The Book Package™

Once upon a time, curling up with a good book wasn’t a challenge. Then life/kids/box sets got in the way. This package has been put together to encourage the recipient to make an evening of it with snacks, something to drink and a selection of books written by fabulous women and men to entertain.

Contents:

• A Book (choose from the following):
  • Fiction:
    • Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane – A heart-breaking and laugh out loud funny romcom on friendship and grief and loss
    • Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Set within the backdrop of the heady haze of the 70s music scene, which ‘reads like a Netflix documentary meets A Star is Born’. The Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller
    • Us Three by Ruth Jones – A warm and uplifting Sunday Times Bestseller celebrating the beauty and endurance of female friendship, from the Gavin & Stacey co-creator
    • Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan – A sharp, smart, witty modern love story: Dolan’s debut novel was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021
    • Daughters of Cornwall by Fern Britton – No.1 Sunday Times bestselling book, a dazzling historical fiction novel, heartwarming romance, and a tale of mothers and daughters
    • The Devil and The Dark Water by Stuart Turton – A deliciously sinister period chiller, featuring fugitive detectives, a twice-dead leper and a stalking demon
    • The Heatwave by Kate Riordan – Atmospheric psychological thriller, set in Provence during a heatwave
    • Home Stretch by Graham Norton – Graham Norton’s beautiful novel of emigration and return, exploring shame, stigma, sexuality and humanity with a backdrop of small-town Ireland
    • The Second Sleep by Robert Harris – A historical thriller and #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, which poses challenging questions about the idea of progress and the stability of civilisation
    • The Secret Commonwealth: The Book of Dust Volume Two by Phillip Pullman – A fantasy novel and the second chapter in Philip Pullman’s epic series, this is a powerful story about the truths that underpin our world, the divisions that lie between love and responsibility and what it truly means to grow up.
    • Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee – An award-winning gripping historical crime novel set in Raj-era India, with a return of the Calcutta police detective Captain Sam Wyndham
    • The Guest List by Lucy Foley – A gripping, twisty murder mystery thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Hunting Party
    • Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo – follows twelve characters on their personal journeys through Britain and the last hundred years. Winner of the Booker Prize 2019
    • Private Moscow by James Patterson – Suspense, tension and non-stop action, a breakneck ride into Moscow’s dark underworld in the latest thriller from bestselling author James Patterson
    • Later by Stephen King – The latest thriller from New York Times #1 bestselling author Stephen King, about the secrets we keep buried and the cost of unearthing them
    • Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan – A Sci-Fi novel set in the 1980s in an alternative history timeline in which the UK lost the Falklands War, Alan Turing is still alive and the Internet, social media and self-driving cars already exist
    • Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Hardback) – A tender and emotionally complex debut about the relationship between two young Black British artists. Ideal for anyone missing the tentative, raw depiction of love in Normal People
    • The Eve Illusion by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher (Hardback) – The Eve Illusion is the second book in the bestselling Eve of Man trilogy from The Fletchers; a love story set in a dystopian future
  • Non-Fiction:
    • Grow Green by Jen Chillingsworth – Packed with easy tips and advice, Grow Green is a practical guide to growing sustainably, reducing the impact on the environment while growing flowers, fruit and veg
    • The Other Mother by Jen Brister – A very funny, honest look at parenting life, including IVF, same-sex parenting and crying over the pages of sleep training manuals. A book for any parent who feels they don’t fit the mould of a traditional family
    • My Wild and Sleepless Nights by Clover Stroud – Examines what it means to be a mother, and reveals with unflinching honesty the many conflicting emotions that this entails: the joy and the wonder, the loneliness and despair. Sunday Times Bestseller
