IF YOU’RE IN the market for buying books as Christmas presents this festive season, it can be a bit of a minefield knowing what the choose.

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box, and go for unusual books. Other times, you can look to 2015′s best sellers and award winners for a guide.

But there’s nothing better than cosying up by the fire with a good novel, and books are the type of present that will never go out of style. With that in mind, here’s some help with choosing books for this year’s Christmas presents.

Bestsellers

We took a look through the year’s bestseller lists and picked out some highlights. Find every week’s best-seller list on writing.ie.

Fiction

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• Brooklyn by Colm Toibín

You may have seen the wonderful film based on this book. If not, read this first.

• The Green Road by Anne Enright

This award-winning book about a rural Irish family across the decades shows what a treasure our first Laureate for Irish Fiction is.

• Seedless in Seattle by Ross O’Carroll-Kelly

If you love the columns and previous books, you’ll know what sort of humour to expect here.

• Asking for It – Louise O’Neill

This lauded book by the young Corkonian YA (young adult) writer tackles the subject of rape in a new and important way.

• Foster (revised and expanded version) – Claire Keegan

This incredible short story will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Reissued this year in an expanded version.

• The Woman Who Stole My Life – Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes is a national treasure, and you know you’ll always get something special, incisive, heartfelt and funny in her books.

• Tender – Belinda McKeon

McKeon’s second novel is impeccably written. A tough read at times, but an exciting and absorbing work about the love between two students.

• A Little Life: A Novel – Hanya Yanagihara

So many people have been talking about this book this year – join them.

Non-fiction

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• My Mate Jeffrey – Niall Breslin

Breslin’s relationship with anxiety (who he names ‘Jeffrey’) is explored in this inspirational book.

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Marie Kondo

This Japanese method of tidying is so inspiring that it has been on the bestseller list for months.

• Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure and Colouring Book – Johanna Basford

If you haven’t delved into the adult colouring books craze yet, now’s your time to start.

• American Sniper: Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in US Military History – Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice

The film based on this book was released this year – it’s for anyone who’s interested in the US military or conflicts.

• A Nation and Not a Rabble: The Irish Revolution 1913 – 23 – Diarmuid Ferriter

History buffs will enjoy getting stuck into this book about a pivotal decade in Irish history.

• Until Victory Always: A Memoir - Jim McGuinness

This award-winning sports book isn’t just for GAA fans – it’s for anyone who wants a story about a man who has experienced tragedy, but come out the other side.

• Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates 

Coates writes a series of letters to his teenage son that explore race in contemporary America.

Cookery

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2015 was all about healthy eating, and these books will suit a wide crowd. While Jamie Oliver’s book is for the omnivores, those who want to cut down on meat will find a lot to enjoy in the Rosanna Davison and Happy Pear books. If you have a loved one with a sweet tooth, Susan Jane White’s book is a must.

• Everyday Super Food – Jamie Oliver
• Eat Yourself Beautiful – Rosanna Davison
• Happy Pear: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Food to Change Your Life – David and Stephen Flynn
• The Virtuous Tart – Susan Jane White (Irish Book Awards winner)

Award winners and nominees

You can’t go wrong with choosing an award-winning book, can you?

• Beatlebone – Kevin Barry (winner of the Goldsmith’s Award)
• Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither – Sara Baume (Irish Book Awards winner)
• The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers – edited by Sinéad Gleeson (Irish Book Awards winner in TheJournal.ie best Irish-published book of the year category)
• A Brief History of Seven Killings – Marlon James (winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize)
• Station Eleven – Emily St John Mandel (among the 160 books on the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award longlist)
• How to Be – Ali Smith (Bailey’s Women’s Prize winner)

Niche presents

• Winter Pages – A new annual arts anthology for Ireland and beyond, published as a thread-sewn hardback book. It looks beautiful and makes the perfect present, with gorgeous writing and photos.
• Banshee – This Irish-published literary journal made its debut this year.
  
• The Stinging Fly – This long-running literary journey for new Irish writing is perfect for your literary friends.

COMPETITION TIME

Now that you have some ideas, Easons.com have kindly offered to help five lucky readers buy their Christmas presents.

We have five €100 vouchers for Easons.com to give away.

To enter, all you have to do is email competitions@thejournal.ie with your name and mobile number (we won’t use your information to contact you unless you are a winner).

The competition closes at midnight on Sunday 13 December. Best of luck! The winning names will be printed on TheJournal.ie after the winners have been contacted.

Read: Here are Ireland’s favourite books for 2015>