This week, we’re bringing you all you need to dress, wear, eat, drink and listen-to for the most stylish Christmas yet. Today, we’re starting with the inside track on this year’s must-reads, plus the most bookish styling to boot.

Once upon a time, the bookish look was not so well esteemed. But an intellectual bent suddenly commands serious regard. Blame a slew of popcorn reality shows, but we are now all too aware of the cartoon buffoonery of the perma-tanned and blow-dried.
Set yourself apart with tweeds, cords and elbow patches, plus some serious leather footwear as you let the professorial side take hold. Make like Dr Indiana Jones in a tweed jacket, add in a wool knit layer, checked shirt and knitted tie for that timeless sense of library style that is both smart and textured. It is the look for seasonal layering. Add in cords or vintage denim depending on your destination and finish with brogues. You will feel good. And look it too. Now, where’s that copy of Kant you were reading…

If you know the London literary hub that is historic bookshop Foyles then you’ll know that there is no better place to enquire about the various merits put to page this year. Senior Buyer Heather Baker tells us how to buy for whomever this Yuletide…

BOOKS FOR HIM

-Diamond Queen by Andrew Marr (Macmillan), £25 “Perfect for the history buff – brush up early before the Jubilee!”
-Empire by Jeremy Paxman (Viking), £25 “Paxman’s latest is a witty and astute look at the British Empire and its lasting effects.”

Death-Ray by Daniel Clowes (Jonathan Cape), £14.99 “The perfect gift for graphic novel fans from the Ghost Town author.”t

BOOKS FOR HER

Nostalgia in Vogue by Eve MacSweeney (Rizzoli), £35 “Dazzling fashion, glorious photography, and outstanding writing – what more could you want?”

Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard (Fourth Estate), £25 “Simply mouth-watering.” Just to clarify, it’s a compendium of home baking – cakes pastries, breads, cookies – they are all in there.

The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy (Picador), £14.99 “One of the loveliest books I’ve seen this year -beautiful, and full of stunning poetry.”

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins), £10.99 “Young Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree, with increasingly outlandish consequences. The perfect gift for little ones.”

Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp by Philip Pullman and Sophy Williams (Scholastic), £12.99 “Gorgeously illustrated version of the classic tale.”

GREAT BOOKS FOR ANY ONE

The New Granta Book of Travel (Granta), £25 “A brilliant collection of writing for the armchair traveller (and also the more adventurous!)”

Londoners by Craig Taylor(Ecco Press), £25 “A compelling, vivid collection of tales from the world’s greatest city…”

EXCLUSIVE red-edged editions of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Harvill Secker), Vol. 1& 2: £20, Vol. 3: £14.99 “Cool, quirky, and exclusive editions only from Foyles.”

All titles are available from Foyles bookshops across London (Charing Cross Road, Royal Festival Hall, St Pancras, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City) at Foyles Cabot Circus in Bristol or online at Foyles.co.uk