What Not To Buy: Christmas Bookish Edition

The shops are shouting buy more, but we’re making a different case: skip the shiny book junk and choose stories that actually get read. Come with me and walk through the holiday aisles together and call out the biggest traps - gimmicky bundles, flimsy movie tie-ins, lazy age-badged anthologies and swap them for books with staying power and more meaningful bookish gifts.

If you’re craving ease over excess, you’re in good company here.

A few things we touch on today: 

• skipping gimmicky bundles that add plastic, not story
• steering clear of movie tie-ins and lazy anthologies
• smarter alternatives for middle grade and seasonal reads
• age-appropriate comics and graphic novels that land
• choosing engaging, well-designed nonfiction over coffee-table tomes
• why annuals and activity books are risky gifts unless you know the child
• ditching weak booklights for practical, lasting accessories
• tech picks that stretch budgets: subscriptions, audiobooks, headphones
• how to gift adults without awkward self-help misfires
• choosing a slower, calmer Christmas that puts people before purchases

Feel free to DM me on Instagram for recommendations because recommending books to you will be like giving me a gift this Christmas. 

Find us on Instagram @teatalesandtomes and don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.

Podcast music by Lundstroem (Episode 1 onwards) and Audionautix (TTAT Trailer). Podcast edited by Timothy Wiggill.

Chapters

• 0:10 Why Not-To-Buy Matters
• 1:47 Gimmicks To Skip For Little Readers
• 3:34 Ditch Movie Tie-Ins
• 5:21 Avoid Lazy Age-Branded Anthologies
• 7:05 Smarter Picks Than Pricey Boxed Sets
• 8:46 Comics, Graphic Novels, And Age Fit
• 10:13 Annuals And Activity Books: Proceed Carefully
• 11:17 Spotting Good Nonfiction
• 12:46 Booklights, Merch, And Better Alternatives
• 14:05 E-Readers, Subscriptions, And Headphones
• 15:00 Gifting Adults Without Missteps
• 16:13 A Calmer Christmas Philosophy

Transcript

Natasha: 0:10

Hello bookish friends, this is Natasha and you're listening to Tea Tales and Tomes, where we are living our favorite lives, talking books and drinking hot beverages. So grab your cuppa and let's talk books. In case you're new here, welcome to the podcast where we celebrate stories, sniff books like absolute weirdos, and try to help you navigate the wild, glittery chaos of raising readers. Now, all over our feeds, in every shop, in every advert, the festive season has arrived. The world is yelling. Buy this, gift that special, limited, sparkly. And today I'm doing the opposite. I'm giving you a bookish public service announcement, what not to buy this holiday season for that reader in your life. Your wallet will thank you, your sanity will thank you, and the bookish people you're shopping for, oh, they will thank you the most. So grab a warm drink, settle in, and let's save Christmas one avoided purchase at a time. If you're feeling a little grisly today, you're probably wondering why I think I can curate this sort of list of what not to buy. Um, let's just say I've had my whole life of receiving bookish presents and giving bookish presents and another 10,000 hours of walking through bookstores and falling for all the gimmicks. And all I want to do is help you avoid that wasted time and money this festive season. So let's just jump into it. Again, perhaps this is something that is just my opinion, but these are the things that I would avoid at all costs. Number one, avoid the gimmicks. Let's begin with those littlest of book dragons. First things first, avoid the gimmicks. I mean, avoid the gimmicks for all ages, but somehow these booksellers tend to reel us in with our littlest book dragons because they know that that is our weak spot. You're gonna see so much shiny, sparkly, Christmassy stuff. Not actual books, just plastic bits with a stapled story attached. I know that sounds really harsh, and this is meant to be a gentle podcast. It really does cause me to raise my hackles when I see this kind of thing in bookstores. Books with baubles, cookies, glitter pens glued to the cover. Cute, sure. But if you want something that'll actually stay on a shelf longer than a week, these are a no-no. It's very easy to fall for the marketing ploys that give you a stuffed toy with a book or several magnets with a book or a puzzle plus plus plus. If you want a book that lasts longer than the Christmas wrapping, just skip these. So the first three episodes of my podcast has tons of recommendations for books that you can add to young kids' shelves in their first year that will last a lifetime. Things like Goodnight Moon, anything by Julia Donaldson, Richard Scarry, Lynnley Dodd, and South African favourites like books by Rosaline Toerien, amazing books that are also really, really affordable. These are just a few at the top of my mind. Those gimmicky books that claim to be educational because they have a pull-out paper floor mat and some figurines are going to drive you nuts because all those little figures will be lost before Christmas lunch is even digested. So head on over to the other episodes for truly great recommendations for a lifetime if you're really feeling stuck. Number two, and this one might be a little bit controversial, avoid Disney and any other movie tie-in books. Just avoid it at all costs. While we all love to see pictures of characters we know and love from movies and TV, trust me when I say that those movie tie-in books are seldom well written and are often overpriced. If you do have a Disney fan that you're buying for, there are many other ways to satisfy their Disney obsession instead of wasting money on a poorly written book. Watch the movie with the child and sing the songs out loud together. They will love that. Check out what Lego has in store, maybe, or maybe buy them a Disney themed cutlery and utensil set. They'd love it. But Disney books, that's a no-no from me. I'm just a mom wanting to fill my kids with really good stories and who also does not want to break the bank. And if you really want to get one, please avoid any that have a huge amount of text and very few pictures. You want a maximum picture to minimum text ratio. I did buy a lot of Disney cars books for my kids, all of which are gathering dust on my shelves at the moment. But the ones we got the most mileage out of were the ones in which the stories were not actually movie tie-ins. The characters were all the same, all illustrated beautifully, but the stories were very different. That added more interest for me and the kids and meant we got a little more from these books. Number three, on the subject of marketing ploys, which Disney is excellent at. For heaven's sake, avoid anything marketed as stories for boys, stories for girls, stories for seven-year-olds, stories for kids who breathe oxygen. It's all marketing. And the stories in these books are usually shoddy collections from different authors and are not even properly curated. Or sometimes they're all from one author, but it's stories that never really made it because they were not good to begin with. I have a collection of stories in one book from Enid Blyton, and out of the 15 or so stories in there, I think one of them was actually good. And I love Enid Blyton. These sorts of oversimplified collections like stories for six-year-olds or story for seven-year-olds, I find are just really lazy attempts by publishers to sell more books. They are geared at shoppers that are stuck for what to purchase because maybe they don't know the person they're buying for really well. And trust me, these are not books that are curated for great stories or even with children in mind. These are curated for adult shoppers and especially all about making sales. And if you really don't know what to buy, these books are not the answer. There are some collections that are really good, like nursery rhymes or collections of poetry, but I have never found books that are