Books have not been spared the impact of the recession with Christmas sales lower than previous years though they remain a popular gift for people of all ages, according to book sellers.

Sales are not what they were last year according to Jennifer Mifsud, sales assistant at the Valletta bookshop, Word for Word.

"It is probably a reflection of the general shopping trend, though people who love books still buy them and continue to give them as presents," she adds.

This year, singer Ira Losco's photo diary, President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami's tribute, the Maltese translation of President Emeritus Guido de Marco's autobiography, cartoon character Ben10 and the Mayan legend predicting the end of the world in 2012 are competing for a place underneath the Christmas tree alongside cookery books and the legendary vampire series, Twilight.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight book set, immortalised this November, is one of the bestsellers this Christmas when New Moon, the second book of the vampire series, made it to the big screen, according to Ms Mifsud.

But the vampire world competes with another fiction story based on Mayan legend that predicts the end of the world in 2012.

Michael Vella de Fremaux, trade manager at Miller Distributors that owns Agenda Bookshop, says Manda Scott's The Crystal Skull is selling like hot cakes.

The book, predicting the apocalypse, delves into the secrets of the ancient Mayans and tells the story of the clue that will help humankind stave off the end of the world.

Author James Patterson's Cross Country, the 14th book in the Alex Cross thriller series, also makes it to the top of the list according to Mr de Fremaux.

Allied Publications's recent book, Ira Losco: A Photographic Journal by Allen Venables, will also find itself in the Christmas sock of some.

Containing few words but full of splendid photographs documenting the singer's career, both Ms Mifsud and Mr de Fremaux say it is selling rather well.

It may be unexpected for a singer to sell so much but book enthusiasts are into pictorial journeys as much as reading books.

Ms Mifsud says Word for Word has also had substantial enquiries about the publication The Times Picture Annual 2009, which was only launched last Friday. The book documents this year's events through the lens of the photographers of The Times.

Other favourites include Dr Adami's tribute Inservi, Peter Dacoutros's new cookery Quick And Easy Food For Kids And Beginners and The Pens That Felled The Mighty - 100 years Of British Cartoons On Malta by John Manduca and Joseph Sammut.

The more expensive book Baroque Painting in Malta by author Keith Sciberras and photographer Joseph Borg, published by Midsea Books, is also selling well.

"Such coffee table books are popular at this time of the year because they make wonderful gifts, especially for corporate customers," Mr de Fremaux says.

As for children's books, the Ben10 craze has transcended the world of toys and spilled over into the printed medium, making it a hot favourite for parents with alien-loving children. The crackling sound of paper, it seems, has staved off the onslaught of the electronic age, still managing to enthral people with the world of adventure, discovery and knowledge that unravels once the pages are leafed through.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.