It’s time. For the sixth 12 months operating I carry you my final, straightforward, budget-adaptable Christmas present. The one which feels considerate and private but takes seconds to purchase and is straightforward to wrap and low cost to put up. Sure, pricey readers, it’s the preferred put up of the season: my Christmas Books ‘n Goodies!
Do you need to appear to be essentially the most fashionable and thought of gift-giver, one that basically has their life collectively, but expend nearly no power? Then that is the put up for you. A fastidiously curated choice of the best books, matched artistically and with nice aptitude to the daintiest, prettiest bars of chocolate. Or essentially the most cool and graphic slabs. All wrapped up in plain brown paper, tied with striped string, the ultimate bundle by no means fails to thrill.
The purpose of this book-and-choc pairing is that the recipient feels as if they’re being given one thing just a little bit luxurious. So we’re speaking excessive finish books and high quality candies however that’s not all: each the e-book cowl and the chocolate wrapping should be aesthetically pleasing and in addition matched collectively in a manner that makes folks suppose, “wow, this individual has fashion”. These persons are to not know that you simply ordered all the things on the web, carrying fleece polar bear pyjamas and a flammable dressing robe.
Earlier than I current you with this 12 months’s spectacular book-and-choc pairings, I ought to say that there’s a whole again catalogue of those annual posts. And so in the event you’d like to have a look at dozens and dozens extra examples then click on the hyperlinks on the backside of this web page.
Proper, with out additional ado: the Final 2024 Books and Goodies Spherical-Up!
[AD-info: this post contains affiliate links, marked *.]
Buy Charbonnel & Walker Sea Salt Truffles*
I’m going to speak extra about All Fours by Miranda July subsequent week. The story is completely mad. I get the sensation it may very well be a kind of Marmite kind of books, as a result of it’s so far-fetched and unhinged, however in the event you submit (ooh err) and permit your self to have a superb sense of humour about all of it then it’s an absolute riot. I discovered myself laughing simply out of pure glee at how batshit loopy it was, in locations. And, on a extra critical notice, it tackles some large midlife points head-on and utterly unapologetically. Not one to provide to Auntie Maud whereas she’s having her hip alternative, maybe, or anybody you don’t know fairly nicely, as a result of it’s fairly…intimate…in locations, however this may very well be among the finest reads to present a girlfriend that you simply’ll discover this 12 months. Or the worst. No matter, it’ll be a dialog starter…
Buy Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors*
4 sisters’ tales, one e-book. However there’s a tragic absence all through that binds the separate tales collectively. Poignant and touching however not too hair-clawingly depressing, it’s a superb winter vacation learn. Particularly in the event you’re breaking right into a bar of the previous Ocelot Sea Salt on the identical time. Be nonetheless my chocolate-loving coronary heart.
(Ocelot’s very graphic packaging is ideal for my books and chocs pairings. You nearly can’t go flawed, they appear good with all the things!)
Buy Long Island by Colm Toibin*
I wrote about Colm Toibin’s Lengthy Island here, however to avoid wasting you having to open a brand new window, briefly I known as it “scrumptious” and stated this about it:
“I love anybody who can take lives which are identical to anybody else’s lives – seemingly pedestrian, with nothing that surprising or stunning occurring – and make the shortage of something significantly notable into the factor that’s attention-grabbing. Not simply attention-grabbing: valuable. Each little life and each a part of that life made so valuable, so price dissecting and giving thought to… it actually makes you cease and admire how densely-packed every of us is with all of our recollections and feelings and hyperlinks to different folks.”
What a gorgeously slow-paced, delectable little treasure-chest of a e-book. Exhausting suggest.
Buy James by Percival Everett*
Oooph. I hate the phrase “onerous suggest” however I’m making an attempt to be extra down with the youngsters and so I’ll use it once more: Percival Everett’s James is totally excellent. For those who learn The Timber and have been blown away by that then undertake the brace place since you’re about to begin one other masterpiece that you simply received’t be capable of put down.
