2 December 2025

11 minutes

Available for over a year

Former librarian turned book influencer, Simon Savidge, joins Sara for a chat about his favourite books of the year - and - his recommendations for great Christmas gifts.

His choices include three novels (for that person who's already read everything!), three kids books (to inspire and entertain young minds) and three works of non-fiction (for the hard-to-buy-for person in your life).

SIMON'S RECOMMENDATIONS

Fiction:

On The Calculation of Volume (Book 1) by Solvej Balle

A Room Above A Shop by Anthony Shapland

Love Forms by Claire Adam

Younger Readers:

Dungeon Runners by Kieran Larwood

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Randell

Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi

Non-Fiction:

Agent Zo by Clare Mulley

The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein

A Thousand Threads by Neneh Cherry

His go-to Christmas book:

Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson