Over the years I have often listed the books I gave as Christmas gifts, though last year I shared the books I gave throughout the year – as Christmas, birthday and other gifts. I’m doing the same this year. Most, though not all, are Australian books. They are not necessarily my favourite reads – indeed, I haven’t read many of them – because they were chosen to suit the recipients’ likes. Those I have read I did enjoy, otherwise I wouldn’t have given them to someone else, and some of those I haven’t read are on my TBR.

• Isabel Allende, My name is Emilia del Valle (historical fiction, Chilean American)
• Maxine Beneba Clarke, Beautiful changelings (poetry collection, Australian) (on my TBR)
• Peter Carnavas, Blue whale blues (children’s picture book, Australian)
• Gregory Day, Southsightedness (poetry collection, Australian) (on my TBR)
• Garry Disher, Mischance Creek (crime fiction, Australian)
• Abbas El-Zein, Bullet, paper, rock: A memoir of war and words (memoir, Lebanese-Australian) (on my TBR)
• Richard Flanagan, Question 7 (nonfiction, Australian) (my review)
• Lily King, Heart the lover (novel, American)
• Angus Gaunt, Anna (novel, Australian, given to a few people)(my review)
• Saskia Gwinn, Scientists are saving the world (children’s nonfiction picture book, English)
• Joanne Harris, Vianne (novel, British)
• Gail Jones, The name of the sister (novel, Australian) (on my TBR)
• Kim Kelly, Touched (memoir, Australian) (my review)
• Tania McCartney, Wildlife compendium of the world: Awe-inspiring animals from every continent (children’s nonfiction picture book, Australian)
• Dinuka McKenzie, The torrent (crime fiction, Australian)
• Jen Marlin, Wind riders: Rescue on Turtle Beach (children’s chapter book, American)
• Seichō Matsumoto, Suspicion (crime fiction, Japanese)
• Meanjin: Essays that changed Australia, 1940 to today (essays, Australian)
• Robert Skinner, I’d rather not (memoir, Australian) 
• Jessica White, Habits of silence (ecobiographical essays, Australian) (on my TBR)

It’s quite a variety as you can see, but that’s because – of course – my family and friends range in age and interests. You will see a few more children’s books here than usual. You can guess why.

As for books I received this Christmas? They included two for reading group next year (so were on my Santa list), Maxine Beneba Clarke’s Beautiful changelings and Niall Williams’ This is happiness, plus Debra Dank’s new book Ankami: Stolen children, shattered families, silenced histories, and Zitkála-Šá’s American Indian stories. All wonderful choices for me, and all authors I’ve read before except for Niall Williams whom I’ve wanted to read for some time.

How about you? Care to share your Christmas book-giving and/or receiving?