Christmas Out Loud I: Katy Balls, Craig Brown, Kate Weinberg, Craig Raine, Lisa Haseldine and Melissa Kite

This cookbook is renowned for its unique blend of recipes and personal anecdotes. It includes recipes written in a narrative format, reflecting Toklas's experiences in cooking and her interactions with various famous figures. The book is notable for its vivid descriptions of food and cooking, as well as its historical context.

The book follows Danny, a nine-year-old boy who lives with his father in a caravan behind their gas station and garage. After his mother's death, Danny's father takes on both parental roles and teaches Danny various skills. When Danny discovers his father's secret habit of poaching pheasants, they plan a clever scheme to capture and humiliate Mr. Hazell, a wealthy landowner who hosts extravagant hunting parties. The story highlights themes of good parenting, courage, loyalty, and class politics, all characteristic of Roald Dahl's storytelling style.

The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox, a young girl who is sent to live with her reclusive uncle in Yorkshire after the death of her parents. At Misselthwaite Manor, Mary discovers a secret garden that has been locked away for ten years following the death of her uncle's wife. With the help of a friendly robin, Martha Sowerby, and her brother Dickon, Mary sets out to restore the garden. This journey transforms Mary from a spoiled and ill-tempered girl into a kinder and more independent person. The garden also has a rejuvenating effect on her sickly cousin Colin, and ultimately brings healing and reconciliation to the entire family.

T. S. Eliot's collected prose offers a comprehensive look at his critical essays, literary reviews, and philosophical writings. His work significantly impacted modern literary criticism, introducing concepts like the 'objective correlative' and shaping the understanding of modernist literature. The essays explore themes of tradition and the individual talent, the relationship between poetry and society, and the nature of literary criticism itself. Eliot's sharp intellect and insightful observations continue to influence literary studies and critical thought. His prose is characterized by its precision, erudition, and profound engagement with the complexities of literature and culture.

This book is a detailed commentary on the Book of Revelation, written by Ernest Findlay Scott. Published in 1940, it provides an in-depth analysis of the biblical text, offering insights into its historical, theological, and literary context. Scott's work is considered a significant contribution to biblical scholarship, particularly in the field of New Testament studies.

The novel follows Jane Eyre from her childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is mistreated by her aunt and cousins, to her education at Lowood School, and later her employment as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she falls in love with her enigmatic employer, Edward Fairfax Rochester, but discovers a dark secret about his past that forces her to make a difficult choice. The novel explores themes of love, independence, and social justice, and is known for its realistic portrayal of the inner life of a woman during the Victorian era.

Great Expectations is a classic novel by Charles Dickens that chronicles the life of Pip, a young orphan living in the marshes of Kent. The story begins with Pip's encounter with an escaped convict, Abel Magwitch, which sets off a chain of events that changes his life. Pip inherits a large fortune from an anonymous benefactor, which he uses to become a gentleman. However, his journey is marked by his unrequited love for Estella, the adopted daughter of the eccentric Miss Havisham, and his eventual discovery that his benefactor is not who he expected. The novel explores themes of social class, love, rejection, and the search for true identity, set against the backdrop of early 19th-century England.

Written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 'The Little Prince' tells the story of a young prince who travels from his small home planet to Earth, encountering various characters that symbolize the absurdities and narrow-mindedness of grown-ups. The prince, who deeply loves a rose on his home planet, learns valuable lessons about the importance of human connections and the uniqueness of loved ones through his interactions with a fox and other characters. The story is a poignant reflection on life, human nature, and the importance of seeing with the heart rather than the eyes.

Published in 1954, 'Lucky Jim' is Kingsley Amis's first novel and follows the academic and romantic struggles of Jim Dixon, a young lecturer in medieval history. The novel humorously explores themes of social class, intellectual pretension, and personal authenticity as Dixon navigates the absurdities of academia and his tumultuous love life. The book is known for its vivid satire of post-war British society and academia, and its portrayal of Dixon's rebellious yet trapped existence within the academic system. It won the 1955 Somerset Maugham Award for fiction and has been included in 'TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005'.