Easy to wrap and even easier to lose yourself in when Christmas chores come knocking, books make excellent gifts. We've picked a few of our favourites for keeping giftees entertained over the festival period.

The Art of Coorie: How to Live Happy the Scottish Way – Gabriella Bennett

What could be better that saying 'no thanks' to grey skies and wet feet and snuggling under a blanket with The Art of Coorie, a book that tells us to slow down and appreciate life's smaller pleasures? Give this to visitors who'll enjoy taking a snippet of Scotland and some local inspiration home with them or gift to locals who're looking to make the most of their quiet moments.
Buy The Art of Coorie on Amazon.

For Every One – Jason Reynolds

Everyone needs a little pick me up sometimes and this long form poem from award-winning, New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds is a fantastic pep talk in book form. Cool typography and plenty of words of wisdom make this a good gift for anyone who's thinking about making a change or taking a leap of faith – whether it's heading off to school, taking a new job or chasing an ambition.
Buy For Every One on Amazon.

A Scots Dictionary of Nature – Amanda Thomson

If a bracing walk is part of your Christmas tradition, this is the ideal book to dip into before or after lacing up your boots. It's full of fabulously descriptive Scots naming the natural world. Some you might recognise, others have sadly fallen out of use – but are well worth revisiting. Ones most likely to be needed over the holidays are those describing the weather, like Banff-baillies, meaning white snowy-looking clouds on the horizon, betokening foul weather'.
Buy A Scots Dictionary of Nature on Amazon.

In the Spirit of Spark – Ali Smith

As the centenary year of celebration of one of Scotland's most exciting writers comes to a close, this little gem from Ali Smith is an ideal stocking filler. Back in 2017, Smith gave the annual Muriel Spark Lecture to kick off the festivities. The speech not only brought Spark's formidable talents into the limelight, but also joyfully illuminated the reasons fiction matters – and it's been captured between the pages of this neat little tome
Buy In the Spirit of Spark on Amazon.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – Samin Nosrat

That's a Netflix series, right? Yes, and before it was a series it was also a book and a very fine looking book at that. Stripping cooking back to the four most basic and essential elements, Nosrat's book is a beautifully illustrated paean to learning how to cook instinctively. Ideal for anyone from students with ramshackle cupboards to keen amateur cooks bursting with ideas.
Buy Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Amazon.