Sunday Book Club: HarperCollins’ head of fiction Kimberley Allsop’s Christmas gift book suggestions

HarperCollins’ head of fiction Kimberley Allsop offers up some fantastic Christmas gift book suggestions for every member of the family, especially those hardest to choose for.

By the end of December, after a years’ worth of morning alarms, never-ending inboxes and the pressure of every new show being ‘must-watch’, it can be hard to muster up an appropriate level of Christmas cheer.

Instead of being a Scrooge or succumbing to a saccharine pit of Hallmark movies, why not find some inspiration in the pages of the books below — there’s something for you whether your name is in the naughty or nice column on Santa’s list.

The book that’s front of mind when I think of literary Christmases is Little Women. Just the thought of it makes me feel like I’m sitting in front of an open fire with snow gently falling on fir boughs outside, instead of staring at a computer monitor bracing myself for another summer of sandal tan.

Book cover Little Women by Louise May Alcott

There’s a reason why the Christmas Day scene is an absolute classic. Other than Jo March being one of the greatest literary heroines of all time, Little Women has ample servings of family, charity and love which is everything that Christmas should be.

If you’re in the mood for something Christmassy but your tastes run to the naughty list, NOS4R2 is for you. Employing the same gift for writing horror and wonderfully drawn characters as his father, Stephen King, Joe Hill brings us a tale full of festive fear.

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Charlie Manx travels around in his Rolls Royce Wraith, luring children away from their homes to Christmasland, a magic place, largely inaccessible place, where every day is Christmas and unhappiness is against the law — or so Charlie says.

Unfortunately, for the skin-crawling, Charlie, he’s taken Vic McQueen’s son and she’s not going to let him go without a fight.

For a decidedly more Australian take on Christmas, you can’t go past Trent Dalton’s best-selling novel, Boy Swallows Universe. Swapping the Rolls Royce for LandCruisers and combining the heart of Little Women, this modern classic set in Brisbane in the 1980s follows Eli Bell, a 12-year-old trying to become a good man as well as getting through meeting his father for the first time, giving a voice to his mute brother and breaking in to Boggo Road Jail on Christmas Day to rescue his mother. Standard pre-teen stuff really.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

In Terry Pratchett’s novel, The Hogfather, the skeletal figure of Death subs in for Discworld’s version of Santa, The Hogfather. The Hogfather grants children’s wishes on December 32 as well as bringing them presents — sounds a lot like a more rotund man in red and white that will be popping around yours on the 25th, no?

The Discworld series is off-kilter magic. It’s Douglass Adams meets Dr Who and is a fantastical injection of fun over the Christmas break.

Need more romance? Want some laughs? Dreaming of New York? I feel like that’s my permanent state — so if you’ve answered yes to more of two of those questions, you’ll get no judgment from me.

Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley.

If you’re also like me and you can’t just jump on a plane, I Heart Christmas is the next best thing. Lindsey Kelk has sold over a million copies of her I Heart series worldwide and this instalment is full of shenanigans, gorgeous men and large heapings of eggnog. Sounds ideal to me.

For the littlies, we have the animal equivalent of me, post-Christmas Day lunch, Mothball The Wombat. She eats, scratches, sleeps and invariably knocks a few baubles off the tree.

HarperCollins Head of Fiction Kimberley Allsop.

Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley is ridiculously charming and just what you need to get your wee ones excited about the big day and eating their carrots.

If you’re after something more verbose, Dr, Seuss’s, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, will have the whole family chanting alongside the Grinch and the set upon residents of Whoville.

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”

How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss.

It’s a lovely message to take away at any time of the year, whether it comes from a green grumpy fellow or one of the Christmas carols that have been on repeat in shopping centres since the end of October.

No matter how you decide to spend the big day, whether it’s one of the above titles or not, if you’ve got a book in your hand, you’re in good company.

Kimberley Allsop is HarperCollins’ head of fiction.

The Andromeda Evolution, by Daniel H Wilson, in the style of Michael Crichton.

There’s not a Christmas tree in sight but our December Book Of The Month, The Andromeda Evolution, would make great stocking filler for the thriller lover in your family. Get it for 30 per cent off by using the code BCBT19 at Booktopia. And remember to share your favourite festive read with the Sunday Book Club Facebook group.