100 BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS! 📚 Gift Guide 2023
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- You asked for book recommendations, so here you go! A very large holiday book gift guide for you. Pull up a seat! xx
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MY BOOKS:
PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THIS EXHIBIT tinyurl.com/jn...
sample poems: www.jen-campbe...
Blackwell's (free international shipping) blackwells.co....
Signed copies (shipped worldwide) www.jen-campbe...
MARCELINE: DEFENDER OF THE SEA tinyurl.com/52...
THE SISTER WHO ATE HER BROTHERS tinyurl.com/7d...
THE GIRL AQUARIUM: tinyurl.com/yc...
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT tinyurl.com/ln...
FRANKLIN’S FLYING BOOKSHOP: tinyurl.com/hl...
FRANKLIN AND LUNA GO TO THE MOON tinyurl.com/yb...
FRANKLIN AND LUNA AND THE BOOK OF FAIRY TALES: tinyurl.com/y2...
THE BOOKSHOP BOOK: tinyurl.com/qb...
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Things mentioned:
Check out Serious Readers! try.seriousrea... for £100 off a High Definition Light plus Free Delivery, with code SR404.
Patreon for vlogmas: / jenvcampbell
Get 65% off Gousto: (affiliate link) www.gousto.co.u...
Listen to audiobooks while supporting bookshops! (referral link) libro.fm/refer...
Barbellion Prize video 2022: • Reading the Barbellion...
Barbellion Prize video 2023: • Reading the Barbellion...
Inclusive Books for Children: www.inclusiveb...
Persephone Books: persephonebook...
Outsiders anthology www.3ofcups.co...
TASCHEN: some of their limited edition books are very expensive, but they have plenty of books around the £20 mark, too www.taschen.co...
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WHO I AM
Hello, I'm Jen Campbell. I'm an award-winning poet and bestselling author of twelve books, spanning short stories, poetry, picture books, and nonfiction.
My books for adults include The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night, The Girl Aquarium, The Bookshop Book, and The Sunday Times bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series. My picture book trilogy Franklin and Luna, and my middle-grade book The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers, are published by Thames & Hudson. I've won both an Eric Gregory Award and the Jane Martin Poetry Prize, and my books have been translated into twenty languages.
I've worked in the publishing industry for over fifteen years, initially as a bookseller, and now as a freelance editor, content creator and disability advocate. I review books online, in print and on the radio. I run a UA-cam channel where I talk about books, the history of fairy tales, and the representation of disability and disfigurement. I also offer online writing workshops and editorial services, give talks at schools, publishing companies, universities and book festivals on a variety of topics, and I run a book club for TOAST clothing.
If you would like to speak with me about the possibility of working together, please get in touch via email: jenvcampbell@gmail.com x
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Where to find me:
Website: www.jen-campbel...
Editorial services: www.jen-campbel...
Writing Workshops: www.jen-campbel...
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Events: www.jen-campbel...
Podcast: www.jen-campbel...
Storygraph: app.thestorygr...
Email: jenvcampbell@gmail.com
(Since starting UA-cam, some of you have been asking what's wrong with my hands. This video should answer any questions :) • My Disability | EEC Sy... )
This video was very kindly sponsored by Serious Readers. All thoughts are my own. Any books marked with * were kindly sent to me for review.
