It's Christmassssss... Well, almost!

Mince pies, Quality Streets and Baileys aside, there are many things the holidays are good for. Amongst them, getting hours of festive watching under our belts and getting stuck into a good read. 

Staying true to the latter, these are the three books to make priority on the Christmas list, picked by #TeamBecause.



Nine Pints by Rose George
"Rose George delves into subjects you normally wouldn't delve into. Poo (yup, sorry to be so blunt about it)... Shipping... And now? Blood: The very subject I am most squeamish about, yet, hello – the most critical and vital ingredient to our existence. I know George's writing personally (she was once Editor on our sister publication TANK Magazine) and her rigorous research and first-person witness accounts always make for vivid and insightful reading. Equally, she injects her indignation at the wrongdoings of the inefficient, ineffective and the downright morally repugnant players within her subject, transferring her rage and awakening to us. Nine Pints is a book that covers the spectrum of blood-related issues from the NHS, to India's Menstrual Man (a revolutionary when it comes to periods) to the South African AIDS crisis – and it's well worth the read." – Caroline Issa, Editor in Chief



Cosy: The British Art of Comfort by Laura Weir
"When I was young and living in Norfolk, a favourite book of mine was The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse by Beatrix Potter. In fascination would I pour over the pages, learning of Timmy Willie the country mouse who, by chance, had found himself in London and living the chaos-fraught life of Johnny, his street-wise distant cousin.

Fast-forward to now and, despite my being older and fully indoctrinated into big city existence, the polar opposites of my personality – that countryside upbringing and my Town-Mouse present – are often in serious conflict with one another. Perhaps that's why Laura Weir's debut book, Cosy: The British Art of Comfort, resonates with me so well – particularly at this time of year. As is the case with many Londoners, who for the best part of 365 days have attempted to juggle work demands with those of a personal life (and maintain at least some semblance of sanity), December is the moment that my inner Timmy Willie finally declares "Enough is enough!" 

The concept of 'cosy' is woefully underrated. Laura defines it as "the thing you do when no one is watching", which – in this day and age of switched-on and filtered-beyond-recognition – is an opportunity that's few and far between. That's why, this festive season, I'll be unapologetically retreating into a state of self-preserving anonymity, nose-deep in Cosy: The British Art of Comfort." – Abigail Gurney-Read, Managing Editor



We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby 
"Samantha Irby, who blogs at Bitches Gotta Eat, has been crowned one of the funniest writers ever – and, my gosh, after burning my way through almost half of her essays in We Are Never Meeting in Real Life in just one sitting, I am completely behind that! As for the other half, I’ll be saving them for the comfort of my teenage bedroom, to which I’ll be retreating over the Christmas break.

A taboo-free zone with a lay-it-all-on-the-table approach, where nothing – and I mean, nothing – is off-limits, this compendium makes for painfully honest and awkward reading that rings true on so many levels. With the most intimate of details exposed and opinions given with no restraint, Samantha says the things we're all thinking and gives it to us as it is. 

It may be a cliché, but it’s quite literally the kind of book that you can’t put down. Every page is as captivating and candid as the last (if not more so) and one chapter per morning commute just isn’t enough. This is a sit-down-and-lose-yourself kinda’ read.

Props, too, to that safety-yellow cover – complete with a dishevelled hissing cat, which Samantha says is a portrait of her if she were feline – that’s bound to get a few inquisitive looks from the extended family... And the cat." – Josephine Platt, Junior Fashion Writer 

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