Christmas Shopping 2020 – Buy Books!

As we are still navigating our way through a global pandemic; the opportunity to browse for the ideal book gift for loved ones, friends, family, work colleagues etc will be very limited – that is assuming the shops are even open.  So I thought I would pull together a selection of books which I feel would make a great Christmas gift.

As there is an overwhelming amount of choice when it comes to selecting books I had to narrow down the criteria for incusion – otherwise I would still be drafting this at Christmas 2021.  The books I have included in my selections are (a) books I have actually read (b) books I have not yet reviewed because 2020 has been demanding in too many ways and (c) books you are unlikely to find in a supermarket – unless your local supermarket are much better than the ones I can access.

CURSE THE DAY – JUDITH O’REILLY

First up I offer a Crime Thriller which offers slick and stylish tech devices, a dogged and determined lead character and his sassy mouthed teen sidekick (the tech wizard).  Curse The Day was one of the few books I was able to read and enjoy while lockdown was at its peak.  Here’s the blurb:

At a global tech gala hosted at the British Museum, scientist Tobias Hawke is due to unveil an astonishing breakthrough. His AI system appears to have reached consciousness, making Hawke the leading light in his field.

But when terrorists storm the building, they don’t just leave chaos in their wake. They seize Hawke’s masterwork, sparking a chain reaction of explosive events which could end the world as we know it.

Michael North, ex-assassin and spy-for-hire, must find the killers and recover the AI. But he can’t do it alone. Hawke’s wife, Esme, and teenage hacker, Fangfang, have their own reasons to help complete North’s mission – and together they unravel a dark and deadly conspiracy which stretches right to the top of the British elite.

Can North survive long enough to uncover the whole truth? Or is it already too late for humanity?

 

Curse The Day is a high stakes thriller where Michael North is pitted against a ruthless enemy who will allow nothing to stand in their way. From the gripping opening chapter to the explosive endgame this is a book which will appeal to fans of the Hollywood summer blockbusters. Political interest is high in the cutting edge technology that Tobias Hawke is due to reveal to the world – investors and superpowers are  determined to cut themselves a piece of the action.  The pace is relentless and the pages are packed with tension – I loved this book and it allowed me some much needed escapism at a time I really needed it.

Judith O’Reilly has crafted a brilliant action adventure which pits underdogs against international spies, covert military groups and there is even an extremely unsettling appearance from an underwater killer which I certainly did not expect but absolutely adored.  During the adrenaline filled chase scenes and the narrow escapes from death North has to negotiate there are plenty of wise-cracks and putdowns to be dished out by his colleagues – those touches of humour or deadpan wit were so important to humanise the players and bring some light to their dark and chilling predicament.  Highly recommended.

You can order a Hardback copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/curse-the-day/judith-oreilly/9781788548946

 

If you are not looking to pick up a hardback crime thriller but still like the idea of gifting a gripping story then I have a paperback recommendation too.

THE BLOOD IS STILL – DOUGLAS SKELTON

 

There was no chance I was going to get through this list of offerings without including some Scottish crime fiction.  Regular visitors will know that I am a huge admirer of Douglas Skelton’s books and each new release is very much anticipated here at Chez Grab.

The Blood is still sees journalist Rebecca Connolly digging for a story after a body is found on the site where the Battle of Culloden was fought.  The deceased is dressed in antique Highlander clothing which is causing the police no small amout of confusion. A second body dressed as a Redcoat gives Rebecca further fuel for her story but her paper is facing further cutbacks and unwelcome editorial intervention.  Convincing the bean counters that she needs time to investigate these strange deaths will be a challenge she could well do without.

If you are keen to gift a clever and exciting murder story then look no further than The Blood is Still.

 

The Blood Is Still is published by Polygon and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-blood-is-still/douglas-skelton/9781846975301

THE REACHER GUY – HEATHER MARTIN

Jack Reacher is only the second of Jim Grant’s great fictional characters: the first is Lee Child himself. Heather Martin’s biography tells the story of all three.

Lee Child is the enigmatic powerhouse behind the bestselling Jack Reacher novels. With millions of devoted fans across the globe, and over a hundred million copies of his books sold in more than forty languages, he is that rarity, a writer who is lauded by critics and revered by readers. And yet curiously little has been written about the man himself.

The Reacher Guy is a compelling and authoritative portrait of the artist as a young man, refracted through the life of his fictional avatar, Jack Reacher. Through parallels drawn between Child and his literary creation, it tells the story of how a boy from Birmingham with a ferocious appetite for reading grew up to become a high-flying TV executive, before coming full circle and establishing himself as the strongest brand in publishing.

Heather Martin explores Child’s lifelong fascination with America, and shows how the Reacher novels fed and fuelled this obsession, shedding light on the opaque process of publishing a novel along the way. Drawing on her conversations and correspondence with Child over a number of years, as well as interviews with his friends, teachers and colleagues, she forensically pieces together his life, traversing back through the generations to Northern Ireland and County Durham, and following the trajectory of his extraordinary career via New York and Hollywood until the climactic moment when, in 2020, having written a continuous series of twenty-four books, he finally breaks free of his fictional creation.

Despite my blog being very heavy on the fiction titles I do also read some non-fiction when the subject appeals. As a fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books I found the prospect of reading the Lee Child story to be very appealing.

Lee Child has become a name recognised around the world but Child is a creation too and Heather Martin’s new book The Reacher Guy takes a look at the author, his literary creation and the real man behind the books.  Wonderful narrative, stories and real life incidents which found their way into recognizable scenes within the Jack Reacher novels this would make a tremendous gift for any Reacher fan.

Child’s writing process is fascinating and Heather Martin made The Reacher Guy captivating reading – something I seldom say about biographies.

The Reacher Guy is published by Little, Brown Group and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-reacher-guy/heather-martin/9781472134257

DOCTOR WHO: THE MONSTER VAULT – JONATHAN MORRIS, PENNY CS ANDREWS

You’re going to need a bigger sofa…

Doctor Who‘s biggest and most comprehensive monster guide yet, The Monster Vault takes you on the ultimate tour of the Whoniverse, discovering and cataloguing every wonderful and terrifying creature the Doctor has ever encountered.

From the notorious Daleks, to evil Stenza warrior Tzim-Sha and the ancient Thijarians, The Monster Vault features in-depth profiles on each monster, showing the Doctor’s most dangerous enemies in their natural habitat and unveiling their secret histories. You will also discover how monsters were created and designed, behind-the-scenes secrets, unseen details from the original scripts, case studies and rare artwork.

This lavish and visually stunning book provides an unrivalled wealth of information, allowing you to explore the rich history of Doctor Who and expand your knowledge and understanding of characters old and new.

 

I have been reading Doctor Who fiction for 40 years.  I have been reading Doctor Who non-fiction for about 30 years.  I got hooked on books about how they made the show, the characters, the companions, the monsters and even the writers and production team.  Having taken in the best and the worst of the Doctor Who offerings down the years I am comfortable proclaiming The Monster Vault to be extremely high quality and a cracking addition to the Doctor Who library.

I did have to ask the question: is a book collating information and background on fictional monsters really allowed to be called a non-fiction title?  Yes!  This book will include all the monsters you recognise from the tv show and will remind you of dozens more which you may well have forgotten about. Detailed without being excessive, colourful and huge fun to read – this would be a beautiful Christmas gift for any Doctor Who fan.

 

Doctor Who – THe Monster Vault is published by Ebury Press and can be ordered here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/doctor-who-the-monster-vault/jonathan-morris/penny-cs-andrews/9781785945335

 

A VERY FAHRENHEITY CHRISTMAS

The Final Suggestion breaks my selection rule about books I have acutually read. This offering is included because I think it is a lovely idea and buying this book would support an indy publisher, and that can only be a good thing.

My last choice is Fahrenheit Press’s A VERY FAHRENHEITY CHRISTMAS.  It is a slim volume of five carefully selected tales featuring stories from Oscar Wilde, The Brothers Grimm and Arthur Conan Doyle (to name but three).  I have not read this book in its current format but I am familiar with the stories. Here is the purchase link to the book so you can judge for yourself https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/collections/latest-releases/products/a-very-fahrenheity-christmas-fahrenheit-press

Numbers are limited so not only are you buying loved stories but you are buying a very rare collected volume of loved stories.  What book lover doesn’t enjoy owning a rare book?  It is also worth mentioning that Fahrenheit do a cracking line in book merchandising – it is a bit more edgy than their wholesome Christmas book but I got through the last 8 months wearing one of their “Bookish Weirdo” facemasks so there are some practical presents available too!

 

 

So there you have it – just a few suggestions, all very different but each is a gem.  I have included purchase links to every one of the titles I have suggested.  I do hope one of my recommendations would make a welcome gift for someone close to you this Christmas.