This is a version of part of a Christmas Gifts feature that appeared in the London Evening Standard here. In no particular order below.
Books
Joker Face by Steve Best (Unbound, £12.99). Buy here.
Steve Best is both a stand-up and photographer, so perfectly positioned to snap comedians backstage. His book boasts 450 off-duty photos of the likes of Katherine Ryan and Russell Howard alongside 450 gags such as this zinger from Rhys James: "The Swiss must've been pretty confident in their chances of victory if they included a corkscrew in their army knife."
Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens by Eddie Izzard (Penguin/Michael Joseph, £20). Buy here.
The big comedy confessional this year came from Eddie Izzard, whose autobiography takes us from his peripatetic childhood to superstardom via his mother's death, coming out as an "action transvestite" and more. As the title suggests Izzard puts his rise down to the power of self-belief.
This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor by Adam Kay (Picador, £16.99). Buy here.
Comedian Adam Kay was previously a hospital registrar and dusted off the diaries from his first career to produce this compelling insight into the stresses of NHS life. Dark humour is in abundance as Kay recalls some of the more gruesome A&E arrivals, such as the party animal whose penis was "degloved" when he slid naked down a lamppost.
Help by Simon Amstell (Square Peg, £12.99). Buy here.
The first book from the former Never Mind The Buzzcocks host weaves together his funniest comedy routines with a memoir of his early years. Amstell has never shied away from talking about himself onstage so the two sides of his story fit seamlessly together as he recalls landmark events including his parent's divorce and losing his virginity by a Parisian canal.
Emergency Questions by Richard Herring (Go Faster Stripe, £10). Buy here.
Comedian Richard Herring devised 500 questions for his podcast interviews. He found that asking whether guests would prefer a hand made of ham or an armpit that dispensed suncream often made them chattier. Next time you are at a party try asking "Would you rather be lactose intolerant or the PM of the Central African Republic?" It might break the ice, no refunds if it doesn't.
Classic Scrapes by James Acaster (Headline Paperback, £9.99). Buy here.
The finest comic to come out of Kettering looks back on his life from his earliest memories to his breakthrough in stand-up comedy, from his rock star dreams to his sexual fumbles to three life-changing car crashes. Find out the truth about his ongoing cabbage-related feud as recently mentioned on Would I Lie To You?