random collections of stories, whether they are a Disney collection, an action book collection, or a funny book collection, to be genuinely good. And I do see the appeal. Instead of getting one book with one story, you're getting many stories. And this is fine if quantity is your goal, but if quality is your goal, this is not the place to be. If you want a specific rec, feel free to drop me a message or check out any of the other episodes of the podcast, which are jam-packed with tried and tested book recommendations for all ages. I also know that you probably feel like you don't have the time to listen to me hopping on about books in all the previous episodes, so I really don't mind if you DM me on Instagram. I love talking books, and recommending books to you will be like giving me a gift this Christmas. Let's move on to another temptation. The boxed set. I'll say it again, not all books are equal, and collections are also not all equal. And again, they can also be super expensive. If you are buying for middle grade kids and you don't know what they like, avoid the roll doll Enid Blyton Wumpy Kid boxed sets. These are seldom universally appealing, and you don't want to buy something that is not going to be read and cherished, especially if you're spending a huge amount of money on it. So, what can you get instead? Throughout the pod, like I said, I have recommended some really, really great books for all ages, and even some really great boxed sets for both fiction and non-fiction. Some quick recks that are not box sets, but quite affordable to buy a few of them if you want to buy more than one book, like the newly illustrated famous five books by uh Enid Blyton. Not the classic ones, the newly illustrated short stories. They're really great for kids that enjoy a quick mystery. For the slightly older kids, there's the Nevermore uh trilogy. Now there's four books. I I don't know what the word for four books is, but anyway, the Nevermore books by Jessica Townsend, Planet Oma books, or The Vanderbeekers. And for especially good Christmas stories, if you're looking to buy something more Christmassy, there's the Dr. Zeus books, The Grinch, for example, and all of the Matt Haig Christmas books like A Boy Called Christmas, A Mouse Called Mika. These are truly magical reads, and they will be long-lasting shelf occupiers. And instead of going with tied and often not great books, these will do great in your Christmas stockings. Another thing to avoid is the Marvel and DC comics or even the anime shelves in bookshops. So unless you're buying for much older kids like your late teens or you know the kid really well and know that they can handle the adult themes in these books, I would avoid these shelves at all costs. The Marvel and DC worlds are amazing and I love introducing my kids to this because they're so relatable to me, right? But they really do, especially the ones you're gonna find in our stores, they really do deal with much more mature content. I wanna just note here that Marvel and DC do have lots of comics that are specifically geared to younger kids. But most of what you're gonna find on the shelves, especially in bookstores in South Africa, are for your older kids and adults. So what could you buy instead as you are browsing through bookshelves or even online? So I'm gonna point you in the direction of my two episodes from season one, that's episode four and five, which is all about comic books and graphic novels, and packed to the brim with the best penalized books for all ages. And just off the top of my head, in case you're not gonna go there, graphic novels like The Investigators, Bunny vs. Monkey, The Magic Tree House graphic novel versions, the Tune Book series, as well as Marvel and DC comics that are specifically tailored for younger kids, like The Tiny Titans, for example, are great go-to's. So let's see. Next in What Not to Buy. Hmm. Activity books and books that take pop culture fads like Wicked or Paw Patrol or Pepper Pig and create what is strangely called annuals. So you'll get a Paw Patrol annual or a Wicked Annual or a Pepper Pig annual. You've seen them, they are ridiculously priced books. I'm making air quotes because I wouldn't class them as books, with all the flair and none of the substance. Now, this is not universal because some kids really love this sort of thing. Me as a kid would have loved to receive activity books for Christmas, but not all kids are like this. And if you don't know the child, this is not a good option because not every child will enjoy colouring in or puzzles, etc. If you do go this route, add crayons or pencils so it feels like more of a full-ish gift, but only if you are sure that it's going to be used. Otherwise, it becomes that gift that parents hide behind the fridge until Easter or re-gift to another poor, unsuspecting child. Next up for what not to buy, bad nonfiction. Now, nonfiction is brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. But choose wisely because booksellers love to tempt you with so-called educational books. And trust me, kids can smell that trash a mile away. So for kids of all ages, nonfiction can really be magic. But again, not all nonfiction is created equally. There is a lot of rubbish out there. What you want is beautiful photos or illustrations, engaging layouts, and just enough text. Not so much that the child or the adult zones out. So flip through it. If you're interested, it's probably a good sign. Avoid those thick, glossy coffee table books that will cost you an arm and a leg that you think look nice, but a child will not care about. Kids love humor, they love weird facts, so when in doubt, go for a fun book about strange animals or bizarre world records, but not the Guinness Book style books. Those I think belong in the library or a secondhand bookshop. The pages practically yawn. I know I'm being really blunt, but I am speaking from a lifetime of receiving and giving books as presents. So trust me when I say I