Michael Parkinson: A Most Wanted Man by John le Carré

"I marvel at le Carré's mastery of his craft. He is, in my view, our greatest living novelist, and here shows again that his imagination is as undimmed and his prose as precise and stylish as ever. I can think of no contemporary writer more deserving of occupying that special place reserved for national treasures."
Parky: My Autobiography by Michael Parkinson, is published by Hodder & Stoughton, £20

Sheila Hancock: Girls are Best by Sandi Toksvig

"This does not mean that boys are rubbish, but history sometimes forgets how great girls are. My grandchildren will be getting this in their stockings to remind them. It's funny and full of facts that may surprise parents too. In a world of hollow celebrity it is a timely polemic that warms my feminist heart."
Just Me by Sheila Hancock is published by Bloomsbury, £18.99

Roger Moore: The Reconstructionist by Josephine Hart

"Examines the indelible influence that parents have on their offspring. She really draws you into her characters' doubts and disappointments. It's a truly brilliant novel that really stays with the reader. For me this is Hart at her absolute best. It's an ideal page-turner to while away the long, dark evenings!"
My Word is My Bond: The Autobiography by Roger Moore is published by Michael O'Mara Books, £18.99

Elaine Paige: The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

"The uncommon reader is the Queen, who Bennett has discovering the joy of books when her escaped corgis overrun a mobile library. Much of the breezy humour comes from the change that reading brings over someone as unique as the Queen and the panicked reaction of her courtiers. It is an extremely funny but also rather touching novella about the power of books to change one's view of the world."
Memories by Elaine Paige is published by Oberon Books, £25

Andrew Castle: I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson

"Articles about machines and the endeavour that's gone into creating, designing and using them, written in a very emotive way - from Concorde to the Riva speedboat. It's glorious - you can pick it up and dip into whatever you feel like. For a dad's Christmas present I can't imagine anything I'd like to get more."
Andrew Castle is a patron of the charity Chase Hospice Care for Children. www.chasecare.org.uk

Ian Botham: The Domesday Book of Giant Salmon by Fred Buller

"Last Christmas my son's business partner James gave me this book, because of my love of fishing. It's the history of the big salmon caught all around the world, with a separate story about how each salmon was caught. If you're a salmon fisherman, it's a must."
Ian Botham on Fishing: At Sea, Being Coarse, On the Fly is published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, £18.99

Julie Walters: The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor

"This is a book that I really loved; it was the most perfect little novel. It's very simple and beautiful and it touches something deep, although without psychotherapy I won't be able to tell you quite what. It's about faith and love and the loss of a child. It's a perfect little tragedy, painful but beautifully written."
That's Another Story by Julie Walters is published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £18.99

Bill Oddie: The Rolling Stone Interviews edited by Jann S.Wenner and Joe Levy

"The interviewees include Pete Townshend, Truman Capote, George Lucas, Jack Nicholson. I left university in 1963 so it's the culture of my lifetime. You're unlikely to read a whole book over Christmas. Instead you can say, “I'll spend the next half hour with Paul Simon or Bill Murray.”
One Flew Into the Cuckoo's Egg by Bill Oddie is published by Hodder, £20

Jenny Eclair: The Popular Girl by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"I recently, accidentally - just because I found it in the house - read this collection of short stories, which has knocked spots off anything else I've read all year. I have decided to buy it for my friends and family and if they don't like it, I shall never buy them anything ever again. In fact I probably won't speak to them ever again."
Grumpy Old Women Live is out now on DVD, see www.jennyeclair.com

Graig Revel Horwood: Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson

"Nigella is such a joy to watch on telly: she never gets flustered, her recipes are easy to follow and she adds glamour to her cooking. Her new book comprises reliable, practical, easy-to-follow recipes and advice about planning and cooking ahead, and to my delight it's presented in a gorgeous glittering package."
All Balls and Glitter: My Life by Craig Revel Horwood, published by Michael O'Mara, £18.99

Robert Peston: The Secondary Banking Crisis 1973-75 by Margaret Reid

"Margaret Reid was a sort of Mary Poppins of financial journalism in the 1970s and 1980s (quite stern, big handbag) and my first job back in 1983 was as her deputy. She taught me a lot of stuff that's been incredibly useful during the past couple of years. This book is about a severe crisis in the early 1970s and how the Bank of England came to the rescue. The City has changed beyond recognition since then, not all all for the good frankly. There are clues here about how to get out of the current mess."
Who Runs Britain? by Robert Peston, is published by Hodder, £7.99

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