Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar 2025

Before the paper.
Before the ribbon.
Before the gift disappears beneath the tree.

There is a small, almost secret ritual I’ve come to treasure at this time of year: opening a book before it is wrapped.

Not to read it properly. Not to spoil anything. Just a page or two. Enough to meet the voice. Enough to sense the weight of the story. Enough to understand what kind of companion this book might become for the person who will receive it.

I started doing this accidentally one December evening while preparing gifts late at night. A book lay open on the table, waiting. I read the first paragraph. Then the second. Then I stopped — not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because I’d seen enough. The book had introduced itself. And suddenly, wrapping it felt different.

Because once you’ve read even a fragment, you’re no longer giving an object.
You’re giving a relationship.

Books are unusual gifts in that they carry more than we can see. They contain moods, voices, pacing, silences. Reading the opening pages allows us to sense whether a book is gentle or bracing, playful or reflective, expansive or intimate. It helps us give with intention rather than guesswork.

This ritual does something else too. It slows the moment down.

In a season full of haste — last orders, final lists, hurried errands — opening a book quietly before wrapping it feels almost radical. It turns gift-giving into a pause rather than a task.

Today, on Day 18 of our Jolabokaflod Advent Calendar, I invite you to try it. Before you wrap a book this year, read just enough to understand why you chose it. Let that understanding travel invisibly with the gift.

🎁 Today’s Reading Picks — “Before You Wrap It” Books

Beautiful, gift-worthy books that reward even a few pages:

• The Humans — Matt Haig
• Letters of Note — Shaun Usher
• The Art of Rest — Claudia Hammond
• The Complete Maus — Art Spiegelman

These are books where the opening pages already feel like an offering.

You can explore the full Advent Calendar titles here:
👉 Visit the “Advent Calendar” collection on Bookshop.org

And if you’re gathering ideas for thoughtful presents:
👉 Visit the Giftable Hardbacks Shelf

1. Journey — Dorling Kindersley: An illustrated history of the world’s greatest travels
2. Jurassic World: The Ultimate Visual History — James Mottram: Definitive collector’s book, a must-have for fans of the action-packed dinosaur saga
3. National Geographic Ultimate Visual History of the World — Jean-Pierre Isbouts: Here, in vivid colour and crisp narrative, is the sweeping story of the history of civilisation
4. The Wonder of Life on Earth — Henry Gee: Astonishing and readable natural history giving an accessible introduction to the topic of life.
5. The Illustrated World of Tolkien — David Day: Exquisite reference guide to Tolkien’s world and the artists his vision inspired.
6. The Work of Art — Adam Moss: Guided tour of what goes on inside an artist’s head.
7. The Natural History Book — Dorling Kindersley: Beautiful guide to Earth’s wildlife and natural history, including its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms.
8. Information is Beautiful — David McCandless: Visual guide to how the world really works, through stunning infographics and data visualisations
9. Animalium — Jenny Broom: Rich, informative and truly wonderful cabinet of curiosities beautifully displayed in this imaginative book
10. The Book of Symbols. Reflections on Archetypal Images — Taschen: Sets new standards for thoughtful exploration of symbols and their meanings
11. The Illustrated Brief History Of Time — Stephen Hawking: Bring theories to life in a clear, captivating and visually engaging way
12. The Secret Lives of Colour — Kassia St Clair: Excellent, innovative and idiosyncratic cultural history that will colour your thinking
13. Atlas of the Invisible — James Cheshire and Oliver Uberti: Discover the hidden patterns in human society as you have never seen them before — through the world of data
14. The Book of Trees: Visualising Branches of Knowledge — Manuel Lima: Stunning visual maps showing how humans organise knowledge.
15. The Planets — Andrew Cohen and Brian Cox: Visually striking and intellectually generous.

This Christmas, let yourself read just a little before you give.
Let the book speak — briefly — in your hands.

Then wrap it carefully,
knowing exactly what kind of story you are sending out into the world.