What are YOU reading this Christmas?

**Whether you’re curling up by the fire with a cup of cocoa and Miranda Hart’s biography or sipping mulled wine and mulling over a degree textbook; as the winter nights draw in, there’s nothing that says Christmas like a cosy night in enjoying a good read. From old classics to instructive manuals, here are the page turners keeping us warm this Christmas. **

Daisy Kemp
———————

**_The Bronze Horseman_ by Paullina Simons**

Paullina Simons’ _The Bronze Horseman_ is a story of love and loss in Leningrad during the Second World War. Hours after Molotov announces war with Germany, Tatiana meets Alexander, a Red Army Captain with a destructive secret. As war ravages Leningrad and pushes family loyalty to the limit, Tatiana realises the biggest danger is falling in love. A compelling vision of the harsh realities of life under Stalinism, _The Bronze Horseman_ is at once heart breaking and life-affirming. Well worth the read.

Rebekah Ellerby
—————

**_The Snowman_ by Raymond Briggs**

Undoubtedly the best Christmas book: it requires the reading ability of a 7 year old, has cute characters and you can play the soundtrack in the background. In a recent interview with _The Times_, Raymond Briggs deplored Christmas and all the associated commercial shenanigans. Yes, the writer of the quintessential Christmas story; immortalised in the television version which has become an obligatory component of the Christmas schedule; and in the song that founded Aled Jones’ career, pretty much hates Christmas (N.B the snowman does melt at the end). However I urge you to go back and read the book, or give it as a gift to a child for them to experience the beautiful drawings and lovely story. It provides Christmas cheer with bitter sweet sincerity, combining delightful fantasy with a note of sad realism. And as an extra treat, there’s a sequel airing on Christmas Eve.

Robin Kerrison
————–

**_Of Mice and Men_ by John Steinbeck**

It’s not Christmassy; it’s not even feel-good. It’s a thrilling tale of men with only a pipedream to their name as they drift from one ranch to another in search of work. When Lennie, a man with a child’s mind and a bear’s body, loses control of his own strength, best-laid schemes go awry. If you want a captivating narrative featuring beautifully constructed characters all the while penned by a literary genius, then John Steinbeck has your number.

Lily Newman
———–

**_The Goddess Guide_ by Gisele Scanlon**

A relatively flighty non-fiction work illustrated with photographs and sketches, Scanlon’s book claims to cover all the aspects of life as a ‘goddess’; a term spanning home, sex, office, luxury, earth and urban. While materialistic to a potentially ludicrous extent this little book is an enjoyable read, engagingly written in a colloquial tone with sweet, poignant flashbacks to the author’s childhood, coupled with interesting interviews from people including Tracey Emin and Heston Blumenthal, diverting this book from becoming a shallow catalogue of consumer-driven drivel. A dip-in-dip-out sort of book, I would recommend as a light read, but be warned: in reading the guide as a student you run the risk of suffering extreme financial frustration at the lists of beautiful things you cannot afford without sacrificing a few months’ rent…

Lucy Berkeley
————-

**_The Hobbit_ by J.R.R Tolkein**

I first read ‘The Hobbit’, J.R.R.Tolkien’s famed prequel to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy when I was 14 and have re-visited now as preparation for the much-awaited film. Beginning in the Hobbit hole of a conventional, upstanding member of society: Bilbo Baggins, the novel then leaps across hills and mountains, weaving an epic account of the journey with 12 dwarves and celeb, Gandalf the Grey. They cross trolls, goblins and orcs, concluding with a showdown against Smaug, the fierce and ferocious dragon. This is the perfect Christmas read, allowing you to escape from the reality of revision and essays and explore the vivid world of Middle Earth.

Lillian Hingley
—————

**_How to Be a Woman_ by Caitlin Moran**

Even during the holidays I am reminded of feminist theory from my course, for this “part memoir part rant” begins with a famous De Beauvoir quotation. From the sheer ugly side of puberty, to experiencing sexism as a young journalist, Moran’s writing is ridiculously witty, sometimes crude and often poignant. Although she addresses the issues still facing the modern woman, this transforms an entertaining gift into one with a conscience, conveying a message without being dogmatic. Perhaps feminism isn’t dead this Christmas.

Scott Harris
————

**_Inheritance_ by Christopher Paolini**

_Inheritance_ is the concluding book of Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. Despite the author’s desperate use of literary clichés and a fairly obvious blend of _Harry Potter_ and _The Lord of the Rings_, this novel amounts to perfect Christmas reading. If, like me, you spent many Christmases past with your head in the latest young-adult-fantasy-bestseller, you may be surprised how nostalgic reading helps you embrace the festive spirit. And nothing whatsoever says “yuletide” like a dragon mutilating scores of disposable underlings.

Editor’s Pick – Nicole Davis
—————————-

**_Just Kids_ by Patti Smith**

Legend. Punk-rocker. Artist. However Patti Smith registers on your radar, her memoir (winner of the 2010 National Book Award) _Just Kids_ captures the excitement and energy of New York in the 70s. Smith details her relationship with fellow artist Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as her ascent from an underprivileged poet to a music icon with painstaking honesty; her words ringing with humour and nostalgia. Perhaps not your traditional heart-warming tale, this is a story of soul mates, success and finding your way, whether that’s in amongst the Jim Morrison’s and Janis Joplin’s of the world or not, the enchanting sentiments can apply to us all.