Our 2017 Christmas Gift Guide: What to buy for hard-to-buy-for adults
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be compiling a host of gift guides to help you with your Christmas shopping. Here is a list of suggestions for the tricky people in your life..
An ageing relative…
- Noël! Noël! Live in Concert is a festive present for classical music lovers. This brand-new Christmas album from the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir was recorded live at St Francis of Assisi Church in NSW, and it’s rather lovely.
- If they’re an Agatha Christie fan, try The Mitford Murders – a Golden Age murder mystery set amid the lives of the glamorous Mitford sisters.
- A gorgeous gift edition of the Macquarie Dictionary might just be your relative’s cup of tea. This edition is such a beautiful object in its own right, and perfect for flipping through while you drink, well, a cup of tea.
- If your relative is a big reader but their eyesight is diminishing, now might be the time to gently encourage them to try audiobooks. We have a range of titles available from Bolinda. A recent favourite is Lincoln in the Bardo which features a cast of 166 people (!) including award-winning actors and musicians. For an added stamp of approval, this novel was the 2017 winner of the Man Booker Prize.
- We promise that The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is not as morbid as the title suggests… Rather, this is a charming, loving and practical book that seeks to make the process of decluttering uplifting instead of overwhelming.
Your friend who ‘doesn’t read’ (but you really wish would)
- Jane Harper’s second literary crime thriller is one of our biggest books of the past year. Force of Nature is an addictive page-turner that will get its hooks into even the most reluctant of readers.
- Uncommon Type is a collection of witty, whimsical and endearing short stories from Tom Hanks – yes, that Tom Hanks.
- We adore New Zealand poet Hera Lindsay Bird’s self-titled debut poetry collection which is very, very funny. These poems are weird and surprising in the best way, covering everything from dad jokes to 90s iconic TV show, Friends.
- The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a beautifully evoked feline roadtrip novel. Translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel (who translates Haruki Murakami), this is a novel that’s certain to tug at your friend’s heartstrings.
- Comedian Tony Martin has released his first novel – Deadly Kerfuffle is a biting satire inspired by actual letters to the editor in a local newspaper.
- Find even more suggestions for people who don’t regularly read here.
The booklover who’s read everything…
- In Black Inc’s new Writers on Writers series, leading writers reflect on another Australian writer who has inspired them. The first two books to be released are Alice Pung on John Marsden and Erik Jensen on Kate Jennings – both in appealing, pocket-sized editions.
- Daemon Voices is ideal for your friend who adores Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials trilogy and more. Here, he reflects on storytelling in 30 thought-provoking essays
- The Illustrated Dust Jacket: 1920-1970 explores the pictorial dust jacket through a selection of more than 300 key works and artists that influenced the course of book jacket design.
- In The Book of Forgotten Authors, Christopher Fowler digs into the back catalogues and backstories of 99 authors who, once hugely popular, have all but disappeared from our shelves. Perfect for helping your friend discover hidden gems from the past.
- You may think that your friend has read everything but we can almost 100% guarantee that they haven’t yet gotten to Lindsey Fitzharris’s odd and intriguing book about the grisly world of Victorian medicine – The Butchering Art. Partly because it’s not due for release until early December, and partly because this is the kind of unusual title that might slip their notice.
The friend who has everything…
- Friends who have everything sometimes also have an interest in collecting things. The latest edition of Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide covers 2018 and 2019, and is the ultimate reference book for antique enthusiasts.
- Patisserie: Master the Art of French Pastry is a glorious cookbook that’s equally suited to home cooks who like to get ambitious – or those who simply like to peruse cookbooks and imagine that they’re making the recipes.
- Another stunning book for your friends to leave displayed on a coffee table is Annie Leibovitz’s third collection of distinctive and creative portraits – Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005-2016.
- Does your friend have an adventurous spirit? Lonely Planet’s Atlas of Adventure is an encyclopedia for thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies, featuring the best outdoor experiences across the world.
- A book that expresses your affection for your friend might be the best choice here. Thank You For Being A Friend is a sassy and colourful gift book that conveys the wisdom of the Golden Girls.
One gift for a couple…
- Houseplants and Hot Sauce is a seek-and-find book for grown-ups that combines the nostalgia of visual puzzles with smart, contemporary references.
- Are the couple in question film buffs? The Films Of Andrei Tarkovsky: Director’s Collection contains five renowned films from the renowned Russian filmmaker.
- A game or puzzle can make a great shared gift. You can find some of our favourites here including an absorbing 1000-piece puzzle.
- The Little Book of Craft Beer is a cute gift book, complete with clear and practical illustrations, and little known facts, hints and tips.
- Broadsheet Melbourne Food is the definitive guide to Melbourne’s best produce and where to get it, from the city’s most authoritative source – perfect for deciding what to buy for your next dinner party or for a romantic night in together.
- A tongue-in-cheek gift for the couple who’ve recently become more serious is Attached, in which psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel Heller offer a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling relationships.
One gift for a whole family…
- The Lost Words is an enchanting book that captures the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.
- Betoota’s Australia is a satirical reference book about our nation – the places, the people, the politics, the language, the sport. This is the kind of broad humour that will appeal across ages.
- A documentary about the cars of Istanbul, Kedi is a real crowd-pleaser – and not just for cat lovers.
- You might like to gift them a fun crafty book for the family to make together. We recommend the intricate and awesome Build the Dragon, or if you don’t mind mess, try DIY Slime with Karina Garcia.
- For a family with toddler-aged children, we love this beautiful gift-set which includes a a mini-hardback edition of Rod Campbell’s lift-the-flap preschool classic, Dear Zoo, complete with 10 stacking and nesting blocks.
Your new ‘in-laws’…
- We were deeply saddened by the sudden death of John Clarke, a much loved entertainer, writer and satirist. Tinkering represents his work from the 1970s in both Australia and New Zealand, and includes his writing for radio, television, stage and screen, as well some previously unpublished pieces.
- Farewell to the Horse is an engaging, lyrical and moving discussion of what horses once meant to us, and how this relationship has changed.
- If your new in-laws love to attend the ballet then they will be delighted by this DVD box-set which compiles and presents some of the greatest productions by the Australian Ballet during the 80s and 90s.
- Native is a gorgeous Australian gardening and art book that will delight keen gardeners, creative souls and anyone seeking a bit of calm in their lives.
- Who doesn’t like scones? Not us! The National Trust Book of Scones is a charming gift book that brings together recipes and little snippets of history.
A total stranger…
- Sam Carmody’s The Windy Season is a mystery, a family drama and an examination of toxic masculinity – all rolled into one gripping narrative. This debut Australian novel was recently named the 2017 winner of our Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction and so comes extremely highly recommended.
- Joy Williams writes concise, exquisitely polished and emotional acute short stories. The Visiting Privilege brings together 46 of her best offerings into a wonderfully compact edition.
- Killers of the Flower Moon was a staff favourite this year. It’s a fascinating non-fiction book with plenty of appeal (true crime, history, politics, the birth of the FBI) and it’s extremely readable. Author David Grann is a staff writer for The New Yorker and widely known for his earlier book, The Lost City of Z, which was adapted for the screen earlier this year.
- Now available at a super special price, Sabrina Ghayour’s cookbook, Sirocco is packed with tantalising Middle Eastern flavours and vibrant colours. This is an authentic and attractive cookbook for gift-giving.
- The Famous Five and Ladybird parody books are eminently giftable. If you’re shopping for your office Kris Kringle, appropriate titles include Five at the Office Christmas Party and Five Go On A Strategy Away Day, or The Ladybird Book of the Sickie and The Ladybird Book of the Meeting.
