t books but they were partly related to books…
Two Penguin mugs – A Common Reader by Virginia Woolf and A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. I’m still not sure how my husband knew I adored Virginia Woolf but I’m over the moon with these mugs!
An Aladdin Sane necklace that I first saw earlier this year and have wanted ever since. I’m so happy to finally own it (and it fits with me also getting another Bowie biography). I also got a gorgeous sunflower necklace from the same company as it’s my favourite flower.
I was very spoilt and don’t think receiving so many books for Christmas will ever be topped! It was wonderful… and my husband, who hates wrapping presents, wrapped everything individually too so it was like being a kid again having so much to open on Christmas morning!
Did you have a nice Christmas? Were you given any new books, or have you bought some yourself for Christmas?
RatherTooFondofBooks 
Wow that’s quite the haul! Everybody is afraid of buying me books because I get through so many so I never get bought books anymore! And yes they have all actually used the word afraid! haha!
Hahaha at them using afraid! Most of my family and friends just think I’ve read (or got) everything so won’t buy books. I was so excited by all these books because no one has ever bought me a huge pile of books as a main present before and from being a young child it was what I always wanted. I got really emotional when I started opening my presents and realised they were all books, it was amazing.
Lucky, lucky, lucky you – I never get any books (because they probably think I have too many already). Then again, it would be difficult to find room on my shelves for so many new ones… but somehow, I always do.
That’s how it always was for me too – people think I already have too many books. Ha – it was quite a challenge to make these books fit on my bookcases – it involved a lot of moving around and I had to double stack some books behind my new ones. Room can always be made for books though! Luckily, my husband collects records so he understands the mindset (although not so lucky in the sense that we’re now competing for shelf space!).
Wow your husband sounds amazing I especially love the vintage Christmas books and the mugs. My husband spoilt me too, but rather than choose books he gave me an amazon voucher as every time he mentioned a book I either said “read it” or on my “TBR pile” 😂😂
The Vintage books are so gorgeous, I wish I had room to display them facing outwards on my bookcase. An Amazon voucher is a fab present – being able to have a book buying spree is always brilliant. I hope you managed to find lots of fab books to buy. 🙂
What a fabulous book haul! I love everything 🙂
Thank you! I’ve got all the books put away on my bookcase now but I keep looking at them – it was such a wonderful gift.
What an amazing present (not to mention husband!). I love the guinea pig ones, I keep going back to the sprout video you shared 😀 No need to say enjoy reading them, I think that’s a given.
I know, I’m very lucky. I think he understands my book obsession because he collects records so its a similar mindset. The guinea pig books are great – every time I look at them they makes me laugh. Just the thought of a guinea pig being dressed as Mr Darcy or Oliver Twist is hilarious! That sprout video is so funny – I keep watching it too! 🙂
You have some beautiful books, what a thoughtful husband you have. I never get bought any books for birthdays or Christmas as with my TBR piles I would be impossible to buy for unless I gave a wishlist! (and I keep being told I have too many books anyway – as if !)
Thank you. I still can’t believe he got me all of these books and managed to find ones that I don’t have and haven’t read. To be given a mountain of books has been the gift I’ve always wanted so I feel very lucky and spoilt.
Wow what a haul! I got my mum Lyrebird too, great minds must think alike! 😀
It must be so! 🙂 I love Cecelia Ahern’s books and this new one has a gorgeous cover so I’m very happy to have it in hardback.
What a lovely Christmas haul!! Those vintage books are wonderful! And those hardback editions of the children’s classics are fabulous. I loved A Little Princess when I was growing up – what a great story! Yes, you are one lucky person!
I love the Vintage books, the covers are so pretty. I wish I had room to display them facing outwards on my bookcase. A Little Princess is a gorgeous story, isn’t it? This new hardback is so beautiful, I’m looking forward to reading it.
I am impressed, and envious! I see one in there that I loved: The Whole Golden World. I have enjoyed several books by Kristina Riggle.
I got an Amazon gift card, so I did my own shopping…now I’m waiting for the books to arrive. Yes, I ordered some print books…and some e-books, too.
Enjoy! Thanks for sharing. (And those people who think books are boring don’t know what they’re missing!).
Oh, and I LOVE the mugs, too!
Ooh, that’s good to know – I’ve not read any Kristina Riggle books before but I’m excited to read this one. An Amazon gift card is a fab gift – it’s lovely to be able to have a book-buying spree. Which books did you buy? I hope they arrive soon and that you enjoy reading them. I completely agree with what you said about people who thing books are boring. 🙂
Now that’s a book haul worth writing about! What a beautiful set of Christmas books!
Thank you. The Christmas books really are gorgeous, I wish I had room on my bookcase to display them facing outwards.
Amazing haul. I got the guinea pig Oliver Twist for Christmas too – so adorable! I didn’t realise there was a Pride and Prejudice too – I need that in my life!
Isn’t it a fab little book? I love guinea pigs anyway but seeing them dressed up in the book is just so cute. I didn’t know about the Pride and Prejudice one either until I unwrapped it at Christmas but it’s just as good as the Oliver Twist one. There’s a Guinea Pig Nativity too that was out a 2 or 3 years ago by the same publisher.
SO cute! I definitely need all of these in my life!! 🙂
Wow congrats, those will keep you busy for quite awhile. 🙂
Thank you, they really will. I’ve read three of them so far but am trying to read them in between review books to make the gift of new books last even longer. 🙂
Great idea! Works well both ways to keep up with reviews and get to enjoy them longer. 🙂
Wow..puts my half a dozen or so books to shame. Enjoy! x
I think he wanted to spoil me as it’s been a rough year for me health-wise. I’ve never been given so many books in one go before and I still can’t quite believe it. Which books did you get? x
Pingback: Stacking the Shelves (7 Jan 2017) | RatherTooFondofBooks
Amazing haul! Those Virginia Woolf mugs are awesome! Happy reading!
Thank you. They are lovely mugs, I’m so happy with them. Happy reading to you too.
Pingback: Weekly Wrap-Up (8 Jan 2017) | RatherTooFondofBooks
What a fantastic haul! I hope you enjoy all your reads and new treats.
Thank you, I still can’t quite believe I got so many books for Christmas. I’ve read four of them so far but am now trying to spread them out between other books to make them last longer. 🙂
Pingback: January Wrap-Up! | RatherTooFondofBooks