    • Tender: The Imperfect Art of Caring by Penny Wincer – Combining Penny’s own experience as a carer with the experience of others, Tender is an eye-opening, deeply moving book about the art of empathy and the exceptional challenges faced by anyone who takes on the role of a carer
    • Who am I, again? by Lenny Henry – As one of the country’s best-loved comedians with a career spanning over forty years, Sir Lenny Henry tells the extraordinary story of his early years and sudden rise to fame
    • My Garden World by Monty Don – Monty Don’s personal journey through the natural year, month by month, season by season, observed from the immediate world around him
    • Failosophy by Elizabeth Day – An essential handbook for turning failure in to success, looking at all the lessons learned from the award-winning How To Fail podcast, and distilled in to seven principles of failure
    • That Will Be England Gone by Michael Henderson – A deeply personal tribute to cricket, summer and England, with Henderson revisiting much-loved places to see how the game he grew up with has changed
    • Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer by Jamie Redknapp – A moving, heartfelt and personal account of growing up as the son of Harry Redknapp and a love letter to football
    • The Boy On The Shed by Paul Ferris – A remarkable sporting memoir, written with depth and humanity, tracking success and disappointment, and winner of multiple Sports Book awards
    • Done Deal by Daniel Geey – An Insider’s Guide to Football Contracts, Multi-Million Pound Transfers and Premier League Big Business
    • Your Baby, Your Birth by Hollie De Cruz – Hypnobirthing skills for every birth; a set of deep relaxation, mindfulness and meditation tools for an empowering experience
    • The Times Jumbo Crossword Book – A super-sized challenge for crossword lovers, selected by the Times2 Crossword Editor John Grimshaw 
    • Mind Over Mother by Anna Mathur – Mind Over Mother from Psychotherapist Anna Mathur is a warm and accessible guide to understanding and addressing anxiety in the first year of motherhood
    • Where’s My Happy Ending by Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson – Where is ‘happily ever after’? And what do you do once you get there? Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson, authors of Parenting the Sh*t Out of Life, set out to discover what it takes to make it to forever, by asking our greatest questions about love
    • Mum, What’s Wrong with You? by Lorraine Candy (Hardback) – 101 things only mothers of teenage girls know, from mother of four and parenting columnist Lorraine Candy. A funny memoir with down to earth advice
    • The Self-Care Cookbook by Gemma Ogston – Over 60 plant based recipes to boost energy, help sleep and lift moods
    • Do What You Love, Love What You Do by Holly Tucker (Hardback) – The co-founder of notonthehighstreet and creator of Holly & Co. demystifies the grey world of business. Whether the reader is yet to take their first steps or finds themselves stuck in a business rut, this book promises ‘The Empowering Secrets to Turn Your Passion into Profit’
    • Untamed by Glennon Doyle – Part inspiration, part memoir, Untamed: Stop Please, Start Living explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and instead dare to listen to and trust in the voice deep inside us
    • Good Hair by Charlotte Mensah (Hardback) – An essential, practical guide to caring for Afro, textured and curly hair, from the legendary Black British hairdresser
    • I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite (Hardback) – I Am Not Your Baby Mother; Part memoir and part manifesto, a thought-provoking, urgent and inspirational book on what it’s like to be a black British mother from popular influencer Candice Brathwaite
    • The Happy Health Plan by David & Stephen Flynn – Simple and tasty plant-based food to nourish the body inside and out
    • Start Where Others Stop by Zack George (Hardback) – Start Where Others Stop: 9 strategies for optimising your mind’ is about building resilience and smashing goals, from Zack George. Zack is one of the world’s top Crossfit athletes, a fitness influencer and was officially the UK’s Fittest Man in 2020
    • DAD by Elliott Rae – DAD is an inspiring collection of stories from twenty men representing the diversity of modern fatherhood, hoping to start conversations that challenge what are perhaps seen as the traditional roles of men
    • The Roasting Tin Around The World by Rukmini Iyer – The greatest dishes from all corners of the globe, reworked into quick and easy one-tin meals; perfect for weeknight dinners, lunch breaks and family favourites
