Me And My Big Mouth

Advent Calendar: December 4th

Today's advent calendar selection comes with added video. It is eight minutes long but, trust me, these are eight minutes that any book lover will delight in.

Sadly those beautiful handmade editions are a little bit out of my price range but thankfully, just in time for Christmas, Chronicle Books have issued an impressive trade edition which captures much of the intricacy and wonder of the original.

Inspired by the chance discovery of an old Pictorial Webster's Dictionary, John M. Carrera, a bookbinder and printer, decided to recreate this wonderful old book and embarked upon a ten year odyssey which is outlined in the video above.

Locating the archive of all the old engraving blocks he catalogued and restored them, eventually getting to the point where he could begin reprinting, by hand, hundreds of pages. Seriously, if you haven't clicked play on the video yet do it now. It is one of the best things you will see this year. I guarantee it.

The handmade books sell for thousands of dollars but the handsome trade edition is a snip at $35. It contains some additional and exclusive material as well. My copy, I received it for my birthday, sits next to my reading chair and I dip into it most nights before I go to bed.

I am not sure how widely available it is in UK bookshops (out of over 300 Waterstone's stores only 11 have it in stock) and much as I would like you to support your local independent and buy one there if you can't pick one up it is currently an absolute bargain on Amazon at less than £15.

I am struggling to think of any book lover I know who wouldn't find this volume a complete delight. Any artist or designer either for that matter. If you do decide to give it to someone this Christmas you should probably include a link to the video as well.

Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities by John M. Carrera is out now.

Advent Calendar: December 3rd

A 2 for 1 today with a couple of stocking fillers from Alan Pearce.

Alan has pretty much cornered the market in books that capture the frustration and incredulity that so many people feel at the state of the nation but manages to be funny with it.

It's Health and Safety Gone Mad! is the follow up to the bestselling Playing it Safe. It is a further collection of ridiculous press and media stories such as the woman who had to trim her lavender bush because it was a threat to postmen (that is not a euphemism), the chip pan fire demonstration that was banned in case it encouraged people to actually put out any fires on their own and the council that banned swimming in the rain.

The cumulative effect of these rather silly stories is one of head-scratching disbelief but they are, sadly, all true. Which makes this the ideal Christmas present for the grumpy old relative in the family.

Somewhat more serious is Whose Side are They On? in which Pearce looks at the current government's legacy and pulls apart their numerous new laws and legislations that whittle away at our civil liberties.

He is rather pissed off about all this and manages to combine a feverish rant with large dollops of humour and more than the occasional raised eyebrow. It would suit the armchair politician down to the ground. Although definitely not one for the liberal lefties or staunch Labour Party supporters.

I am pretty sure that all of us have someone we have to buy for this festive season who likes a good moan about the state of modern society and both of these books would have them seething with glee.

Advent Calendar: December 2nd

Why not give someone the greatest story ever told this Christmas?

Homer's Odyssey has everything you could possibly want in a book. And I mean everything.

Sex, drugs, monsters, shipwrecks, magic, sports, nudity, romance, banquets, fights, gods, blood, guts, unrequited love, coming-of-age, epic travels, pigs, the most beautiful woman in history, ancient wisdom, homecoming and one hell of a punch up at the end. Followed by a bit of gardening.

There are numerous editions and translations and versions available but if you are buying a copy for someone who isn't familiar with the story I would suggest going for the Robert Fagles translation which is an accessible and rip-roaring read without losing any of the poetry of more traditional versions.

Advent Calendar: December 1st

Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs is an unusual and entertaining account of the nine months the author spent living in the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookshop in Paris. Part personal memoir, part travelogue, part history of the store, part biography of its eccentric owner George Whitman it is essential reading for anyone who is in love with bookshops. Or Paris. Or both.

If you have someone on your gift list who spends much of their time wadering around dusty secondhand bookshops then I am pretty sure they would love this as a present.

But I would recommend you read it yourself before you wrap it.

Advent Calendar

Every day between December 1st and Christmas Day itself I will be posting short suggestions for books to brighten up your festive season.

Some will be old, some will be new. Some would make for ideal gifts, others are entirely for personal use.

The intention is to recommend 24 books that you might otherwise have overlooked. They are unlikely to be on promotion in your local WH Borderstones and probably haven't been noticed by the reviewers and literary editors who are paid to bring great books to your attention.

It is an entirely selfish and personal selection but I hope some of you will find a few books to add to your own wishlists or to give to others.