By no means have I wished a personality to outlive so badly – and never simply survive, I used to be keen Jim (an escaped slave who is about on shopping for his spouse and youngster’s freedom) to rewrite historical past. Highly effective, past unhappy and with the capability to make you are feeling determined, nauseating ranges of rage.
By the way in which, you could discover (in the event you’ve seen earlier books-n-chocs posts) that I’ve slipped a brand new chocolate bar in right here. I wished to discover a easy, graphic bar that didn’t value an absolute fortune and by God I’ve finished it. Waitrose No1 vary – a great deal of completely different variations. Approx two quid, relying on whenever you fill up…
My different bargainous model of selection, as you realize, is Tony’s Chocolonely. I like the massive, daring graphics on these chunky slabs of choc. A great deal of colors, nice worth, I can’t think about a time after they received’t be included.
Intermezzo, one other positive learn for a slow-burn, wintery sort of week. My first Sally Rooney e-book and I’ll most positively be going again for extra – I like these detailed examinations of individuals’s character and internal turbulence.
Buy Pana Organic Peanut Caramel
Teen angst and darkish goings-on, Rabbits by Hugo Rifkind makes you need to rent a battered mini and relive your youth. Kind of.
The one e-book within the e-book pile that I’ve began however received’t end earlier than this put up goes reside. Disgrace on me! I used to be doing so nicely. Brotherless Evening by V.V. Ganeshananthan received this 12 months’s Girls’s Prize for Fiction which is the way it caught my eye, it’s superbly written to this point and with good consideration to historic element. I’ve a sense I’m in for a really emotional trip…
Buy I Who Have Never Known Men*
What a e-book! I Who Have By no means Identified Males by Jacqueline Harpman isn’t a brand new launch however has had one thing of a resurgence this 12 months and I’m so happy that it has. It’s wonderful. Completely mysterious but in addition bleak and barren. I don’t need to say an excessive amount of about it, however it’s a unbelievable choose. Correct dialog starter!
It doesn’t need to all the time be about fiction in terms of the Books ‘n Chocs present. I do fairly like sending out cookbooks, too, particularly if I can pair them with a related spice or condiment or accent. Fairly partial – and stick with me right here – to pairing a cookbook with a pleasant tea towel. It packs flat, nonetheless, is light-weight and simply feels acceptable and enjoyable. I like M&S cotton ones which are available a pack of 4 (£8 here*) and add a grand complete of two kilos to the present value in the event you break up the pack down.
I couldn’t resist including on this Cherry Bomb chocolate bar, although – I just lately found the web store Delli for area of interest and attention-grabbing storecupboard buys and condiments and so forth. Went to city a bit on the previous confectionery..
Buy How Not to be a Supermodel here*
Buy Fatso Sweet Tart chocolate here
Indulge me, momentarily, if you’ll. As a result of I’ve waited many, a few years to get pleasure from this second: my very personal e-book featured in my very personal “books n chocs” put up. What an absolute thrill! I ask you on your consideration solely briefly, as a result of I’m coming again at you with a complete put up about How To not be a Supermodel subsequent week, when the hardback turns into extensively out there within the States, which is a HUGE factor to be taking place.
I even have some different chocolate pairings and a load to say about how a lot you’ll get pleasure from studying this e-book in the event you haven’t finished so already. It might be my “choose of the 12 months” if that was allowable, which clearly it isn’t as a result of I’d appear to be a proper previous berk if I selected my very own e-book, however you get the gist. I like it and I believe that you’ll like it. It has been making folks giggle out loud at very inappropriate occasions and that’s the very best evaluation I might want for.
When you’ve got learn the e-book then you definitely’ll admire the selection of chocolate model…
I hope you’ve loved this 12 months’s providing – bear in mind to take a look at the hyperlink beneath for earlier editions and hundreds extra concepts!
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