    • Gardening Through the Year by Ian Spence – Packed with essential gardening advice, RHS Gardening Through the Year is the must-have book for new gardeners and a trusty reference for old hands
    • Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie – Award–winning chef Rodney Scott celebrates an incredible culinary legacy through his life story, family traditions, and unmatched dedication to his craft
• Montezuma’s Giant Chocolate Buttons (180g) – Choose from smooth milk, deliciously rich dark or creamy white chocolate
• Brown Bag Crisps (40g) – Choose from Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar, Cheddar & Onion, Tiger Prawn Chilli & Lime or Oak Smoked Chilli (Vegan)
• Choice of one of the following:
  • Cosmopolitan Cocktail (100ml) – A modern classic with Ketel One, the tangy-sweet orange of Cointreau, cranberry and lime, from Nio Cocktails. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Old Fashioned Cocktail (100ml) – Crafted with Bulleit Bourbon and aromatic bitters, from Nio Cocktails. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Tommy’s Margarita Cocktail (100ml) – A refreshing twist on the Margarita that allows the Jose Cuervo Tequila to shine, from NIO cocktails. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Gin Sour Cocktail (100ml) – A perfect balance of sugar, bitter lemon and Dry Tanqueray Gin, from NIO cocktails. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Espresso Martini Cocktail (100ml) – Ketel One Vodka and Borghetti Coffee Liqueur, make for a rich, elegant classic cocktail from NIO cocktails. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Lemongrass Citrus Cocktail (Alcohol-Free) (100ml) – Fragrant lemongrass stars in this refreshing tropical non-alcoholic cocktail. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Virgin Bitters Cocktail (Alcohol-Free) (100ml) – A delicious take on an alcohol-free Negroni, with notes of spice, citrus and bitters. Needs Ice Only, single serving
  • Teapigs Everyday Brew (15 temple teabags)
  • Teapigs Honeybush & Rooibos (15 temple teabags)
  • Teapigs Super Fruit (15 temple teabags)
  • Rave ‘The Italian Job’ coffee 250g
  • Luscombe Elderflower Bubbly & Rose Bubbly (270ml each) – 1 x Wild Elderflower Bubbly and 1 x Damascene Rose Bubbly. Delicate sparkling soft drinks with refreshing taste
  • Luscombe Devon Apple & Orange (270ml each) – 1 x Mostly Devon Apple Juice and 1 x Orange Juice. Refreshing fruity soft drinks
  • Bei Tempi Prosecco (200ml or 750ml) – Brilliant light colour, zesty with citrus fruit and flowery features and a light fresh finish
  • Doran Vineyards Arya White Wine (full size bottle) – Made from Chenin, Roussane, Grenache Blanc, ‘Arya’ from Doran Vineyards is a symphony of white pear, bright green apple and orange aromas (75cl).
  • Doran Vineyards Romy D Red Wine (full size bottle) – Made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, ‘Romy D’ from Doran Vineyards; an array of red fruits uplifted by aromas of cigar box and dark chocolate followed by fresh notes of cedar (75cl)
  • Villa Montes Red Wine (half size bottle) – A well balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, ruby red in colour. On the nose, the wine has blackberry and blackcurrant aromas. The palate is medium bodied, with soft tannins, crisp acidity and a lingering finish (375ml)
  • Doran Vineyards Rosé Wine (full size bottle) – ‘Rosie D’ is a delicious taste of summer with a splash of strawberry and raspberry aromas on a cloud of candyfloss (75cl)
  • Villa Montes White Wine (half size bottle) – Made from Sauvignon Blanc with slow fermentation. Offers an intense aroma of flowers and green apples and is full tasty and fruity on the palate. (375ml)
  • Organic Craft Beer & Craft Cider (330ml each) – A refreshing pale ale from Stroud Brewery paired with a Dunkertons cider, organic and suitable for Vegans
  • 2 x 440ml Organic Craft Beers by Stroud Brewery – 1 x IPA and 1 x Alederflower. Both Beers are Organic and Vegan
  • 2 x Lucky Saint Alcohol-Free Beers (330ml each) – 2 x 330ml 0.5% unfiltered lager. The beer is left unfiltered for maximum flavour, even without the alcohol
  • 2 x Bloom Gin (275ml) – London Dry Gins with Tonic. Distinctively light and floral gin perfectly mixed with refreshing tonic
  • 2 x Beard & Sabre Hopped Ciders 33cl – Two 33cl bottles of this medium cider from West Country producers Beard & Sabre, ‘Dolores’ is a smooth drinking cider with notes of pineapple and lychee
  • Bottle of Bauget-Jouette Champagne (37.5cl or 75cl) – With classic apple and some citrus notes. The palate is generously creamy with a refreshingly fine mousse and lingering finish. A Champagne to savour