It’s the Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023 Edition. I write this post every year and – although I always have it ready at the beginning of November – it never gets published until a few weeks before Christmas. I kind of like it that way – it’s my own Christmas tradition and perfectly in line with my own festive schedule. Why don’t we start thinking about presents in our house until ten days before Christmas and even then we tend to order them all online! (I rarely meet anyone else who takes such a relaxed last-minute approach, so let me know if you’re a kindred spirit – drop me a note in the comments.)
This is the only Christmas shopping guide you really need. If you’re looking for the ultimate Christmas gift but don’t have ridiculous amounts of cash to spend, then this ticks all the boxes. Because imagine if you could buy someone the ultimate bespoke Christmas present – something that was neat and looked great – and delivered for less than twenty quid? A Christmas gift that was simple to order, easy to wrap, cheap to post and that made you – the giver – look learned, cultured and – dare I say it – ever so slightly disappointed?
If you have never given a Christmas gift of books and chocolates, then you will be glad to read this post. You will forever be known, quietly, as the person who gives elegant gifts. And if you doubt that this will work, then take my birthday present from one of my oldest best friends. I unwrapped it on the train home from London and it was a simple notebook with a pretty cover and a bar of Pump Street chocolate. I was genuinely happy. It was just so elegant and wonderful.
So get stuck in – there are only a few rules: for the ‘books and plates’ that exist to really work, the combination has to be a) quality and b) stylish. This isn’t a slab of Galaxy and the latest tossed-off romance book off the shelf next to the farms in the Co-Op: we’re looking for literary gems with stunning, graphic or highly photogenic covers and then equally appealing chocolate bars.
There’s nothing wrong with the Galaxy slate, it’s just not really the vibe we’re going for here. We strive to create a Christmas present that looks and is thoroughly enjoyable, despite its humble content. We strive to give a gift that feels thoughtful, thoughtful, and tailored to the recipient. We want them to open the package and notice how beautiful everything looks inside, how visually pleasing.
And if this all sounds like a lot of hard work, then fear not: I’ve made the choice for you. You can either shop the exact book-and-chocs combos below, or take inspiration from previous years’ pairings:
Books and Chocolates 2022
Books and Chocolates 2021
Books and Chocolates 2020
Books and Chocolates 2019
I try to pick new releases when it comes to books, but sometimes the picks are just the best books I’ve read that year, regardless of release date. However, they all have something in common. nice, pleasant writing and lovely jackets. Chocolates with enough packaging are harder to find (and can be insanely expensive). I’ve listed all my favorites at the bottom of the post, including budget options that the crow likes.
Right: without further ado, let’s get on with this year’s Best Christmas Gift: Books and Chocolate 2023.
(AD information: no paid or sponsored content. Books and chocolates have been purchased. Affiliate links are marked with *.)
O sister by Jodie Chapman, £14.29 here* + Rococo Rose Milk Bar Chocolate, £2.95 here – Total Spend: £17.24
I think this is my book of the year. It was just so beautifully written, with not a word out of place, and such exquisite attention to timing, that it could have been about the paint drying and I’d still be enjoying it. It wasn’t about the paint drying though, it was about three different women in various stages of leaving a religious cult. So the topic couldn’t be more exciting. I looked forward to going to bed every night to pick up where I had left off…
Night dog by Rachel Yoder, £9.05 here* + Oat Milk Chocolate, £2.00 here* – Total spend: £11.05.
If ever there was a book for the modern mother… This is wild. Literally. A fast and furious read that perfectly encapsulates what it means to become a mom and lose your identity completely. It’s gritty, bold and leaves your jaw hanging open for at least the first third. (Also, how well does the cover
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead, £7.60 here* + Tony Chocolonely, £1.35 here* – Total spend: £8.95
I devoured Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle on my summer vacation and immediately ordered the second of the trilogy, pictured below. It has the exciting pace and plot of a crime novel, but at the same time it is an excellent character study of an ordinary man trying to stay on the right side of the law. Which is easier said than done in early sixties Harlem. Absolutely cracking – it was like reading a movie.
