Bookends Christmas Gifting 2021: Stocking Fillers

If you’re looking for some simple small last minute gifts, these recommendation from the Bookends team make for the perfect stocking filler!

A Toolkit for Happiness by Dr Emma Hepburn

‘Mandatory for anyone with a brain’ – Anna Whitehouse, founder of Mother Pukka

‘Relatable, practical and knowledgeable’ – Gemma Bray, creator of The Organised Mum Method

From clinical psychologist and author of A Toolkit for Modern Life, Dr Emma Hepburn, comes A Toolkit for Happiness – the ultimate guide to long-term and sustainable happiness.

Using her much-loved trademark illustrations, Dr Hepburn arms us with 55 accessible and easy-to-use tools to boost our moods and feel better. She teaches us that happiness is as much about weathering the storms of life, accepting its natural ebbs and flows, as it is about enjoying the sunny weather – and that by implementing small and simple changes we can build a more compassionate brain that carries us through our daily lives, no matter the weather.

From practical tools to aid you on those extra stormy days to thought-provoking exercises for your day-to-day mental wellbeing, A Toolkit for Happiness will you to cultivate positive habits, better understand your emotions and put you on the path to a healthier and happier you.

The Secret World of Stargazing by Adrian West

‘A book that will make the night sky your lifelong passion. An invitation to immerse yourself in the nature around you and the universe beyond.’ – Professor Brian Cox

The Secret World of Stargazing is the ultimate guide to set you on your epic journey around the cosmos – it’s a simple guide to the skies and makes stargazing fun, easy and enjoyable for all – absolutely no equipment is required!

Adrian West, AKA the internet sensation VirtualAstro, will take you through the seasons, showing you exactly what you can spot in the sky throughout the year, whether you’re in your back garden or sitting on an exotic beach somewhere! While you’re learning how to spot constellations, meteors and comets, you will be switching off your busy mind, sitting still in nature and paying attention to the small details that make up the big picture of life.

You’ll finish reading this beautiful book and come away with a sense of grounding, connection, knowledge and a whole new appreciation of the sky above and the world outside your own – it will soothe your soul.

‘An excellent, readable, bright guide to the night sky.’ – Dara O’Briain

Keep the Receipts by Tolani Shoneye, Audrey Indome and Milena Sanchez

This book is all the conversations and advice you’ve had in the club toilet, finally in one place. For fans of Three Women and Women Don’t Owe You Pretty.

‘The book is heart-warmingly honest and beautifully fun. Reading it felt like having a conversation with a best friend’ Grace Beverley

‘If like me, you’ve grown up in a predominately male household, you’re going to love the revelations about sisterhood, self-love and sex in this book. There’s so much to learn when it comes to being your own woman and Tolly T, Audrey and Milena aren’t afraid to tell you every last detail’ Julie Adenuga

Join your girl Tolly T, Audrey, formerly known as Ghana’s Finest, and your mamacita Milena Sanchez as they get super honest about their life experiences and lessons. From their different approaches to love to their wise advice on building strong friendships; from those conversations about sex we never have, to how to enjoy life as a Black woman or a woman of colour, The Receipts girls always keep it real, authentic and fiercely funny.

This book is a celebration of the wonderful messes, mistakes, successes, highs and lows of three audacious women who are still trying to get it right and live their best lives.

It’s time to normalise women sharing things with zero judgement, to embrace women for all their flaws and differences and to realise being completely yourself is the best thing you could possibly be.

This is the sisterhood you’ve always wanted to be a part of.

‘This book is raw, funny and feels like the best and most necessary dmc (deep meaningful chat) you’ll ever have’ Nicole Crentsil

‘Keep the Receipts is relatable and hilarious; it offers you an opportunity to see yourself in its pages, and feel understood on a deeper level’ Ms Banks

The Zodiac Oracle series by Susan Kelly

Discover the wisdom of the stars between these pages for instant cosmic guidance on any question.

Career conundrums? Dating dilemmas? Friendship fracas? In our fast-paced, data-flooded lives it can be difficult to know where to turn for the right advice. Now, with your Zodiac Oracle always by your side, you can let the celestial wisdom of the stars guide you through life’s twists and turns. No matter how perplexing your predicament, the insight you seek is right at your fingertips. Ask your question and open your Oracle at any page to reveal insightful advice to guide your next move.

Harness the prescience of the stars and tune into the resonance of your sun sign with this wisdom-packed guide that will lead you to greater self-knowledge and deeper understanding.

Crystals for Self-Care by Kirsty Gallagher

From the bestselling author of Lunar Living comes the ultimate guide to crystals and how they can help you live your best life.

This is the one book you need in order to understand how crystals can enhance your everyday life and look after you.
In Part 1, Kirsty explores what crystals are, how they work, before going on to explain how you choose, care for and programme them, and how to go about using them. Then, in Part 2, Crystals for Self-Care delves deeper into the many areas in which crystals work their magic. Chapters include Crystals for Love and Relationships, Crystals for Stress and Anxiety and Crystals for Work and Business.

Crystals for Self-Care will leave you feeling empowered, supported and ready to embark on your own crystal journey!

Practising Parisienne by Marissa Cox

‘Even if you don’t find yourself booking a one-way Eurostar ticket to the capital like Marissa, this book might just be the key to finally nailing that elusive Parisian je ne sais quoi.’ Penny Goldstone, Fashion Editor, Marie Claire

‘A delightful, down-to-earth guide . . . complete with insider fashion tips, beauty tricks and dating advice from Marissa’s own personal experience, plus interviews with many modern iterations of the ever-elusive Parisienne herself.’ Monica de La Villardière, journalist and co-founder of the Fashion No Filter podcast

To be Parisian is to have a certain attitude and outlook on life.

In Practicing Parisienne, British journalist and blogger Marissa Cox decodes this seemingly nebulous je ne sais quoi, explaining what she has learned since moving to France eight years ago, and how and why the reader can and should adopt a more Parisian lifestyle. She reveals how she learnt to live her best life in this iconic city, what it means to be Parisian and in turn inspire you to make positive changes in your own lives, however big or small.

Covering everything from style, fashion, beauty and wellbeing to chic interiors and food and wine, as well as advice about dating and friendship, each section also contains interviews with well-known Parisians and Francophiles who inspire us to live better.

Because, as we know, Paris is ALWAYS a good idea.

‘Practising Parisienne is a celebration of the City of Lights and an ode to the pleasures in life. Marissa Cox effortlessly mixes practical tips, personal stories and inspiring conversations in this charming guide to living well the Parisian way.’ Miranda York, author of At the Table and The Food Almanac

‘With appreciation, honesty, a deep understanding and access to leading figures, Practising Parisienne reads like a who’s who and what’s what when it comes to everything Parisian.’

Hannah Almassi, Editor in Chief, Who What Wear UK