*On the first day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me:

A Book

Well if he/she/it really is my true love then it couldn't possibly be anything else could it?

If it were up to me then everyone I know would get a book for Christmas. A work of fiction. In paperback (unless it's only available in hardback, in which case my hand will be forced). I don't think books are cheap, I think the right book is one of the most valuable things you can receive. Nothing else can transport you away from reality for a sustained period, make you run the gamut of emotions available as a human being, leave you elated, despairing or just... a little different.

Here are the books I have bought for people in Chrsitmases past (some of these will be less than surprising if you've read previous posts!):

The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

Elsewhere - Garielle Zevin

Looking for JJ - Anne Cassidy

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Loser - Jerry Spinelli

The Red Tree - Shaun Tan

Duck, Death and the Tulip - Wolf Erlbruch

The Dogs - Mark Morris

House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer

So I'm looking for some new recommendations for Christmas 2011 and I reckon there's none better than YOU to do the recommending. I'm looking for something published in 2011 that fits firmly into the remit of not for adults (because that's a) too easy and b) so not my style).

Help!

*Yes, I know technically it's not the first day of Christmas. Apologies for my tardiness.

Crying game

I have a theory that there's a breed of authors who thrive of the tears of their readers. Like some kind of evil yet enchanting fairies they haunt your thoughts with their words and then steal in at your most vulnerable moments and capture your tears in a crystal vial to fuel them through their next book.

I just saw a poster for A Monster Calls by the ever-emotive Patrick Ness on my way to the office just now and I started tearing up just looking at the words on the poster and thinking about the half-finished copy that kept me up till 1am last night even though I knew I'd be woken at 5.30am (for the record I squeezed in another couple of chapters then as well). Yes - only half finished and still the poster made me cry.

Other writers who have reduced me to tears include Laurie Halse Anderson, Robin Jarvis (the final chapter of The Oaken Throne has shaped my belief of how books should end), Jerry Spinelli, Gabrielle Zevin, Rodman Philbrick and Richard Adams (even someone I once described as an ‘emotionless automaton’ cries at Watership Down – still).

I adore books that make me feel – so I’d really like to know of any other authors out there who might be able to reduce me to tears at the turn of a page. Any suggestions?