And so begins the 12 Days of Christmas! To start of the festivities I'm here to help you guys with all your holiday book buying needs, because let's face it, I'm not the only one who still has Christmas shopping left to do...

Being that I work for a major book company, I feel like I know books pretty well, so I've compiled a short (yet completely AMAZING) guide of some books that you might want to pick up for the book-lover you're buying for (or maybe you're like me and just want a good read for the holidays).

Rest easy, kinfolk, for I have just what you're looking for!

For the classic literature junkie, I suggest Longbourn by Jo Baker. Pride & Prejudice is relived as told by the servant-staff. Jo manages to capture the characters Jane Austen created in a very true-to-form way. Not to be dismayed by another P&P retelling, the story mostly focuses on the lives of the staff, with Austen's story kind of in the background. This story has all the key bits that an Austen novel possesses: arrogance, pride, whit, and romance. I am reading the book now and can't put it down!

If you're buying for someone who loved The Fault in Our Stars or anything by John Green, Rainbow Rowell's book, Eleanor & Park is definitely the best choice for the YA reader you're buying for. The story is a classic coming-of-age story about two "star-crossed" 16-year-olds with some really serious life issues. It's inspiring, and intense, but totally worth the read!

This book piqued my interest after I finished reading The Hobbit. It's a new collection of J.R.R Tolkien's poems, which if you have a fantasy nerd to buy for, is the perfect gift.

If you haven't heard of Malala Yousafzai, where have you been the last three months? She's been on countless talk shows talking about how she stood up for her right for education, and in doing so was shot by the Taliban. She has taken her inspiring story to pen and wrote her very own book about her experiences, and is a must-read for anyone interested in current events, and biographies.

Finally,

If you're buying for someone who isn't a big reader, give them the gift of audio books! I love popping in my headphones while I'm on the subway or on the train back to my hometown and listening to a good book! If you go to Audible.com, you can sign up and get your first audio book for free! You can even buy one for your friends or family!

There's this new video that's been making it's way around the webisphere by these really talented musicians who go by the name of The Piano Guys.

You guys know how much I love music, so watching these talented guys play the whole song on a piano (save for their "paper" drum) really got my gears going! It's such an incredible talent celebrating the Christmas season! Take a look, share and thumbs up the video!

One of my favourite things to do during the Christmas season is turn out all the lights except for the Christmasy lights, light a few candles, make some hot chocolate and pop in a Christmas movie. It really puts me in the holly jolly spirit.

If you're a big fan of Christmas like me, you've probably seen these movies and have no doubt put them on your must-see movie list, so let's share the fun together!

Here are my must-see Christmas movies.

Elf

Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel. You can't go wrong! I can quote this movie inside and out (like most Christmas movies) but this is probably the only one that I quote all year round! An elf sticks by the four basic food groups, candy, candy cane, candy corn, and syrup. I honesty love this movie so much, and if you don't, you're a cotton-headded ninny-muggins.

Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

I do love the original cartoon version of The Grinch, but nothing beats Jim Carrey's take on the hairy green guy that loathes Christmas entirely! I was a kid when this came out and I remember the hype when we went to the theatre to see it. Watching this movie always brings me back to that feeling, and I love that about Christmas-- feeling like a child again.

Charlie Brown Christmas

The music is really what I love most about this movie. Simple piano and chorus. Plus who doesn't love Lucy's meltdown, "I've been kissed by a dog! Get the hot water, get the disinfectant!"Classic.

A Claymation Christmas Celebration

Not many people have heard of this one, but like Charlie Brown, I love this movie purely for the music (it is specifically a music special). Everything from The California Raisins singing theory rendition of Rudolf to two walruses figure-skating in love.

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer 

An elf that wants to be a dentist, and an island of misfit toys. This is one movie I don't mind watching more than once during the season! Classic.

It's A Wonderful Life

This one is my mum's favourite Christmas movies so she made me watch it with her every year. As a kid I didn't understand it all too well, and the only part I could fully remember was the end bit that everyone knows, "every time a bell rings and angel gets it's wings". Now that I'm older, I've really grown to love this movie. It's romantic, heartfelt, and completely timeless.

The Sound of Music

You might be thinking, The Sound of Music isn't a Christmas movie! This may be true, but for some reason it's always on TV Christmas eve and it's become somewhat of a Christmas tradition for my whole family to watch it after church while sipping eggnog and eating tons of baked goodies. The Sound of Music is one of my all-time fave movies, so I could watch it any time of the year and love it, but there's just something about watching it with my whole family that makes it so much more enjoyable. Especially when my Nana bursts out into "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria".

Side note: Is anyone into Carrie Underwood's Sound of Music Live this week? I'll watch it, but I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

Also!!! This year I'll be doing a special 12 Days of Christmas series here on the blog. I'l be blogging every day for the 12 Days before Christmas and each post will be especially Christmassy. I've got some lovely DIY crafts and yummy baking! I'm so excited!