Today I’m sharing my Christmas book (and book-related). I had hoped to share this sooner but I’ve been ill this week and today’s the first day I’ve felt somewhat human again. Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you got some fab new books to read. I was very spoilt this year and am over the moon with all my gifts.

My husband gave me a huge stack of presents and all were book related! So first up the books…

In fiction he gave me Carol Ann Duffy’s Christmas Poems, Emma Donoghue’s The Lotterys More or Less, and Richard Osman’s The Man Who Died Twice. I’ve now read Christmas Poems and The Man Who Died Twice and I recommend them both.

In Non-Fiction he outdid himself! He gave me Elton John’s Me, Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller, and Bob Mortimer’s And Away – all were top of my wishlist but I didn’t actually ask for them. I was thrilled that he knew me well enough to get them for me.

And then there were two books that not only have I not already read but I had never even heard of, despite them being by people I like. First up is Stevie Van Zandt’s Unrequited Infatuations, which sounds so interesting. I love Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and I adored The Sopranos earlier this year so I can’t wait to read this one. Then I opened I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke, which I am over the moon with. I love seeing him on TV and hearing him read his brilliant poetry and this book sounds like one I will completely and utterly adore so I can’t wait to read it. It’s very rare for me to be bought books that I’ve never even heard of but are exactly my taste so these two gifts made my Christmas!

He also gave me a new Kindle Oasis, which I’m delighted about. My Oasis broke a few weeks ago and I’ve been lost without it so I’m very happy to have a new one.

Then in book-related gifts he surprised me with these bookish pyjamas, which I love! Aren’t they perfect pyjamas for a book lover?! I think I’m going to wear them for the New Year as it’s good to get dressed up to stay home watching darts followed by Jools Holland’s Hootenanny! Ha!

I got a bit teary with this last gift (apologies for the photo – I don’t have one of me wearing it as yet so it’s just a pic of it folded up). It’s a Joanie Clothing book dress. I first saw this dress on their website a couple of years ago and I wanted it but it didn’t go up to my size. I said to myself that if I ever lost weight this would be the dress that I treated myself to (never believing that I would ever lose weight). Anyway my husband bought me the dress in a UK size 12 and it fits me! I’ve lost almost six and a half stone since September 2020 and this feels like such a perfect reward for sticking with it.

My lovely Mum-in-Law also spoilt us both and one of our gifts was a book to share called Renegades by Barak Obama and Bruce Springsteen. This is another book that I’d not heard of before but I’m really keen to read it, it looks like it’ll be an excellent read.

Now I need to make space on my bookcase for my new books… I do enjoy having a sort through my books though so I’ll look forward to doing that in the new year!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and that the new year is kind to you all.