Books make outstanding gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world. So, here are some of our best ideas for great book giving:

SISSINGHURST, The Dream Garden by Tim Richardson, tells the story of the world-famous garden transformed by writer Vita Sackville-West and diplomat Harold Nicolson from the 1930s to the 1960s. With luscious photography by Jason Ingram, here is all you need to know about the unforgettable garden of rooms so influential today for its beauty, design, exuberant planting, and its effect on visitors as a complete garden experience. Richardson deftly explores its power and magic, explaining the subtle nuances of Sissinghurt’s evolution and showing how we can enjoy it to the max today. Published by the great house of Frances Lincoln.

Laura Esquivel’s TITA’S DIARY is a touching tale that plunges readers deep into the universe of Like Water for Chocolate, the captivating story that has known no borders. Thirty years after the publication of the best-seller Like Water for Chocolate comes Tita’s Diary, this is an intimate look at the life of the main character who embodies love, passion and the communication of emotions through food in early 20th Century Mexico. When Tita falls in love with Pedro, she is told that being the youngest of three sisters, she will never be allowed to marry as she will have to care for her mother. As the second part of a trilogy, Tita’s Diary brings to light a secret that will allow readers to rediscover their own intimacy as they turn page after page of never-before-seen photos, hand-pressed flower arrangements, and recipes that were skipped in the original novel. It’s the physical manifestation of Tita’s dream: to share her thoughts on love, food and alchemy with the world. Available on Amazon and a perfect gift this holiday season.

SECRET GARDENS OF SOMERSET, A Private Tour by Abigal Willis with captivating photography by Clive Boursnell is a personal tour of 20 of the UK’S most beguiling gardens in the much- lover Southwest of England, an area defined by its distinctive horticulture, rolling hills, picturesque villages and the most traditional English landscape. Published by Frances Lincoln.

THIS IS CRICKET, In the Spirit of the Game by Daniel Melamud and David Gower, is acelebration of the elegance and timeless beauty of cricket, its greatest and most stylish players, from past heroes to today’s stars, along with its idyllic and hallowed grounds. Another impressive Rizzoli coffee table book.