#Booktube #ChristmasGifts #GiftGuide #BookRecommendations
If I didn't get round to answering your recommendation request, or you have a new one you'd like to ask, leave it in a comment down below and I'll answer there. ☺ xx
4:12 A book with complicated sister relationships
6:01 A book on living with disability. Cosy, beautiful, feels like chatting with a new friend. Similar in vain please to Some of Us Just Fall by Polly Atkin
7:04 Adult Watership Down
7:52 Books with circus themes and books where siblings of someone with a disability has a role to play
9:14 Horror but not as a separate category. Sci-fi or fantasy and then get scarier and scarier unexpectedly
10:28 A book that’s funny, weird, and surreal without treading into the territory of violent, gross, or body horror
11:22 A short book that plays with language in some way
12:25 A recommendation for a boyfriend who’s dyslexic. Comic book or graphic novel
13:00 A dark comedy book
13:31 A philosophy-rich novel for partner who rarely reads fiction. Usually reads philosophy, political, and science non-fiction
14:32 Anything like The Hopkins Manuscript
15:42 Anything like Doreen and The House Opposite by Barbara Noble
16:56 A witty audio book based on an extended what if scenario
17:46 A book for my dad who has recently read and loved Bob Mortimer’s books and likes cycling, golf, and going behind the scenes of history etc
18:12 A book for my dad who’s quite busy but used to love reading sci-fi and fantasy but he also has pretty problematic views on the world. Would love to find a short book to open his mind a little bit
19:00 A book about curses that affect multiple generations of families like Born Weird by Andrew Kaufman
20:26 A literary thriller
20:36 An immersive book, preferably not scary
22:04 A book for sister-in-law who’s a neuropsychologist and loves reading about elderly characters and mental health and books about characters with dementia
24:36 A cosy, heartwarming book like The Tea Dragon Society
25:23 Picture book recommendations
28:27 Literary fiction with weird or horror elements, possibly with romance subplots like Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield and Woman Eating by Claire Kohda
29:18 Bluebeard/Beauty and the Beast retellings like Jane Eyre and Rebecca. A naïve woman with a house with secrets and a mysterious man
30:08 A fiction book that explores parasocial relationships on social media
32:16 A book for a partner who likes thrillers, is a big history nerd, enjoyed The Shardlake series, and Claire Douglas
32:52 A book for someone who loved The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
33:28 Something similar to Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
34:23 A book for someone who love Braised Pork and Our Wives Under the Sea
35:14 A book like Bear or Mrs Caliban
35:46 Recommendation for my grandma who loves long family sagas and doesn’t like anything too violent or explicit
36:35 Something like Love in the Big City. A contemporary queer book about a character navigating life, not necessarily tragic or happy, just middle of the road
37:04 Something like Mariana Enriquez and Jen’s book The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night
37:51 Recommendation for my sister who loves Shirley Jackson and Mary Shelley
38:26 Recommendation for my brother who likes to write, reads all the time, enjoys spicy food, is a language nerd and an interior designer by profession. Through Jen’s recommendation, previously gifted him Secret Lives of Church Ladies and Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton, both of which he loved
39:13 Recommendation for my sister who loves the water, anything maritime related, normally reads non-fiction but enjoys fiction too
40:04 Recommendation for my brother who has been enjoying medieval Old English poetry like Beowulf and wants to get into more contemporary poetry with similar themes. He has mentioned enjoying Sylvia Plath, Simon Armitage, and Mary Oliver
40:31 A memoir of refugee experiences or a graphic novel for neighbour’s 13 year old son who are Ukrainian refugees
41:36 A book like Station Eleven or Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
42:24 Crime books. Something more niche
43:03 A book that I can buy multiple copies of to gift to friends and couples e.g., coffee table books
43:43 A book sets in the wilderness with beautiful descriptions
43:54 Something similar to Aimee Bender’s Willful Creatures or Julia Armfield’s Salt Slow
44:32 A book for my mum who loves Victoria Hislop and anything set on island
44:55 Short horror and Japanese fiction
45:10 Books about being Jewish and having disability
45:35 A book to break up a year-long reading slump. Myth/cryptozoology themes. Good audio is a plus
46:03 A non-fiction book about the power of books in life
46:28 A book for early 30s, struggling to feel satisfied with life and lack of love
47:22 Something similar to The Woman in the Purple Skirt
Woahhh...Niiicce listing, thanks soo much! 💙👍
woah thanks!
Wowwww i love this thank you so much!
Thank you for the timestamps!
