Perfect Books For The Christmas Season

The Runaway , Hollie Overton

The Runaway By Hollie Overton 

You can tell the writer put her heart and soul into this book. It is an outstanding thriller. It leaves you holding your breathe until the very last page.

Available here.

An introduction to poetry

Poetry. A Very Short Introduction By Bernard O’Donoghue.

Perfect for writers and poetry fans. Entertaining and educational: it gives a perfect overview of poetry. Bernard O’Donoghue also ask what poetry is and what is is for. Riveting.

Available here.

Milli Hill Give Birth like a feminist

Give Birth Like a Feminist By Milli Hill.

This book is perfect for any expecting parent. It is even a good read for those who are not. Give Birth Like a Feminist is an important read from a pioneer in pregnancy and birth. Milli Hill founded The Positive Birth Movement and her work in the field has progressed women’s right by years. She also allowed me to publish one of her birth stories in my book, Women on Childbirth. She is the best kind of woman: a woman who support other women and fights for them too. A must buy.

Available here.

Andy Martin With Child

With Child By Andy Martin

Andy Martin spent a year with Lee Child. With Child is the diary of these adventures. I found this fascinating as a writer myself. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Jack Reacher. A great book.

Available here.

Designer babies

Designing Babies By Robert L. Klitzman, MD.

This book is absolutely fascinating. In-depth research mixed with personal stories creates a perfect book on the subject of designing babies. Fertility, infertility, genetics…. This book covers the medical science of making babies. it does so with a human heart. What is right and what is wrong? Robert Klitzman is a brilliant and eloquent writer.

Available here.

The Children's forest

The Children’s Forest.

The Children’s Forest is the perfect book for children and parents. This book has a lot of fun activities to get your child in touch with nature. This book is a celebration of nature and, in my opinion, is essential for children to get them outdoors and learning more about nature. For ages 3-12, it has games, songs, recipes and animal, tree and plant lore. This excellent book offers hours of fun for children and parents.

Available here.

what snowflakes get right

What Snowflakes Get Right By Ulrich Baer.

This brilliant book is thought-provoking and brilliantly written. Snowflakes get a bad wrap but this in-depth and passionate analysis should be read by everyone. Great stuff.

Available here.

the writer's creative workbook

The Writer’s Creative Workbook By Joy Kenward. Illustrated By Ruth Allen. 

This is a brilliant book for the writer in your life. Even the most advanced writers will find this helps get things flowing again.

Available here.

One more lie Amy lloyd

One More Lie by Amy Lloyd. 

This is a stunning thriller. Full of suspense and atmosphere: you will not want to put it down. It also has a quote from Frost Magazine writer Annie Clarke who is a fan.

Available here.

Abbey Clancey I'll be home for Christmas

I’ll Be Home For Christmas By Abbey Clancy.

I do not know how she manages it: as well as being gorgeous, working as a model and TV Presenter and raising four children Abbey Clancy has written this amazing book. I loved it from the first page. The characters are so vivid and the story is a glam, glitzy read that entertains right to the end. I LOVE this book.

Available here.

a mrs miracle christmas debbie macomber

A Mrs Miracle Christmas By Debbie Macomber. 

This is the perfect Christmas book. It is a warm book that is a perfect example of romantic fiction. Perfect for an evening snuggling with some hot cocoa.

Available here.

rebel dogs heroic tales of trusty hounds

Rebel Dogs By Kimberlie Hamilton. 

This book is perfect for dog lovers. Fun and well-written, it makes you happy.

Available here.

Annie Clarke, heroes on the home front

Heroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke. 

The second in the series by this stunning writer. Yes, she does write for Frost, but she is a master at her craft. her novels are researched within an inch of their lives and have real heart and soul. Just perfect.

Available here.

a quaint and curious volume

A Quaint and Curious Volume. Introduction By Sarah Perry.

An interesting and original volume. Perfect for fans of the gothic. You can read all the way through or dip in and out. A really great book.

Available here.

the oceans between us

The Oceans Between Us By Gill Thompson.

This is a truly beautiful story of triumph, loss and a mother’s love. It will touch your heart and soul. Wonderful.

Available here.

nightingale wedding bells

Nightingale Wedding Bells By Donna Douglas. 

The eleventh book in the series. Another heart-warming story that is perfect for Christmas.

Available here.

Simon's cat it's a dog's life

Simon’s Cat It’s a Dog’s Life By Simon Tofield. 

Hard to believe it is the 10th anniversary. The much-loved cat is back in this hilarious book. Love it.

Available here.

something to tell you David Edwards

Something To Tell You By David Edwards. 

This is a great, if terrifying, book. Perfect for fans of science-fiction, fantasy or thrillers. A perfect combination of fiction and out-there science. A clever book and a great read.

Available here.

raw spirit in search of the perfect dram

Raw Spirit By Iain Banks.

Perfect for fans of a wee dram. Banks explores the rich history of Scottish Whisky. It has a new introduction from Ian Rankin.

Available here.

Criss Cross by James Patterson

This top secret book arrived. What was it? Oh just the new Alex Cross book, Criss Cross By James Patterson. It is brilliant, of course. But then it always is. Out on the 14th November.

And now for some shameless self-promotion. I have books on acting, blogging, poetry, childbirth and wedding planning. They are all great for Christmas presents obviously. Nudge nudge, wink wink.

 

What books would you recommend?

My Writing Process – Kimberlie Hamilton

rebel dogs, book, I used to live in sunny Southern California and now live in misty Northern Scotland with four cats. Life has been a whirlwind ever since I moved to the UK a year and a half ago – lots of travel, enrolling in a Master’s programme at the University of Aberdeen, getting an agent, earning a coveted “Blue Peter” badge and publishing three books. I’m currently working on a new book (my third for Scholastic UK) and will be presenting at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the first time this August  Really looking forward to that.

I have written all sorts of things over the years, including advertising copy, travel brochures and blogs, screenplays, newspaper articles, websites, PR and marketing materials, digital content and even some teaching materials (for my English language students in Kyoto, where I once lived). But my true passion is writing entertaining nonfiction books for children ages 8 to 12. 


My latest book is Rebel Dogs! Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds, published by Scholastic UK (August 2019). It features 30 real-life dogs that all did something amazing and memorable with their lives, plus pages and pages of fascinating trivia about canines across the centuries. It’s the follow up to Rebel Cats! Brave Tales of Feisty Felines (November 2018).

 

I write nonfiction and that requires a load of research, both online and the old-fashioned way, with proper books. After a stack of ‘source material’ starts to pile up, I go through everything, type up a rough outline, and begin distilling and editing. I always edit my manuscripts with a pen, then re-type all my messy scribbled notes the next morning to get myself back into a productive writing groove for the day.
Do you plan or just write?
I’m a Virgo, which means I always plan everything down to the tiniest detail. I’ve met other authors who work without a plan – they simply write a scene here and a scene there and somehow it all magically comes together in the end. I cannot relate to these people at all! I think most nonfiction writers need a structure of some sort.
What about word count?

In the initial phase of writing, I don’t think much about it. I tend to be a very concise writer, even when not writing for children, so there’s little chance of me ‘going off the reservation’ in terms of excess prose. With the Rebel titles, the books were designed and formatted while I was working on the manuscripts, so the Art Director was able to tell me precisely how many characters would fit on each page. I loved that. It was like a game for me, making sure everything fit just right.

What do you find hard about writing?
For me (and I suspect most writers), everything about writing is hard. I vastly prefer editing. Sometimes I think I write just so I have something to edit.

What do you love about writing?
I love the challenge of taking something based on fact and making it sound as playful and entertaining as a good piece of fiction. Tough to do so it’s very satisfying when I actually manage to pull it off.

Advice for other writers. 

My first real job after university was as an advertising copywriter, and everyone in the agency worked way too many hours. But my boss encouraged me to get out of the office and read and travel and see movies and try new things…to experience life to the fullest. He said that the creative spirit is like a battery that needs to be recharged now and then. Life experiences are what sparks and feeds creativity. 

 

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