Are you bored yet? Five great books to snuggle down with over the Christmas break
From a history of art without men, to a post-pandemic novel and a classic collection of short stories, lose yourself in a good read
This year I’m thankful for US public libraries – beautiful icons of a better civic era
The US can often be cruel to its citizens, but the public library is a sanctuary and a vision of what our country might one day be
‘Cheap compared with most holidays’: booking a vacation just to read
Making a reading list the focus of an entire holiday is a convenient way to spend your time off. And as people who’ve done it found – it can be life-changing
‘I will reflect on my own death – and try to conquer my fears’: the thing I’ll do differently in 2023
I don’t want to be mawkish or indulgent. But I want to consider my mortality in order to live well in the years I have left
This year’s diary ran to 52,000 words – but did recording my life get in the way of living it?
I’ve been toying with giving up my chronic chronicling, perhaps even deleting the evidence - but something always stops me, says author Lamorna Ash
He gave me a battered copy of a book I already owned, and I felt I’d come home – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
Afters years of expectation, hope and disappointment, all it took was one simple, heartfelt gift to show me he was the one
Kate and Greg Mosse look back: ‘The shirt I’m wearing has since been made illegal’
Writers Kate and Greg Mosse on how a brief encounter on a train changed their lives
Australia Christmas gift guide 2022: 200 great ideas – with last-minute options
Sleigh your Santa obligations with the best local, ethical and sustainable gifts to suit kids, friends and relatives this festive season – guaranteed to arrive by Christmas morning
In 2022, I decided to get away from screens and read more books. It was wonderful
I set a goal to read 50 books. I almost made it, and once I started it was easier than I thought
I unwrapped Dad’s terrible gift and went off like a catherine wheel – the Christmas present I’ll never forget
He’d brought a Sainsbury’s carrier bag full of gifts. I can’t stress how unusual this was – ‘out of character’ doesn’t begin to cover it
Think Cinderella’s a fairytale? Fabled glass slipper is revealed as a joke on royalty
The footwear at the heart of the age-old panto tale is a satirical jibe at fashionista king Louis XIV’s obsession with ornamental glass and impractical aristocratic styles
Legally bookish: Reese Witherspoon and the boom in celebrity book clubs
The star has deposed Oprah Winfrey as queen of the online literary discussion groups – and plenty more A-listers are getting in on the act. Our reporter dives under the covers
Book yourself in: 10 of the UK’s best literary hotels
You’ll have no problem tucking up with a good book at these fine hotels – they all have extensive collections, or even their own library
The arts Christmas gift guide 2022: Dolly Parton dog wigs, Strictly tea towels, Bauhaus teapots and much more
From 007 socks to the Dark Side of the Spoon cookbook, from David Shrigley’s foot to AC/DC Monopoly, here are 40 perfect present ideas for culture-lovers everywhere
Graham Coxon: ‘Music has always been there for me’
The Blur guitarist, 53, on his addictive personality, making music as you age and being a Britpop brat