Thanks!!
Your memory for all the stories you’ve read is astonishing. I absolutely love this video and will be going back to this for recommendations
This video is an astonishment. I could watch you talk about books all day, Jen. Thanks & happy holidays!
❤️
I never get to catch your videos early because of the time difference, watching you from Mexico. Bought a few or your ebooks and love your content. Thank you for the effort of the covers, we non english speakers sometimes miss difficult names. Have a very happy christmas Jen, and thank you for all these years :)
Names of books and authors are always in the captions, too, which I always correct to make sure they’re accurate ♥️ thanks for being here x
I so appreciate how much work goes into these. Thank you Jen. Sending warmth and gentleness your way! X
Thank you ❤️ it definitely took a while 😅 x
Absolutely in awe regarding the range and how tailored your recommendations are every year.. Thank you so much.!!
These gift guides are some of my favourite videos of yours. They must take forever but thank you so much for making them!
♥️ I’m glad you like them x
A non fiction book about the power of books in life: Howards end is on the landing by Susan Hill
That was unbelievably comprehensive! Such fantastic recommendations, thank you so much Jen
Thank you so much, once again. I really appreciate this over-the-top kindness and hard work you’ve put here
You're a one-of-a-kind. Thank you.
Appreciate all the work that went into this, Jen. Excited to add some of these recommendations onto my ever-growing TBR list going into the new year.
I love your recommendations videos. Thanks for the amazing list of books.
This was fantastic! Thank you very much.
You're welcome ☺ x
Hi, Jen! Thank you for what you're doing. :)
Could you recommend light fantasy/magical realism mixed in with some folklore and Celtic vibes?
Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones ☺️ x
Trying to stop buying books until the new year to actually catch up on reading but these recommendations! This video was so helpful and now my tbr is even bigger
thank you. This was wonderful and so so informative.
Thank you so much for this Jen! I’m still figuring out a gift for my boyfriend though, he’s a chef with massive interest in history and discourse on mental health. Not sure how those three corelates in a book but any help is very much appreciated, thank you!!!
Perhaps The Year of Miracles by Ella Risbridger, or National Dish Anya von Bremzen? x
Thank you so much Jen for doing these types of videos. I get a lot of my recommendations from you! (:
Also a cosy illness/disability one : The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating.
Love these videos, really appreciate all the work! Will be picking up the Iain Pears book, audio might be the answer there 😂
Thank you! I appreciate the knowledge, time and work that went into putting this guide and video together. Wonderful suggestions! I've added many of these books to my reading list. 😊
I was seconds away from recommending you “Taproot,” when you then said that you had it on your TBR. I think, given how much you have been loving the particular graphic novels. You’ve read this year, it’s going to be a hit. It’s one of my very favorite books that I read this year too. I also think that I will be picking up.”The Employees” to read this winter. It sounds so interesting, and I do love some and grossing science fiction.
Thank you for an incredible list, as always! The video I'm looking forward to every year 🍁🍂❤️
Thank you for doing this every year!
Thank you Jen! I would love a recommendation for a cosy Christmas or winter themed book ❤️🎄❤️
The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay or The Snow Garden by Rachel Joyce x
@@jenvcampbell thank you!!! ❤️
The snow child by Eowyn Ivey..fairy taley and wintery
Added Lakiriboto to my list to check out when I’m in London very soon! Sounds fantastic! xxx
One of my favourite videos every year!! Thank you for putting so much work into it, and I even got more recommendations from the discussions in the comments.
I love this format because there are some books that I'd already heard you recommend in the past, but that I added to my TBR today because the angle for which you're recommending them in the gift guide particularly appeals to me, if that makes sense!
