Backstory's Christmas Gifts

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Buckeye - our novel of the year

This engrossing story of two families and one long-buried secret had us all rapt.

Buy it now

And the rest of this year's best novels

View all
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
£14.99
Albion-9780241698426
Albion by Anna Hope
£16.99
The Names : 'The best debut novel in years' Sunday Times-9781399624022
The Names : 'The best debut novel in years' Sunday Times by Florence Knapp
£16.99
I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There by Roisin Lanigan
I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There by Roisin Lanigan
£16.99
Perfection-9781804271049
Perfection by Sophie Hughes
£12.99
Heap Earth Upon It-9780857309051
Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth
£16.99
Service Model-9781035045686
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
£10.99
The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
The Two Roberts by Damian Barr
£18.99
Girlbeast by Cecilie Lind
Girlbeast by Cecilie Lind
£12.00
The Expansion Project-9781803512587
The Expansion Project by Ben Pester
£16.99
The School of Night-9781787304208
The School of Night by Karl Ove Knausgaard
£25.00
Arcana Academy : an enthralling, addictive, unputdownable fantasy romance-9781399728881
Arcana Academy : an enthralling, addictive, unputdownable fantasy romance by Elise Kova
£20.00
The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre
The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre
£14.99
The Silver Book-9780241783962
The Silver Book by Olivia Laing
£20.00
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
£9.99
A Particularly Nasty Case : The fastest-selling debut thriller of 2025, from the author of global phenomenon This is Going to Hurt-9781398704404
A Particularly Nasty Case : The fastest-selling debut thriller of 2025, from the author of global phenomenon This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
£20.00
The Artist : Winner of the Waterstones Debut Prize-9781399819565
The Artist : Winner of the Waterstones Debut Prize by Lucy Steeds
£16.99
Happiness Forever by Adelaide Faith
Happiness Forever by Adelaide Faith
£16.99
The Raven Scholar : the masterfully woven and breathtaking epic adult fantasy of cutthroat competition and imperial deceit-9781529339901
The Raven Scholar : the masterfully woven and breathtaking epic adult fantasy of cutthroat competition and imperial deceit by Antonia Hodgson
£22.00
Flesh-9780224099783
Flesh by David Szalay
£18.99
Dusk by Robbie Arnott
Dusk by Robbie Arnott
£16.99
The Persians-9780008589042
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
£16.99
The Hounding-9781529154504
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis
£16.99
Life Cycle of a Moth-9781837262458
Life Cycle of a Moth by Rowe Irvin
£16.99

The perfect gift for your favourite reader

Delight them with Indie x Indie fiction, Read The World non-fiction, or our individually tailored Penpal Subscription.

Browse the options

Our non-fiction picks

Daughters of the Bamboo Grove : China's Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins-9781783787227
Daughters of the Bamboo Grove : China's Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demick
£20.00
Mother Mary Comes To Me-9780241761717
Mother Mary Comes To Me by Arundhati Roy
£20.00
The Revolutionists : The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s-9781847926067
The Revolutionists : The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s by Jason Burke
£30.00
Is This Working? : The Jobs We Do, Told by the People Who Do Them by Charlie Colenutt
Is This Working? : The Jobs We Do, Told by the People Who Do Them by Charlie Colenutt
£20.00
Hark : How Women Listen-9781805302063
Hark : How Women Listen by Alice Vincent
£18.99
World Cup Fever : A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments-9781805224105
World Cup Fever : A Footballing Journey in Nine Tournaments by Simon Kuper
£20.00
A History of England in 25 Poems-9780241765982
A History of England in 25 Poems by Catherine Clarke
£25.00
The Finest Hotel in Kabul : A People's History of Afghanistan-9781529151022
The Finest Hotel in Kabul : A People's History of Afghanistan by Lyse Doucet
£25.00
Mark Kermode's Surround Sound : The Stories of Movie Music-9781447230564
Mark Kermode's Surround Sound : The Stories of Movie Music by Mark Kermode
£18.99
Indignity : A Life Reimagined-9780241661925
Indignity : A Life Reimagined by Lea Ypi
£22.00
The Accidental Soldier by Owain Mulligan
The Accidental Soldier by Owain Mulligan
£22.00
The Garden Against Time : In Search Of A Common Paradise by Olivia Laing
The Garden Against Time : In Search Of A Common Paradise by Olivia Laing
£10.99

