Our latest blog posts

Our 2016 Christmas Gift Guides

Yes, it’s almost that time again, and to help make your Christmas shopping easier we’ve put together a list of guides and ideas to assist you in finding the perfect gift for your family, friends, and more.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a whole range of curated gift guides featuring hand-picked recommendations from our staff. Keep an eye on this page as we’ll be adding links to all our recommendations as we share them.

GIFT IDEAS FOR…

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Our best books, CDs & DVDs of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here’s a round up of all the blog posts featuring our best books, CDs & DVDs of 2016:

The Best Fiction Books of 2016

The Best Non-Fiction Books of 2016

The Best Crime Books of 2016

The Best Cookbooks of 2016

The Best Art & Design Books of 2016

The Best Picture Books of 2016

The Best Junior Fiction Books of

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The best art & design books of 2016

by Margaret Snowdon

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 art and design books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Art+Climate=Change edited by Guy Abrahams, Kelly Gellatly and Bronwyn Johnson

This is the first book by Climarte, a fascinating new arts organisation…

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The best middle fiction books of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 middle fiction books (for ages 8 - 12) of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen

Pax is an enthralling story of love between a boy and…

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The best fiction books of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past twelve months. Here are our top ten fiction books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Set within a black community in Southern California, this extraordinary debut novel follows three characters – Nadia, Aubrey and…

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The best non-fiction books of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 non-fiction books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Position Doubtful by Kim Mahood

Position Doubtful is an astonishing, sprawling memoir of place. Returning annually to the area where she lived as a…

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The best classical CDs of 2016

by Alexandra Mathew

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 classical CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Arias by Pumeza Matshikiza

South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza is one to watch. Her first album Voice of Hope provided only a taster of…

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The best pop CDs of 2016

by Amy Vuleta

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 pop CDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Lemonade by Beyoncé

Lemonade, another visual concept album, is as fierce and sexy as we’ve come to expect from the queen of pop/the…

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The best DVDs of 2016

by Jemima Bucknell

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 DVDs of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi’s latest and greatest is a must see for laughs and tears. It follows young Ricky Baker and his unwilling…

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The best picture books of 2016

Every year our staff vote for their favourite books, albums, films and TV shows of the past 12 months. Here are our top 10 picture books of the year, voted for by Readings’ staff, and displayed in no particular order.

(You can find all our best picks for books, CDs & DVDs of 2016 here.)

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Ada does not speak until she is three, but once she starts she makes up…

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