My Final Simple Christmas Present: 2024

It’s time. For the sixth 12 months operating I deliver you my final, straightforward, budget-adaptable Christmas reward. The one which feels considerate and private but takes seconds to purchase and is straightforward to wrap and low cost to submit. Sure, pricey readers, it’s the most well-liked submit of the season: my Christmas Books ‘n Candies!

Do you need to appear like essentially the most trendy and thought of gift-giver, one that actually has their life collectively, but expend nearly no power? Then that is the submit for you. A fastidiously curated collection 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 a bit of bit luxurious. So we’re speaking excessive finish books and top of the range goodies however that’s not all: each the ebook cowl and the chocolate wrapping should be aesthetically pleasing and likewise matched collectively in a manner that makes individuals suppose, “wow, this particular person has model”. These persons are to not know that you simply ordered every little thing 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 when 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 Candies Spherical-Up!

[AD-info: this post contains affiliate links, marked *.]

Buy All Fours here*

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 type of books, as a result of it’s so far-fetched and unhinged, however when 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 severe notice, it tackles some massive midlife points head-on and fully unapologetically. Not one to offer to Auntie Maud whereas she’s having her hip alternative, maybe, or anybody you don’t know fairly properly, as a result of it’s fairly…intimate…in locations, however this may very well be among the best reads to reward 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*

Buy Ocelot Sea Salt Chocolate

4 sisters’ tales, one ebook. 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 when you’re breaking right into a bar of the previous Ocelot Sea Salt on the similar time. Be nonetheless my chocolate-loving coronary heart.

(Ocelot’s very graphic packaging is ideal for my books and chocs pairings. You virtually can’t go mistaken, they appear good with every little thing!)

Buy Long Island by Colm Toibin*

Buy Ocelot Sea Salt Chocolate

I wrote about Colm Toibin’s Lengthy Island here, however to avoid wasting you having to open a brand new window, briefly I referred to as it “scrumptious” and stated this about it:

“I love anybody who can take lives which might be similar to anybody else’s lives – seemingly pedestrian, with nothing that stunning or shocking happening – and make the shortage of something significantly notable into the factor that’s fascinating. Not simply fascinating: treasured. Each little life and each a part of that life made so treasured, so price dissecting and giving thought to… it actually makes you cease and recognize how densely-packed every of us is with all of our recollections and feelings and hyperlinks to different individuals.”

What a gorgeously slow-paced, delectable little treasure-chest of a ebook. Onerous suggest.

Buy James by Percival Everett*

Buy Waitrose No1 Chocolate

Oooph. I hate the phrase “exhausting 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 gained’t be capable to 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 baby’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 best way, you might discover (when 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 executed it. Waitrose No1 vary – a great deal of totally different variations. Approx two quid, relying on once you refill…

Buy Tony’s Chocolonely*

My different bargainous model of selection, as you recognize, is Tony’s Chocolonely. I like the large, daring graphics on these chunky slabs of choc. A great deal of colors, nice worth, I can’t think about a time once they gained’t be included.

Buy Intermezzo here*

Buy Ocelot Violet Milk here

Intermezzo, one other superb learn for a slow-burn, wintery form of week. My first Sally Rooney ebook and I’ll most undoubtedly be going again for extra – I like these detailed examinations of individuals’s character and internal turbulence.

Buy Rabbits by Hugo Rifkind*

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.

Buy Brotherless Night here*

The one ebook within the ebook pile that I’ve began however gained’t end earlier than this submit goes dwell. Disgrace on me! I used to be doing so properly. Brotherless Evening by V.V. Ganeshananthan gained this 12 months’s Ladies’s Prize for Fiction which is the way it caught my eye, it’s superbly written thus far and with good consideration to historic element. I’ve a sense I’m in for a really emotional experience…

Buy I Who Have Never Known Men*

Buy Charbonnel Truffles*

What a ebook! I Who Have By no means Recognized 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. Totally mysterious but additionally bleak and barren. I don’t need to say an excessive amount of about it, nevertheless it’s a incredible choose. Correct dialog starter!

Buy Tacos here*

Buy Cherry Bomb chocolate

It doesn’t must at all times be about fiction in the case of the Books ‘n Chocs reward. I do reasonably 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 applicable and enjoyable. I like M&S cotton ones which are available a pack of 4 (£8 here*) and add a grand whole of two kilos to the reward value when you cut up the pack down.

I couldn’t resist including on this Cherry Bomb chocolate bar, although – I just lately found the net store Delli for area of interest and fascinating 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 ebook featured in my very personal “books n chocs” submit. What an absolute thrill! I ask you on your consideration solely briefly, as a result of I’m coming again at you with an entire submit about How To not be a Supermodel subsequent week, when the hardback turns into broadly accessible within the States, which is a HUGE factor to be occurring.

I even have some various chocolate pairings and a load to say about how a lot you’ll get pleasure from studying this ebook when you haven’t executed so already. It could be my “choose of the 12 months” if that was allowable, which clearly it isn’t as a result of I’d appear like a proper previous berk if I selected my very own ebook, however you get the gist. I find it irresistible and I believe that you’ll find it irresistible. It has been making individuals chuckle out loud at very inappropriate instances and that’s the absolute best assessment I may want for.

If in case you have learn the ebook then you definately’ll recognize the selection of chocolate model…

I hope you’ve loved this 12 months’s providing – keep in mind to take a look at the hyperlink beneath for earlier editions and masses extra concepts!

My Ultimate Easy Christmas Gift: 2019-2023 Editions