📚 🚶Seasonal gifts and a surprise
A bonus newsletter, revealing next week's surprise and some festive shopping inspiration
Dear walking book clubbers,
Here, on the first of December, is a bonus for you, in addition to our usual Monday newsletter.
Keep reading to discover the seasonal surprise on our A Touch of Mistletoe Hampstead Heath walk next Sunday 11th December, and also for my very own Seasonal Gift Guide - featuring zero paid content or affiliate links, just gift ideas that appeal to me and I hope will appeal to other walking book clubbers.
N.B. Why not forward this email on to someone who might need inspiration for what to give you?!
Our Seasonal Surprise
I really hope to see lots of you on our three A Touch of Mistletoe events - it is such a wonderful book: a joyful, painful, fascinating, extremely readable novel about two sisters coming to London with nothing, and finding their way, navigating boil-inducing poverty, love, death, alcoholism, childbirth, the Blitz … Everything awful happens, yet somehow Comyns makes it incredibly funny and surprisingly life-affirming.
The big reveal: to celebrate the season, on our Hampstead Heath walk, we will have an exchange of pre-loved books.
Thank you to Maura who came up with this brilliant idea! So, if you are coming on the walk, please choose a book from your shelves that you’ve enjoyed and would like to give away to a fellow book clubber, wrap it up and bring it along. (I will bring some spares, so no worries if you can’t, or in case you forget!) Then we will have a lucky dip, with every walker leaving with a good book, chosen by another book clubber. A thoughtful, green and cost-effective way to spread some festive cheer! I can’t wait.
Look out for masses more info about Barbara Comyns and A Touch of Mistletoe in Monday’s newsletter; in the meantime, here are the details to book your spot for our December events:
On the Heath: Sunday 11th December, 11.30-1pm, setting off from Daunt Books Hampstead, 51 South End Road, NW3 2QB. N.B. Please bring a wrapped pre-loved book to give if you can.
On Zoom: Monday 12th December, 8-8.40pm
Live Discussion Thread: Friday 16th December, 2-2.30pm (Note the date change)
Buy A Touch of Mistletoe from Daunt Books HERE and receive 10% off using the code WBC at checkout, or just tell them you’re in the group if you’re buying it in the shop.
Seasonal Gift Guide
It’s hard to think of a better present than a book that someone has loved, but I thought a few gift ideas for the readers and walkers in your life might be welcome at this time of year. I’ve steered clear of suggesting books, as I do enough of that during the rest of the year!
Each item below is something that I genuinely think is great - there’s no sponsorship, affiliate links or freebies to declare. If you’ve got another Emily’s Walking Book Club-related gift suggestion that you think our 1,200 (!) members might appreciate then please share it in the comments below.
The Gifts:
Upcycled cashmere fingerless gloves
I love gloves. I also love being able to turn the pages of a book, if I’m reading while wearing my gloves. The solution: fingerless gloves! Better yet, THESE ONES FROM TURTLE DOVES are made from preloved cashmere jumpers - so they are environmentally sound as well as cosy. £35
A beautiful picnic blanket
I love picnics, even in the winter - and can cope with freezing temperatures for a little while after warming up from a walk. What a treat to sit down (without getting a wet bum) in the wild to enjoy a little something, even if it isn’t quite the lazy banquet of a summer picnic! The British blanket company has got a load of waterproof canvas-backed wool picnic blankets, including this cheerful rainbow one, which will do the job winter or summer. THE BRITISH BLANKET COMPANY RAINBOW STRIPE WATERPROOF PICNIC BLANKET, £99.99.
A portable wine tumbler
I’m sure you are all well-versed in the joy of having a good water bottle, trusty thermos or keep cup … but why not make things that extra bit, er, exciting, with an outdoor wine glass? Friends of mine go on and on about YETI products, so I was thrilled to discover the YETI wine tumbler - which comes in loads of colours, with a handy magnetic lid, and - according to customer reviews - is also great for a g&t, and I expect mulled wine too. YETI RAMBLER TUMBLER, £25.
A bath soak for aquatic reading moments
For those of you who, like me, love to read in the bath … Susanne Kaufmann’s ST JOHN’S WORT BATH SALTS are, in my opinion, the most heavenly addition. They smell deliciously soothing, turn the bath all soft and milky and nourish skin, which of course gets especially dry at this time of year. £50
A smart pencil and notebook
Do notebooks count as books? Well I’m sneaking them in here, because they are one of those things over which readers and writers (quite rightly!) obsess. In case you haven’t yet found your perfect one, might I suggest this gorgeous NOTEBOOK from beloved Persephone books, which you can buy with a smart grey Persephone pencil and a Persephone Book of your choice for £25.
Something for the tree
Don’t forget to decorate your tree with THIS DINKY LITTLE BOOKWORM BOOK from the British Library, £12.50.
And finally …
Would you like to give someone the gift of belonging to a wonderful community of people who care about books, walking and each other? Might I suggest a gift subscription to our Emily’s Walking Book Club newsletter?
Happy shopping!
Emily