Love when you do these videos ! My favorite !!! You make it seem so easy to come up with all these book recommendations 😍
Ahh looking forward to this so much! I am currently ill and needed a pick up and this is everything and more! Thank you, Jen ❤
I hope you feel better soon. x
@@jenvcampbell Thank you! X
Thanks for the lush video Jen! 🤗 really appreciate how much effort goes into these 🩷 they're super super fabby 😁
I'm so grateful you took my question
Just found your channel! What an amazing and rare recommendations, so different from what I've seen. And so impressed by your ability to remember book from 10 years ago and matched it to specific request 🤯. Will definitely look forward to your videos, old and new 🥰
☺️ hello and welcome! x
Thank you for the recommendations Jen! I checked out the ones you recommended for my request and can't wait to read them ❤️
One of my favourite videos all year! Thank you for putting in all this work
❤️☺️
I was gonna reccommend When We Are Sisters as soon as the sister prompt came so definitely a good reccomendation!
I love this video so much Jen! Also I’m weirdly very attracted to this thumbnail, well done! 🎄
Great video thank you so much Jen!
These types of videos are some of favorites on UA-cam, and yours are some of my favorites of those favorites . I Always add something to my TBR & like how they’re a mix of new & not . 📖🪱💚
Thank you so much, Jen!
Love these videos, am going to get my mum the curfew because she loves thrillers and by the way you talked about it I think she’ll love it. Also getting my brother accidentally wes Anderson which I think you’ve mentioned and he likes his movies and needs a coffee table book
I have indeed mentioned it; great shout for a Anderson fan! x
Hello, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for a middle-aged, stressed out retail worker during the holidays.? Her hobbies include her cat and playing animal crossing. I'm at a loss . Thank you😊
Full disclosure. it's me !I'm looking for a new book , one to read when I'm trying to distress. I also really love Christmas and wondering if it could be Christmas themed. Thanks again.😊
@@mal6051 How about The Snow Garden by Rachel Joyce, for a Christmas-themed read? I also have Mistletoe Malice on my TBR for this month, which looks like it could be fun! If you'd like a book about retail (though perhaps you'd like to get away from that!) there's Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, or for a bit of retail + Christmas there's Carol by Patricia Highsmith. x
Have you read any books by Linda Olsson? I found them soothing and engaging at the same time. She explores different themes in each novel. I have read four and liked every single one. Not exactly christmassy or catty, but lovely for middle-aged women😊
Oh my goodness thank you guys❤
Thank you so much for answering my request!!!
Thank you Jen.
Could you please recommend a book like Convenience Store Woman or Diary of a void? Thanks!
Miss Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami x
@@jenvcampbell thank you so much!
Thanks so much Jen❤
Thanks for the book recommendations! And I totally agree on you that it could be controversial to read books about siblings of someone with a disability, as it takes away the experience of the disabled person! That's also what I've found in books where siblings play a role and I hate it. My sister is not just there for me to "learn about life", she has her own life and struggles, so do I as a sibling and those things exist next to eachother. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!
“My sister is not just there for me to learn about life” exactly, I think that’s the big mistake that writers/publishers make in this area; they choose this point of view in order to make the book a teaching moment and it does everryyyone a disservice, and is (quite frankly) boring. ♥️ xx
Hi Jen, You are simply brilliant at recommending books for people. For the person who wants an adult Watership Down, I would like to suggest The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy, a Canadian author. It is an imagined chronicle of a herd of elephants - she even creates an elephant language. It is beautiful, joyous and heartbreaking.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
A book for early thirty struggling to feel satisfied with life and lack of love: Neshov series by Anne B. Ragde. Even just the first book, Berlin Poplars, covers the topics
Needed something happy after a terribly tiresome weekend thank you for this!! Hope you and the little one are doing well xx
Also! If you have a chance, any recommendations for a friend who loves queer gothic Victorian novels? They love Austen and Carmen Maria Machado.