know what works. Hmm, where to next? So I'm just mentally walking through the bookstores as I am talking. So you can see that I have no sponsorships from bookstores and probably never will because I'm here telling you not to buy the merch. So let's talk about bookish accessories on the subject of merchandise. So you're at the till or the shelves close to the till and you see booklights. You think, ah, this is cute. My bookish person will love this. Now they can read at night. Put it down. Put it down immediately. That's a huge no-no in my books. I've bought every kind of booklight and they all break, twist weirdly, shine badly on too much, like you're staring directly at the sun, or vanish under a bed. The battery dies, and that's it for that expensive little thing. If you want to get something that works better, especially for that bookish kid in your life, a simple torch with adjustable settings plus bare batteries, so much better and will be used in so many different ways. And if you're buying for an adult in your life, they probably already have a bedside lamp or are reading on their Kindle or other e-reader. So do you really need to get them a light? How about some good tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or wine instead? Pair that with a book voucher or a lovely bookmark and perfect. That would be perfect. And what about reading devices? You really want to spurge and are thinking about purchasing a Kindle for that child that you loved? My honest answer, buy it for me instead. Kidding? Kind of. I love e-readers, but for my own nine-year-old, a tablet with reading apps has been a far better choice. So I know that iPads or tablets or screens in general are debated, but with the iPad, we have parental controls and all the apps. He can use it for school as well as a device that he can read books on as well as listen to books on. But if you want to give a tech-related reading gift, but your budget is not in the Kindle or tablet bracket, a subscription to an app like Vooks or Epic, Reading Eggs, or even Kindle Unlimited is fantastic. An Audible subscription is also brilliant. Listening to books is such a rich language experience. And while we're talking about audiobooks, a good pair of over-ear headphones makes a fantastic gift. Lastly, what about buying a book for an adult? This is where it gets tricky. Personally, I love when someone buys me a book that they think I'd enjoy because it means they put thought into it. I love that. Every time I pick up that book, I think about the fact that this person thought about me when they got this book and I love it immediately. But not everyone feels that way. If you're not sure, go with a voucher or even a coffee voucher. Hot drinks are always a winner with bookish people. And please, please, I beg of you to not buy anybody a self-help book because you think they need it or are going through something. No, absolutely not. Nothing says Merry Christmas. I think you need fixing. Quite like unsolicited self-help. So only buy self-help if the person has specifically asked for that exact title. If you don't know someone well but want to give them something bookish, go for a small treat box, some tea or coffee, chocolate, a pretty bookmark, a bookish candle. Book people love a little ambiance. It's thoughtful without the risk. And also, guys, don't feel shy, just ask. You can ask me, drop me a DM on Instagram for recommendations or check out the previous podcast episodes, or just ask the person you're buying for. And if it's a kid, you can even ask their parents. Before I say goodbye today, I want to leave you with this because it's so easy to get swept up in the pressure of the season. Everywhere we look, someone is telling us to buy bigger, spend more, do more, be more, and it can make us feel like Christmas is a performance instead of a celebration. But here's the truth. Some of the best Christmases aren't the loud ones or the expensive ones. They're the slow ones, the gentle ones, the ones where you finally stop rushing long enough to actually see the people you love. Over the last two years, my family made a small but life-changing decision. Christmas morning would be slow. No rushing, no frantic timelines, no squeezing ourselves into other people's expectations. We unwrapped gifts slowly, played with the new toys, read the new books on the couch, ate breakfast when we felt like it, and only visited extended family once our cups felt full. We came home then to a simple supper, candles glowing, carols drifting in the background, and hearts that felt settled and warm. And you know what? Those were my favorite Christmases of all time. Not because of what was under the tree, but because of who I got to be with my family. Present, calm, and connected. So if you're listening today and feeling the overwhelm, the pressure, or even the judgment that can sneak into the season, I want to tell you this. You're allowed to do Christmas differently. You're allowed to break traditions that drain you. You're allowed to create a version of the holidays that feel right for your family, not anyone else's. And that version might be big and busy and sparkling with parties, or it might be slow mornings, simple meals, and soft music in the background. There is no correct Christmas. The only way you know you're doing it right is this. When you look around the room, do you see lit up faces? Do you feel warm and fuzzy rather than depleted and stressed? Does your home feel calm enough for joy to actually land? If the answer is yes, then you, my friend, are doing Christmas beautifully. Thank you for spending time with me today and for letting me be part of your festive season in this small way. I hope your holidays are filled with connection, comfort, and moments that feel genuinely magical. Not because of what you've bought, but because of how you've shown up. Until next time, take care, stay cozy, and happy reading. And don't forget to join us next time for more bookish wonder.