There's a bumper crop of books to buy friends and relatives this festive season – from cookery and crime to celebrity memoirs and comedy.

Not forgetting some cracking reads for kids.

Here are just a few gift ideas for the loved ones in your life ...

Driven To Distraction, by Jeremy Clarkson (Michael Joseph, £20): More humorous ranting from the frontman of Top Gear, who this time focuses on subjects ranging from the prospect of having Terry Wogan as president to why you'll never see a woman driving a Lexus.

The Complete Book Of Sisters, by Luisa Dillner (Faber & Faber, £12.99): A light-hearted look at sisterly love – from famous siblings through the ages to the rows, rivalries and great friendships of sisterhood. This entertaining collection features sisters ranging from the Brontes to the scrapping Mitfords, the Pankhursts, sisters of Lenin and Hitler and those of the kings and queens.

Delia's Happy Christmas, by Delia Smith (Ebury, £25): Who can resist the festive cheer and mouthwatering menus that the doyenne of home cooking brings? Planning ahead is the key and Delia arms readers with foolproof turkey and trimmings recipes, delicious puds and even last-minute fast recipes including Gressingham duck breasts with port and bitter orange sauce, caramelised toffee pecan tarts and last-minute brandied Christmas cake.

HISTORY Finest Years: Churchill As Warlord 1940-45, by Max Hastings (HarperPress, £25): Sir Winston Churchill was the greatest war leader Britain had ever had, but he also made many mistakes and there was a deep divide between what he wanted from the British people and their Army and what they were capable of delivering. Hastings's meticulous research shows a Prime Minister in triumph and tragedy. Looking at him through the eyes of soldiers and civilians both at home, and in the US and Russia, the author paints an enlightening picture of this amazing British figure.

Turbulence, by Giles Foden (Faber & Faber, £16.99): The prize-winning author of The Last King Of Scotland delivers a gripping blend of fact and fiction in a novel about the D-Day landings.

The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster, £18.99): The best-selling historical novelist who made her name with The Other Boleyn Girl and The Other Queen brings us a tale set during the turbulent Wars Of The Roses, exploring the story of the missing princes in the Tower of London.

TRAVEL

Travels With A Typewriter: A Reporter At Large, by Michael Frayn (Faber & Faber, £15.99): A hugely entertaining collection of Michael Frayn's travel writing from the sixties and seventies, including pieces on Germany, Cuba, Israel, Japan and Russia.

The Magnetic North: Notes From The Arctic Circle, by Sara Wheeler (Cape, £20): You need to be sitting by the fire when you pick this one up, as Wheeler explores the freezing conditions of the Arctic, herding reindeer, smashing through the sea on a Russian icebreaker and travelling along the Trans-Alaskan pipeline with truckers.

CELEBRITY

It's Not What You Think, by Chris Evans (HarperCollins, £20): Love him or hate him, bespectacled fast-talking broadcaster Chris Evans has a great story to tell (although this first of two volumes ends before he meets Billie Piper). From his childhood on a council estate in Warrington, meteoric rise to fame with The Big Breakfast, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, TFI Friday and his stint on Radio 1, followed by his spectacular fall from grace, fans will lap up the anecdotes. Set to be one of the top-sellers this Christmas.

Look Back In Hunger, by Jo Brand (Headline, £20): In the first volume of her memoirs, Brand looks back on her childhood in Kent, her bitter teenage rebellion and relives some hair-raising episodes during her first career as a psychiatric nurse dealing with potentially dangerous patients. The book ends just as she's starting to make her first outings on the comedy circuit. Can't wait for the second instalment.

FOR TEENAGERS

Crocodile Tears, by Anthony Horowitz (Walker, £14.99): Fans of young super-spy Alex Rider will enjoy this latest page-turner in which he is sent to spy on the activities at a GM crop plant. It inevitably leads to trouble as Alex ends up being kidnapped and sent to Africa where he learns the full horror of the plot – which is to create a major disaster, that threatens millions.

New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer (Atom, £7.99):

Originally published in 2007, but now reissued with a new cover to tie in with the film, this tale of a teenage girl's love for a beautiful vampire boy should enable new fans to get their teeth stuck into the creme-de-la-creme of this up-and-coming genre.

FOR KIDS

Tollins: Explosive Tales For Children, by Conn Iggulden, illustrated by Lizzy Duncan (HarperCollins, £14.99): Iggulden, of The Dangerous Book For Boys fame, has produced this collection of magical stories with bite, introducing us to the Tollins – small, flying creatures (naked to the adult human eye except for special blue-lens glasses) – who try to live inconspicuously in the leafy village of Chorleywood. That is, until the fireworks factory arrives. Aimed at seven-year-olds and upwards, the book comes complete with maps and vivid illustrations of the Tollins in action.

Tabby McTat, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Alison Green Books, £10.99): If your young child loved The Gruffalo, then bag a copy of this duo's latest offering about a busker's cat. Donaldson's rhythmic text carries the reader through this urban fairytale of friendship, singing and kittens.