Christmas at Thrush Green Miss Read (Orion, £7.99) She’s 98, and still going strong. Miss Read's creation Thrush Green, based on Woodgreen at Witney, takes you on a journey to the 1950s, when her books about a village schoolmistress became bestsellers. Since then, she’s produced a book almost every year. This one is co-authored with her long-time editor Jenny Dereham, who put the story into words based on an original idea and story from Miss Read (aka Dora Saint). She lived in Witney during the war, when her husband was in the RAF, and this story is full of local detail from surrounding villages and towns like Woodstock.

Comfort And Joy, India Knight (Fig Tree, £14.99) This time of year, publishers urge their writers to bring out a new story, just for Christmas. The quality varies, but this contemporary novel, Knight’s first since 2002, is less of a try-on than many. It takes place over three chaotic Christmases as Clara, the hostess, tries to meet all the expectations of her extended family. While attempting to manage her life, she notices that the ho, ho, ho has gone out of her marriage, but ultimately it’s a heart-warming, schmaltzy and very funny tale.

The Twelve Days of Christmas John Julius Norwich (Atlantic, £9.99) This re-telling of the traditional rhyme for the modern age is redeemed by the delightful illustrations by Quentin Blake. The recipient of the partridge, pear tree, etc is at first delighted, then progressively more dismayed as the geese and ten lords a-leaping pile up. Not for children, but it might amuse an elderly uncle for ten minutes.

Read This Next Sandra Newman & Howard Mittlemark (Particular Books, £9.99) The ideal gift for anyone who’s in a reading group, as long as they’re not fond of lit crit. This is a rapid dash through the 500 books the authors believe we should all read. If you buy this before doing your Christmas shopping, you can look for ideas from the lists of best love stories, best sports books, etc. It includes, incidentally, John Julius Norwich’s Short History of Byzantium, which is undoubtedly better value than his latest Christmas offering described above.