I'm assuming they've already read Sarah Waters? If not, then Tipping the Velvet. One on my TBR that looks good is Nettleblack by Nat Reeve. Can't personally vouch for it yet, but give it a Google. x
I am LIVING for all the recommendations 👏🏼👏🏼
My partner isn’t a huge reader, he just read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and is currently reading the Martian and really enjoyed both. Do you have any recommendations for other similar-ish books that aren’t by Andy Weir?? Really enjoying book dates and want to make sure I have some on the back burner for him!! Thanks 💙💙
Ready Player One is always a good one for situations like this. Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer, too! x
@@jenvcampbell yay!! Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much for your effort and thank you for recommending me a book 🤗 I'm definitely getting the The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil for my BF (guess what, he has a beard :D) and I also picked some great recs for myself, too ❤ Much love!
Happy to help x
Hi Jen, thanks so much for your effort in making this video! I red The Crimson Petal and The White by your recommendation a few years ago and adored it. Anything with a similar feel you might recommend? Thanks so much again, hope you're doing well!
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters x
@@jenvcampbell I was browsing the comments and saw this: I was wondering if the other way round, you would recommend the Michel Faber book to someone who loved Fingersmith? It was one of my favourite books from this year so definitely interested in similar books :D
@@emeline_4 Yes, I would. You might also want to check out Nettleblack by Nat Reeve -- not one I've read myself yet, but I know it's a queer Victorian novel. x
@@emeline_4 Oh, and I'd also recommend Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier, too. x
@@jenvcampbell Ok, thank you!!
I've been eyeing Nettleback in bookshops this year, this is a sign I need to pick it up next time!
Hey Jen I didn’t get a chance to ask a recommendation but my mum has asked to receive books this year, she lost her husband over the summer, is there any book out there that explores grief that’s not sad - but more uplifting & soulful? Would love to hear your ideas, thanks so much for all the effort you put in! 💕
I haven't read it myself but there's Richard E. Grant's A Pocketful of Happiness which might suit? ❤ I think the Harold Fry series is also lovely, and Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed may also be a good bet x
@@jenvcampbell thank you so much 😊 I really appreciate it x
I’m needing a book that is similar to Grief is the Thing with Feathers and This Thing Between Us. I’m looking for an interesting take on managing grief and big loss w strangeness, perhaps some horror elements, and darkness, but hopefully w a dash of hope.
Have you read Maddie Mortimer's Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies? It's like a prequel to Grief is the Thing with Feathers, and it's stunning. x
You are Amazing!💫
Crime book, more niche: South African Tannie MariaMurder Mysteries (4 books so far) by SallyAndrew: cosy murder myseries with a middle aged, food loving female protagonist, themes of friendship, nature, a bit of South Africa and obviously a murder😊
I think I'm a bit late but can I please get a recommendation for something like Piranesi by Susanna Clarke or Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith?
I haven't read it but I believe that Palimpsest by Catherynne M Valente has a similar feel to Piranesi. I think Einstein's Dreams would also give you what you're looking for, as well. As for Build Your House, I'd recommend Creatures of Passage by Merowa Yejide. x
@@jenvcampbell thank you so much, Jen!
For the person wanting a book for their Ukrainian neighbor - I would recommend The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (I have only thumbed through it, but everyone I’ve spoken to loves it)
Could you recommend a book that took your breath away because the story was so beautifully impactful? Thank you
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. x
Thank you
I love these videos so much (I'm not sure my wallet agrees with me ^^)! Thank you for the hard work!!
I adored Strange Beasts of China - do you have recommendations for anything similar?
Yan Ge has a new book out called Elsewhere which you may want to check out. Books with similar themes are also Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, Braised Pork by An Yu, and even The Midwich Cuckoos for sci-Fi journalism x
I'm Ukrainian and honestly, I'm not sure that gifting a book about refugee experience to a refugee child is a good idea. It can be traumatic. That kid just like many refugee kids can tell their own story, all very different from one another.
I'd better gift to them a book about heroes or some awesome fantasy book. Especially, if they moved recently.
It's better to ask if a child can read something like that at the moment first.
