Maybe it’s your officious brother-in-law, your housemate’s insufferable new boyfriend, the judgemental mother of your child’s best friend… there’s always someone whose presence on your gift list is more duty than delight. Our handy passive-aggressive gift guide offers some good suggestions for books that that read between the lines.

For the person who definitely buys everything from Amazon:

Try… Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-click America by Alec MacGillis

For that person who has fallen down the internet rabbit hole:

Try… QAnon and On by Van Badham

For someone who somehow manages to use every pot in the house when it’s their turn to cook:

Try… One Pan Perfect by Donna Hay

For that family member full of helpful (not) advice:

Try… You’re Doing it Wrong by Kaz Cooke

For someone who has spent the past two years moaning about how they haven’t been able to travel internationally:

Try… Lonely Planet Australia’s Best Trips by Lonely Planet

For that mean kid in the playground your child is weirdly fixated on:

Try… It’s Cool to Be Kind By Sophie Beer

For that person who definitely still calls grown women “girls”:

Try… The Authority Gap By Mary Ann Sieghart

For someone who always looks down their noses at other people:

Try… How to Deal With Idiots: (And Stop Being One Yourself) by Maxime Rovere (translated by David Bellos)

For the date who slops a jar of Leggo’s over overcooked penne and calls it “cuisine”:

Try… Death to Jar Sauce by Nat’s What I Reckon

For the male friend who post-lockdown is still having trouble giving up the tracky daks:

Try… Men In this Town: A Decade of Men’s Street Style by Giuseppe Santamaria

For someone who probably needs to curb their pandemic shopping habits:

Try… Consumed by Aja Barber

For that family member who’s still on the fence about getting the vaccine:

Try… The First Shots by Brendan Borrell

For that person who is always spoiling for a fight at the dinner table:

Try… No, You’re Not Entitled to Your Opinion by Alexandra Hansen & The Conversation

For that person whose feminism is ten years out of date…

Try… Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria

For that friend who thinks being bitchy is a fun personality trait:

Try… Keanu Reeves’ Guide to Kindness

For the person who genuinely believes Australia isn’t a racist country:

Try… Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego

Still stumped? We also sell gift vouchers which can be used in-store and online.