A book is the right size for a Christmas stocking and the right weight for a beach bag. In New Zealand the summer holiday is when the year's reading gets done: in a deck chair, in a tent, on the back seat on the way to the bach. This list has something to give every person in the family, with old favourites beside newer ones. All of them are easy to find in bookshops, libraries and second-hand.
For Mum
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: funny, sharp and hard to put down.
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: four friends in a retirement village solve murders. The start of a series, so next year's present is sorted.
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: a mystery set in a marsh, good for long afternoons.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: a film star tells all.
- A cookbook to read like a novel: Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson or The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater.
For Dad
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: one man, one spaceship and a problem to solve. Even people who do not read science fiction like it.
- The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw: a memoir by a woman who runs tiny bookshops in Manapōuri. A real New Zealand life, full of surprises.
- A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson: science told as a string of good stories.
- A thriller from Lee Child or a crime novel from a New Zealand writer for the hammock.
- A sports memoir or a big illustrated book about fishing, cars or the back country, depending on the dad.
For teenagers
- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson: a school project turns into a murder investigation.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: still gripping, and there are more in the series.
- Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden: a group of teenagers go camping and come back to a changed country.
- Heartstopper by Alice Oseman: graphic novels that are kind and quick to read.
- One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus: five students in detention, one does not come out.
- For a teenager who says they do not read: a graphic novel, a book about their sport, or the book of a film they liked.
For children
Picture books for the youngest:
- Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy by Lynley Dodd.
- The Little Yellow Digger by Betty and Alan Gilderdale.
- The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith.
- Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers by Lynley Dodd.
- A Kiwi Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
For new readers and up:
- The Dog Man books by Dav Pilkey, which have turned many reluctant readers into keen ones.
- The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey.
- The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths.
- Matilda or The BFG by Roald Dahl.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the perfect book to read aloud at Christmas.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, for the child who is ready for a long one.
For Grandma and Grandad
- The Thursday Murder Club, again. It is loved by this age group most of all.
- A large-print edition of a favourite author. Ask the bookshop.
- A biography of someone they admire.
- A beautiful book about New Zealand gardens, birds or history.
- An audiobook subscription, set up on their phone for them. Being read to is a pleasure at any age.
For the whole family in the car
Audiobooks make a long drive north or south go faster. The library's free apps lend them. Try The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a Roald Dahl read by a good actor, or the first Harry Potter.
How to choose a book for someone
Think of the last thing they enjoyed, on a page or on a screen, and ask a bookseller for "something like that". Independent bookshops are very good at this. Write a message inside the cover with the year. If you are unsure, a book voucher tucked inside a Christmas card is never wrong.
Buying second-hand
Books are the best thing to buy in an op shop: cheap, clean and often unread. Hospice shops and the Habitat ReStore in Whangārei have big book sections. See our Thriftmas guide. A stack of three second-hand books tied with ribbon is a generous present for a few dollars.
A Christmas Eve book tradition
In Iceland, people give each other books on Christmas Eve and spend the evening reading. Borrow the idea: one new book each, opened after dinner, read in pyjamas. It calms children down better than anything else on the most excited night of the year. Our Christmas Eve box ideas show how to build a box around it.
Where to read them
Under a pōhutukawa, mostly. Our guide to beaches and swim spots around Whangārei has the places.
And before the reading starts on Christmas Eve, one more story can arrive by phone. Santa rings, says their name and asks what they are hoping for. Then it is time for the book.