This year's best food & drink

The Pub : Wit, wisdom & weirdness on Britain's best-loved establishment-9781529935684
The Pub : Wit, wisdom & weirdness on Britain's best-loved establishment by The Fence
£16.99
What to Cook & When to Cook It : A Simple, Seasonal Vegetarian Recipe Book-9781035060481
What to Cook & When to Cook It : A Simple, Seasonal Vegetarian Recipe Book by Georgie Mullen
£26.00
Around the Table : 52 Essays on Food & Life-9781846016004
Around the Table : 52 Essays on Food & Life by Diana Henry
£20.00
Tart : Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef - THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER-9781526682697
Tart : Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef - THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER by Slutty Cheff
£16.99
The Christmas Companion : Recipes, crafts and inspiration for a magical festive season-9781526681577
The Christmas Companion : Recipes, crafts and inspiration for a magical festive season by Skye McAlpine
£28.00
All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh
All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh
£18.99

For the kids

Songlight : Winner of the YA Book Prize-9780571385669
Songlight : Winner of the YA Book Prize by Moira Buffini
£8.99
Spark Hunter-9781991142221
Spark Hunter by Sonya Wilson
£8.99
The Legend of Viking Thunder-9781035005987
The Legend of Viking Thunder by M.G. Leonard
£7.99
The Mythmakers-9780241610435
The Mythmakers by Tamzin Merchant
£14.99
Maisie vs the Himalayas-9781805131366
Maisie vs the Himalayas by Jack Jackman
£7.99
Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth-9781788453530
Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth by Sarah McIntyre
£6.99
Nora Nightsky-9780702341533
Nora Nightsky by Becka Moor
£6.99
A Child's Christmas In Wales 70th Anniversary Edition : the timeless Christmas classic, celebrating 70 years-9781510114104
A Child's Christmas In Wales 70th Anniversary Edition : the timeless Christmas classic, celebrating 70 years by Dylan Thomas
£6.99
Wigglesbottom Primary: The Popcorn Puppy-9781805133339
Wigglesbottom Primary: The Popcorn Puppy by Becka Moor
£7.99
By My Side-9781408367247
By My Side by Ben Mantle
£12.99
Letters to a Monster : A monstrously funny picture book for ages 3+-9781526615817
Letters to a Monster : A monstrously funny picture book for ages 3+ by Patricia Forde
£7.99
Oh Dear, Look What I Got! : A new instant rhyming classic from Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, creators of the multi-million-copy-selling family favourite WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT-9781529510898
Oh Dear, Look What I Got! : A new instant rhyming classic from Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, creators of the multi-million-copy-selling family favourite WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT by Michael Rosen
£12.99

Stocking fillers

Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2026-9781784728724
Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book 2026 by Margaret Rand
£15.99
An Opinionated Guide to London Walks-9781914314933
An Opinionated Guide to London Walks by Tom Howells
£11.95
Private Eye Annual 2025-9781901784756
Private Eye Annual 2025 by Ian Hislop
£12.99
Liberty Faber Poetry Diary 2026-9780571395705
Liberty Faber Poetry Diary 2026 by Various Poets
£18.99
The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything : by the Sunday Times #1 Bestselling Author by Jonn Elledge
The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything : by the Sunday Times #1 Bestselling Author by Jonn Elledge
£16.99
The Economist Quiz Book : 60 Brain Teasers for Inquisitive Minds-9781805223795
The Economist Quiz Book : 60 Brain Teasers for Inquisitive Minds by Tom Standage
£10.99

Or give them a choice

Make their day with a voucher and give them the gift of spending time browsing in our beautiful bookshop.

Available in any denomination