Our 2016 Christmas Gift Guide: What to buy your significant other

7 Nov 2016

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be compiling a host of gift guides to help you with your Christmas shopping.

When Jamie Morton’s dad wrote a self-published erotic novel, Jamie did what few among us would do – he turned the experience into a smash-hit podcast with two friends. My Dad Wrote a Porno is the hilarious annotated book edition of the original erotic novel.
The Wonder Trail is the story of Steve Hely’s riotous journey from Los Angeles to the bottom of South America – part travelogue, part pop history, and 100% snort-laughingly-hilarious.
Eligible is an outrageous and modern take on Pride and Prejudice in which Curtis Sittenfeld (the bestselling author of Prep) puts her sharp tongue and snarky sense of humour to good use.
Today Will be Different is the darkly funny new novel from Maria Semple, and follows a day in the life of neurotic animator Eleanor Flood.
Paul Beatty’s The Sellout is a laugh-out-loud, blistering satire on racial politics in America and was recently named the winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize.

Max Bambridge’s The Urban Woodsman is a guide to carving spoons, bowls and boards. His straightforward, clearly detailed approach makes the guide suitable for novices.
Maryanne Moodie is a popular Australian textile art, now based in Brooklyn. Her new book, On the Loom shares everything you need to know about the art of weaving.
Loose Leaf features 10 different projects from botanical designers Wona Bae and Charlie Lawler that will kickstart other creative projects.
In Reinventing Ikea, Christine Baillet and Isabelle Bruno present 70 DIY customisation projects conceived from popular Ikea products.
If your partner wants to learn how to sew their own clothes but are nervous about the idea of cutting their own patterns, then Rosie Martin’s innovative method in No Patterns Needed will definitely appeal.

You’ve probably heard this already but… no modern architectural movement has aroused so much awe and so much ire as Brutalism. In Concrete Concept by Christopher Beanland demonstrates how this movement has infected popular culture.
For the design-loving frequent traveller, The Art of the Airport presents 21 of the most beautiful airports in the world.
The Hinterland explores architecture and design approaches to creating the refuges that refresh amid the beauty of nature. It may even inspire your partner to plan a romantic get-away.
Ma Yansong’s MAD Works is the first complete overview of the most important contemporary architecture practice ever to have emerged from China: MAD Architects.
This is Frank Lloyd Wright is the first architectural book in the This Is art book series, and it brings brings the astonishing man’s projects and persona into vivid focus.

Fucking Apostrophes is an indispensable guide for moments of grammar-related frustration and an ideal offering for the pedant you love.
Frantumaglia is an incredible resource for fans of Elena Ferrante’s books, but also writers in general. It’s a riveting compilation of ‘fragments’ collected over the course of the famed author’s career.
Hiroshi Unno’s Beautiful Book Designs will delight those with a fetish for print culture.
This set of beautiful hand-painted cast Iron Whale Bookends is an elegant addition to any bookshelf.
With a sense of humour, an ability to laugh at bureaucracy and an inclination to question the status quo, John Simpson gives life to the English language in The Word Detective.

Bolshoi Confidential investigates the political ties that bind the Bolshoi Ballet to the various Russian regimes throughout history.
In Fair Game, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane investigates Scientology’s deep-seeded roots in Australian soil.
The Dragon Behind The Glass is a thrilling deep dive into the strange and dangerous world of the Asian arowana or ‘dragon fish’.
From creators Steven Zaillian and Richard Price, The Night Of is an eight-part limited series that delves into the intricate story of a fictitious murder case in New York City.
For over a hundred years, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has been a source of fascination and horror. In They All Love Jack, Bruce Robinson offers a radical reinterpretation of the Jack the Ripper legend.

ABC TV’s The Book Club universally praised Ian McGuire’s bloodthirsty tale The North Water earlier this year, describing it as: ‘Ridley Scott’s Alien set on a whaling ship in 1850s’.
Meanwhile, Liane Moriarty’s new novel, Truly Madly Guilty, was a staff favourite at Readings and a seriously juicy page-turner. Here is a collection of rave reviews of her writing from us.
Our staff also loved Jane Harper’s literary crime thriller, The Dry. In the words of one reader: ‘If you’re planning on reading The Dry, make sure to clear your schedule and hide yourself away, and pity the fool who interrupts you.’ Read more praise here.
Melina Marchetta’s first adult novel, Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil, is part family saga, part crime fiction and wholly unputdownable. (One of our booksellers named this novel her ‘most memorable one-sit read’ of the year.)
Based on the true story of the SS Californian – the ship that saw the Titanic’s distress rockets and yet did nothing – The Midnight Watch explores one of the world’s most enduring and tragic stories from a new perspective.

The Secret History of Twin Peaks enlarges the world of the original series, placing the unexplained phenomena that unfolded there into a vastly layered, wide-ranging history.
Guardian columnist Lindy West is a whip-smart writer and Shrill brings together a collections of her essays that range from internet trolls, to role models for fat girls.
Elizabeth Cobbs’s The Hamilton Affair is a holiday read that may appeal to the Hamilton musical devotee in your life.
Bowie A to Z is densely packed with interesting facts about the rock legend and features vibrant illustrations.
Adnan’s Story, Rabia Chaudry offers new insight into the story that captivated the attention of millions via Sarah Koenig’s renowned podcast, Serial.

Maria Semple

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