First up, yours truly, Melissa Allen.
I usually ask for books for my birthday and for Christmas, and my family and friends know these three are on my Christmas list.
Do you have any books on your Christmas list?
American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis (1991)
Ever since seeing the film that came from this book (of the same name), I’ve been hooked, and had me thinking about this book for a while – sadly its still in my Amazon wishlist!
Patrick Bateman is an excellent character in the film, and I would love to see if Bateman is the same if not similar in the book, and if Christian Bale’s portrayal of this character is in line with the book.
The story follows Bateman as he seemingly loses his mind, and commits awful crimes to release his built-up anger as he attempts to find out who he really is. His unhinged behaviour in the film is rather amusing, and I so badly want to find out if scenes that I loved in the film came from the book, or were added by writers, or even just changed.
I always enjoy reading books that sparked cinematic masterpieces, and it’s a great chance to compare the story in the book and in the film – I can’t wait to give this one a read!
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1926)
While I haven’t seen the film that came from this book, I hear it’s nothing short of excellent. The sense of class and wonder this book promises makes it a definite candidate for my wishlist.
Old books are brilliant gifts, and I enjoy reading the classics that came out way before my time (I was born in 1998) as they, in my opinion, have a certain elegance to them.
Gatsby is the centre of this books and we follow him in his pursuit of a lady named Daisy, who he loved in his youth – such a simple story, yet it is such a renowned title.
Many literary critics see this as the greatest book ever written, and I don’t doubt that.
Published in 1925, this book guarantees to be classy and will no doubt be an interesting read.
The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio (2009)
Another book that was made into a film, both following the real-life journey of Father Thomas as he learns about exorcism, and that it is very, very real.
Like American Psycho, I enjoyed this film so much, but details in The Rite had been changed for the cinematic release. I want to find out the full true story.
The compelling nature of this book makes me want to add it to my collection at home, as demons and possessions are something you usually read in fictional books, not true tales – all the more reason why I need to own this book!
I rarely read factual books, but this one seems to be interesting, frightening, and able to provide a real insight into the world of the paranormal – which is perfect for me.
Second to share her list, is Editor Lucy Walton-Lange
I’ve already sent my list to Santa Claus, which consists of a lot more than three books, but if I had to reduce it down to just three titles, here are those I am most looking forward to reading this Christmas…
Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Is Really So Much More by Courtney Carver (2020)
In her new book she guides you through each item in your closet and helps you address the emotional attachments you have with your pieces.
The exercise in decluttering our closets is not about the clothes as such and more about examining the dialogues, intentions, and memories you create around inanimate objects and teaching yourself to focus less on consumerism.
By having clothes that fit, look good and are versatile, there is less need to go shopping and more space to feel satisfied with what we have rather than wanting more for the sake of it.
I may not have a large collection of clothes, but I have always had a very unhealthy relationship with the things I do buy, so I am hoping this will help me to love everything I see when I open the doors to my wardrobe.
The Allergy Free Family Cookbook:100 delicious recipes free from dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soya, gluten, sesame and shellfish by Fiona Heggie and Ellie Lux (2015)
As someone who has suffered from IBS for years, had a dairy intolerance diagnosed, unpleasant reactions to eggs and always feel dreadful after gluten, I was so glad to come across this book.
This collection of recipes are even more important now I have a toddler. I want to be able to make simple meals we can all eat together rather than having to create different dishes for all three of us.
This book has had glowing reviews from people who share my dietary complications so I can’t wait to dive in the New Year and create a whole new meal plan for the family. One that will hopefully mean we eat more veggies, less processed food and we can enjoy meals that won’t aggravate my tummy.
Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates (2014)
Every once in a while you come across an author you’ve never heard of before and realise they’ve written a ton of books in the genre you love. This happened to me just a few weeks ago when the lovely Darcy Coates wrote a piece for Female First on her new book Silence in the Shadows entitled ‘why I love haunted houses’.
Once I’d read the synopsis of her latest work, I ventured onto Amazon and added all of her previous books to my wishlist.
I figured it’s best to go right back to the beginning and start with an author’s debut novel, which just so happened to be Ghost Camera, published back in 2014.
Christmas is the perfect time of year to read a good scary story; the dark nights, the chilly, misty mornings, and the creaks your house makes as it settles into winter are all conducive to reading a terrifying tale or two so I can’t wait!
