Books which will make ideal Christmas gifts

HETHER your loved one likes cooking or life stories, sagas or romances, there’s a book out there which you can gift them to make them happy on Christmas Day.

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Here are 10 which might suit anyone from hobbyists to history buffs, dystopian fans and real life readers...

1. Padella by Tim Siadatan (Bloomsbury, £25)

If you are already tired of the traditional Christmas fare, dip into cook and Padella restaurateur Tim Siadatan’s mouthwatering recipes, inspired by his iconic pasta restaurants.

A graduate from the first intake at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, he has become synonymous with bold Italian cooking, and this one has made the shortlist for Waterstones Book of the Year. Featuring delicious dishes including pappardelle with beef shin ragu, pici cacio e pepe, tagliarini with crab, chilli, lemon and parsley, and fettuccine with nduja, lemon and mascarpone along with many off-menu favourites, it will make you hungry all over again.

2. Exclusive Deluxe Slipcase Edition of The Rose Field: The Book Of Dust Volume Three by Philip Pullman (£50, only available at Waterstones)

In celebration of the conclusion to His Dark Materials and The Book Of Dust sequence, Philip Pullman fans should be overjoyed to receive this exclusive cloth-bound slipcase edition of The Rose Field: The Book Of Dust Volume Three, a collectable featuring foil embossed covers and original illustrations by longtime Pullman collaborator and illustrator Chris Wormell, reflecting the fascinating universe of Lyra Silvertongue.

There are two further exclusive editions - one featuring foiled endpapers and a foiled cover design, exclusive to Waterstones, the other incorporating block-sprayed edges and a bespoke case design, available in participating independent bookshops.

3. Ocean by David Attenborough and Colin Butfield (John Murray Press, £28)