For your mum:
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult 
(Hodder Paperback, RRP £7.99)
A novel about a school shooting might not sound like the most festive of reads, but although heartbreaking at times Nineteen Minutes is much less depressing than it’s subject matter would seem to suggest.
The novel follows the struggles of the students, their parents and the community as a whole to come to terms with what has happened; interwoven with the events leading up to the shooting. At times it reads like a courtroom drama; at others it’s a touching story of childhood romance and family relationships- and a terrifying image of what can happen when they go wrong.
The novel’s portrayal of bullying and social isolation will be unpleasantly familiar to anyone who has ever been to school, which makes the book seem all the more believable. Each of the characters is believable and interesting, so that although it frequently jumps between times and events every strand remains compelling.
As a mother of three herself, Jodi Picoult has brought vividly to life the things of every parent’s nightmares in a thoroughly readable manner- and if you do happen to buy it, I’d thoroughly recommend borrowing for a sneaky read at some point over the holidays.
For your little sister:
“The Princess Diaries” by Meg Cabot
(Macmillan Children’s Books, RRP £9.99)
Mia Thermopolis might be the princess of a small European country which no-one has heard of, but any teenage girl will easily be able to relate to her. Mia angsts continually, about everything: being in love with a boy who doesn’t know she exists, the size of her feet, Greenpeace, her flat chest and the fact that she’s failing at Algebra (which makes the knowledge that her mum is dating her algebra teacher a little awkward).
Meg Cabot pulls off the journal format perfectly: Mia’s voice seems entirely real and uncontrived, so that reading the book is almost like talking to a slightly crazy friend. Additions such as lists and notes passed between Mia and her friends keep the book interesting- while the algebra notes Mia scribbles at the bottom of the pages mean that you can even pretend it’s educational! Mia’s decidedly teenage vocabulary also means that the book is really easy to read, and even the most vehemently book-hating teenage girls will have no trouble with it.
Funny and believable, this is a perfect fairytale for modern times and probably the best piece of young adult chick-lit I’ve ever read.
For your older brother:
“Watchmen” by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore
(Titan Books Ltd., RRP £17.99)
He’s probably the hardest person you’ll have to buy for all year: too old for action figures, too young for socks and too male for pretty bath products. He’s probably unlikely to be much of a reader, too- but I guarantee that Watchmen will keep him hooked and stick in his mind long after the last page has been turned.
The plot revolves around a group of superheroes in New York, but don’t let that fool you: this comic book is decidedly not for kids. The mood is set by the opening scene, the flat of a recently murdered ex-superhero, and the suspense and grittiness is consistently maintained throughout the book. There are scenes of sex, torture and violence- alongside some surprisingly tender moments. The beautifully drawn illustrations complement this with a grimly realistic view of the city- no city scene is complete without pieces of floating litter in the background.
Watchmen has been accused of being overambitious, with too many themes and a convoluted plot, but it makes for compulsive reading and is the perfect antidote to an overdose of festive cheer.
For your Gran:
“River Cottage Everyday” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
(Bloomsbury, RRP £25)
Putting food on the table for the family quickly and economically doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. This book shows how Hugh’s approach to food can be adapted to suit any growing, working family, or busy young singles and couples for that matter. Breakfast, baking, lunchboxes, quick suppers, healthy snacks, eating on the move and weekend cooking for the week ahead – all these and more are covered in River Cottage Everyday.
As Hugh says: “I have honed the River Cottage approach to food over a decade now, and I believe passionately that it is relevant to everybody, every day. This book makes no prior assumptions about where you shop, what you may or may not know about growing vegetables or keeping livestock, or whether you can tell the difference between a cep and a chanterelle. All you will need to reap the benefit is a commitment to spend at least some time in the kitchen, with fresh ingredients, a few times a week. Above all, I intend to tempt and charm you towards a better life with food.”
For your dad:
“Ashes to Ashes” by Andrew Flintoff
(Hodder & Stoughton, RRP £19.99)
This book is bound to entertain any father with even a vague love of cricket. Freddie Flintoff is by far the greatest cricketing superstar of his generation, and his tale of Ashes glory is bound to be a page turner. His magnificent spell of fast bowling at Lords and his electrifying run out of Ricky Ponting at The Oval were major turning points in the recapture of the Ashes by England in 2009.
It was victory in the 2005 Ashes series that cemented Flintoff’s place in the nation’s heart, when his match-winning performances helped England regain the Ashes after eighteen years. In Ashes to Ashes he writes not only of his many highlights but also reveals his feelings of frustration during his periods out of the game through ankle and knee injuries, and the anxiety that has followed the major operations he has had to undergo. Andrew Flintoff’s lively and very personal account of his last four years of test cricket is both informative and compelling.