If you could choose up to three items for your Christmas stocking, what would they be? That was the question LDV posed to a group of Lib Dem bloggers. And over the next two days we’ll reveal what they told us, with all their choices added to the Amazon carousel widget featured on our home-page, referral fees from which will help support Lib Dem Voice: so get clicking and ordering. In part one, four bloggers – Jennie Rigg, Millennium Elephant, Mark Pack and Alex Foster – give us the low-down on their Xmas faves.

Jennie Rigg

1) The Very Sexy Richard Reeves’ biography of John Stuart Mill

Mat already has this, but I’d like my own copy to love and hug and sing to and call George.

2) The Complete Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister

Just as sharp and witty as it ever was. The Trident episode is particularly depressingly current.

3) … and the final item is a must for ANY Lib Dem: Dr Who 2010 Diary.

Millennium Elephant

1) Elephants: a book for children

Because EVERYONE should know stuff about elephants!

2) Chapman’s Car Compendium

Because EVERYONE should know stuff about cars!

3) Watchmen

Because EVERYONE should stuff about how the Eighties was a totally messed up decade – and also why the big film this year was something of a DISAPPOINTMENT.

4) Doctor Who – Ghost Light

Because EVERYONE should stuff about how the Eighties was a creatively brilliant decade – and also stuff about EVOLUTION … (although you might be better off with this).

Mark Pack

1) War with the Newts by Karel Capek.

… a satire on politics, society and humanity in general. Colonialism, racism, capitalism, Fascism, appeasement and more all get the satirical going over in a book that combines these serious themes with a fast moving and very readable plot. The book shows how you can be worthy without being dull, erudite without being turgid.

2) Sandisk MobileMate SD Card Reader

It means that when I take a photo with my digital camera, I can just pop the camera’s card in this reader, stick the reader into any computer with a USB port and – bingo! – there are the photos or film clips, ready to use. Similarly, if I need a photo off anyone else’s camera, no messing about with who has got which cable or emailing photos. One memory card, one stick, one problem sorted. … Simple, cheap, effective. If only more technology were like that…

3) FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer

… it’s an enjoyable romp, provided you enjoy the sort of science-fiction plot that partly rests on ‘oooh strange quantum effects’. … a fun trip down anachronism avenue as it shows how quickly the world of media and the technology has moved on in just ten years.

Alex Foster

1) I’d like an easy-clean Spudnik potato masher:

‘cos both my current mashers lose their heads in the spuds and are a pain to clean.

2) An old fashioned steamer basket

‘cos steamed veggies are better for you and my current steamer is big enough to feed healthy vegetables to 12 people but a little unwieldy on a daily basis.

3) And U is for Undertow (pre-order)

‘Cos it’s a while since me and Kinsey Millhone had an exciting time together under the sheets.