I'm at home and constantly often cry when reading a war books now, especially recent ones by our Ukrainian authors.
I agree that escapism is also a good option; I was trusting that this request was coming from someone who knows the person in question and therefore knows this is what is wanted in this particular scenario. Everyone is different x
@@jenvcampbell really hope so too.
I just got used to the fact that in reality it's often other way around though I get protective.
But as I've said, I hope that I'm wrong this time.
Thank you for these recs anyway. I've loved the Arrival when I read it. Will read Pink Rabbit one someday too.
Hi Jen! If I was to introduce my mum to Nikki French, which book would you suggest starting with? Thanks!
I have a video on that, which is probably more useful than replying here, as it depends what kind of things she likes to read: ua-cam.com/video/hH9awkZp1Co/v-deo.html x
Dear Jen, I did ask before but i understand the sheer volume of requests you have received. Consider it a gift to myself. Can you please recommend books similar to carlos ruiz zafon? except the author who wrote love in the time of cholera...cannnot remember the name😊
Sure! I'm not personally a fan but I know that those who are have also enjoyed The Book Thief, Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrrow, and The Starless Sea. x
Dear Jen, I preferred his trilogy of older YA books and I have found a great alternative 🤗may I suggest the classic wonderfully told in a darkly fairytale style a YA novel by Sally Gardner titled I, Coriander. It is set in 1643 against the real life history of Oliver Cromwell vs the Royalists and brings out the misogyny and patriarchy of the Puritan movement - we follow the life of a dear, strong, hopeful Coriander. No romance to overtake such a powerful narrative. I loved it. Beautifully written!!!!
@@blackraven7774 I don't think that's my cup of tea, but thank you. x
Hi Jen. I love more classic lit and i am looking something like the sea, the sea by Iris Murdock. Any recommendations on this?
Perhaps Greengates by RC Sherriff? You might want to check out the blurbs of his other titles, too: persephonebooks.co.uk/search?q=rc+sherriff x
Hi Jen, another wonderful video! I'm unsure if you might still be answering recommendations, but if you are, I'm looking for one for my mum. She has enjoyed Nikki French's The Unheard, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, and My Sister the Serial Killer. Other than that, she has said that she enjoys a "well written book that has a good flow". Does anything come to mind?
She might enjoy Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (in a similar vein to Harry August), The Silent House by Nell Pattison (if she enjoys Nicci French), and The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff (for My Sister The Serial Killer vibes) x
@@jenvcampbell Thank you so much for taking the time to think of recommendations and replying! I very much appreciate it 😊😊
I’m looking for a novel with artist/s as main protagonist. Any suggestions?
Omg yessss
By the way I stated uni today
@@moonbook12 Happy studying :) x
Anyone's got recs like strange beasts of china? I read and absolutely loved it.. Would love to know more of such kind.!
Yan Ge has a new book out called Elsewhere which you may want to check out. Books with similar themes are also Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, Braised Pork by An Yu, and even The Midwich Cuckoos for sci-Fi journalism x
@@jenvcampbell Thank you so much Jen.!! On to getting all of these 😍💙
I'd love to get a recommendation for a book with character living through teen-middleage or spanning across his whole life and learning about life, love, finding new perspectives on life.. If you can.. Thank you :)
There's so much love for Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (not a favourite of mine, but I can see why it's so admired). I really enjoyed The Coward by Jarred McGinnis, too. x
@@jenvcampbell Thank you so much for the recs.!! Will be reading these..:) And Happy holidays.!
Thank you for so much recommendations and the work you invest in this Video! As I am from Austria and my younger daughter has to deal with disability - do you know any organisations whjch are selling inclusive children Books in german language? Lovely greetings from 🇦🇹
I don’t know about books originally in German, but you can search on German websites for any German translations of the books we’ve listed on our IBC website. x
@@jenvcampbell thank you for this tip! 😊
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❤ these!