Rogue’s Manifesto by Colson Whitehead, £15.81 here* + Coco Black Forest Chocolate, £5 here* – Total spend: £20.81
Oops, I went 81p over budget here, but I promise it’s worth it – what a gift! Whitehead’s genius in heavy hardback and then the most delicious chocolate to enjoy while you read.
The bee sting by Paul Murray, £16.99 here* + Pana Organic Golden Comb, £2.70 here – Total Spend: £19.69
The bee sting it is a book of brilliance. Set in Ireland, it is a gritty telling of a family’s story, revealing dark secrets and comedic twists as the novel progresses. It really teaches you not to judge a book by its cover (HA!) for lack of a better, less time-consuming phrase, because the judgments you make about the characters in the beginning almost always turn out to be wrong.
I combined this Booker Shortlist novel with Pana Organic’s best Golden comb vegetable chocolate. I love Pana – it’s squishier than traditional chocolate, almost like eating ganache, but no less satisfying.
Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo, £9.19 here* + Coco Milk Chocolate, £5.49 at Selfridges here* – Total spend: £14.68
I read it last year but forgot to put it up. This has a surprising twist – and it’s not at the end of the novel, either. This is a thoroughly moving novel and the characters immediately envelop you, sitting you right in the middle of the story and surrounding you with their turbulent noise. If you loved Girl, Woman, Other Then you will know how strongly Bernadine Evaristo uses her words to paint London as a whole. it’s just happy.
Yellow face by Rebecca F. Kuang, £8.49 here* + Tony’s Chocolonely, £1.40 at Ocado – Total Spend: £9.89
Prices? I didn’t like the last third of it Yellow face but only because the first two thirds were so crazy. A novel about a girl who steals her best friend’s book and passes it off as her own made me shudder so hard in places I actually thought my body was going to turn inside out. There are “cancellation” scenes and bits about social media that will give me nightmares for years.
Oh, and you cannot – I repeat I can not – goes wrong with Tony Chocolonely in this whole “books n chocs” game. It’s graphic, it looks slightly retro and cool, and it’s really tasty. And it’s easy to get (any supermarket) and relatively cheap.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, £13.99 here* + Rococo Sea Salt, £6.95 here – Total Spend: £20.94
Oops, I did it again – my maths is shocking! Just above my budget limit, but still, So worth. What a novel. A glorious, heartwarming, softly written fictional tribute to the love four sisters have for each other and how quickly that love can fall apart. I found it very soothing, despite its rather heavy emotional load. An absolute must read of the year.
By Claire Keegan Adoptive£7.45 here* + Rococo Salted Caramel Truffles, £9.95 here – Total Spend: £17.40
Good grief this is a beautiful little package. Who wouldn’t be happy to just unwrap it? I’ve featured Claire Keegan before. she is officially sovereign of the short story. Reading them is like shaking an avalanche and watching the flakes settle with your nose in the glass. None of them take long to finish, but you feel sluggish when they do, and the temptation to shake the world and read again is almost overwhelming. Small books make perfect stocking stuffers.
Black butterflies by Priscilla Morris, £9.19 here* + Coco Chocolate, £5 here – Total Spend: £14.19
A bleak story of war-torn Sarajevo, but inspired, all the way, by the main character’s hope and joy in life. There is nothing dramatic or exaggerated about this novel – the horrors of war are almost understated – but it shows how easily one part of the world can suffer from catastrophic conditions while the rest of the world lives on.
This is my shortlist for 2023. I hope it gives you some good ideas – just click the links on each pairing title to buy online. Remember you can always lower the price of the chocolate to keep the overall spend down – Tony and HiP bars are readily available and relatively cheap – but if you want to kick things up a notch and make the present extra special, you can always throw in a few fancy truffles. I always think Charbonnel & Walker look incredibly beautiful.
Let me know which Book & Choc combo you like best. I think Nightbitch chocolate with the lips is, frankly, unbeatable.
[Little Women pictured in post is a special Puffin edition – it’s £9.99 and the best value for a pretty, very hefty hardback book. You can find it online here*.)