Now, we turn to Features Writer Holly Mosley to see what books she wants for Christmas
When The Drummers Were Women: A Spiritual History of Rhythm by Layne Redmond (1997)
“All the eggs a woman will ever carry form in her ovaries while she is a four-month-old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother... We vibrate to the rhythm of our mother’s blood before she herself is born, and this pulse is the thread of blood that runs all the way back through the grandmothers to the first mother.”
My mum tagged me in a post on Facebook and it featured one of the most inspiring quotes I've ever read, particularly as a pregnant woman. I looked up where it was from and came across this book by Layne Redmond; an expert on the frame drum which was an instrument mainly used by women in the ancient times.
I've always considered myself to have no rhythm at all, but after reading that quote, I can't believe how silly that sounds. Needless to say, I've asked for a frame drum for Christmas - but I'm equally desperate for the chance to read this book in full and learn how I can connect with this ancient spiritual tradition.
The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess by Starhawk (1979)
As a Pagan and a feminist, it seems a no brainer that I should be drawn to reading a book all about the worship of a Great Goddess. My particular path is drawn to a dual worship of both a Goddess AND a God, but there are few religions in the world that centre around the Goddess as the primary deity so she certainly deserves her own veneration.
This particular book inspired the neo-Pagan Goddess movement which in itself played a huge part in second-wave feminism. The Goddess is seen as the mother of the Earth, sometimes manifested by the moon. Perhaps the witches of TikTok ought to read this too before they try and hex the moon again.
Queering the Tarot by Cassandra Snow (2019)
Whilst Tarot is an important part of my life, I can certainly see how reading cards with meanings that have existed hundreds of years can be problematic in relation to modern-day situations, so the idea of turning those meanings on their heads is, naturally, fascinating.
In Queering the Tarot, Cassandra Snow addresses the question: "At what point do archetypes become stereotypes?" Indeed, there is little cultural or sexual fluidity when it comes to those archetypes that show up in the Tarot, so Snow has made it her mission to translate them into something more relatable for today's reader by exploring themes of sexuality, coming out and gender, while also aiming to help readers accept and love themselves as they are.
As for Entertainment Editor Daniel Falconer? Here's what he's hoping to find in his stocking this year...
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (1990)
If one of the primary aims of allowing Good Omens to be adapted for television was to get a whole slew of new people interested in reading the book on which the show was based, mission accomplished for Neil Gaiman.
Collaborating with the late Terry Pratchett, this comedy novel has won a number of awards and is consistently remembered as one of the finest pieces of literature in modern years.
It tells the story of the coming of the End Times following the birth of Satan's son, with the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley working together to sabotage the apocalypse. Their comfortable surroundings in England are something they’ve grown quite accustomed to; they don’t want to give up their rest and relaxation for any reason and honestly, that’s something I can fully relate to on a deep level.
A number of subplots are said to keep readers on their toes and, at under 300 pages, it’s a short and snappy read that I’m hoping to get through before this horror of a year comes to a close!
Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)
George Orwell is renowned as a man ahead of his time. He predicted the rise of technological advancements that would invade privacy in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four, but before that was the release of allegorical novella Animal Farm.
Delivering messages about the real world was at the heart of Orwell’s work, with this text in particular advocating for a freer society where equality was a right rather than a privilege. Taking a look at the world we’re in today, Animal Farm could be seen as just as important in the modern age as it was back in the mid-40s.
Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton (1992)
There are a lot of things I could say about the British Royal Family and their treatment of Princess Diana of Wales, but I wouldn’t want to go getting into trouble now, would I?
As the book that made sure the rift torn within the monarchy would never be one that could be healed, Andrew Morton lays out the truth behind the toxic relationship Princess Diana shared with Prince Charles, including information on that infamous polo trip he took just one hour after the birth of Prince Harry; and of course his extramarital affair with his now-wife, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Though she claimed not to have been a part of the book’s putting together when it was first published, the accuracy of everything collected blew her cover.
This book is renowned as being the closest you’ll ever get to knowing exactly who Diana was; and for someone like me who was just a child during her years as the People’s Princess, it provides the perfect opportunity to delve in and discover just what a gem she had been.