The festive season is upon us, and so, inevitably, are the frenemies, the barely tolerated other halves and the family members you definitely don't see eye-to-eye with. Grit your teeth and bear it … or even better, gift them one of our carefully chosen passive-aggressive gifts and enjoy watching them read between the lines.
For the person who insists on putting tomato sauce on everything …
Secret Sauce
Rosheen Kaul
If you can't bear to hear the flatulant wheeze of a half-empty tomato sauce bottle being squirted over literally every meal, consider giving them copy of Rosheen Kaul's terrific collection of recipes for dressings, chilli sauces, sambals and flavour bombs.
Kaul is a star chef and James Beard award-winner, and Secret Sauce is jam-packed with saucy secrets, including wonderfully cross-cultural chilli oils, fresh and zesty dressings, rich mayos, cream-based sauces, and flavour-packed butters.
For the person who says that we're too far gone with the climate crisis, so it's not worth doing anything …
Clearing the Air
Hannah Ritchie
With all the doom and gloom around the climate catastrophe and how we're rocketing past every point-of-no-return with escalating speed, it's easy to throw our metaphorical hands up in the air and just go 'oh well, I give up'. That's where environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie's sensible and straightforward book Clearing the Air comes in!
In her book, Ritchie uses simple, clear data to answer 50 key climate questions such as, 'Is it too late?', 'Won't we run out of minerals?' and 'Are we too polarised?' to help to sort fact from fiction and figure out the solutions we need for a cleaner future.
For the person who can't name a single female artist from the 20th century …
A Woman's Eye, Her Art
Drusilla Modjeska
If you know someone who rhapsodises about Picasso, has Kandinsky prints on their wall, and who would be first in line for a Man Ray exhibition, but couldn't name a single artistic woman from the same period (except, perhaps, within the context of 'was X's muse'), then pop a copy of Drusilla Modjeska's A Woman's Eye, Her Art under the tree for them.
Richly illustrated and elegantly written, A Woman's Eye, Her Art examines the lives and art of the women of the European Modernist Art movement, and how they recast the ways in which women's bodies could be seen.
For the person who who couldn't possibly go to the toilet without their phone …
Lonely Planet Toilets of the World
Lonely Planet
If you know someone who can't countenance gracing the porcelain throne without something to look at, this photographic travel guide to weird and wonderful toilets might encourage them to concentrate on the world around them instead of the glowing screen in their hands. Featuring over 100 toilets, from Tokyo's transparent public toilets to the sand-swept privy in the Namib desert; Abraham Lincoln's 1850's outhouse to a barren bog on Bolivia's Altiplano; Lonely Planet Toilets of the World gives a global tour of our amazing planet from the 'best' seat in the house.
For the person who, against all odds, managed to kill that cactus you gave them …
Plant Parenting for Busy People
Nora Mutalima
Yeah yeah yeah, some people simply don't have a green thumb, we get it. But with all the studies coming out about how beneficial it is to have indoor plants in your home, even those who struggle to keep a cactus alive (raises hand) should be giving it a red hot go.
Enter medical doctor and passionate plant lover Nora Mutalima, whose book Plant Parenting for Busy People offers a simple, science-driven guide to creating your own indoor jungle and keeping it thriving with minimal effort. Featuring clear advice and step-by-step activities, this is a fun and approachable guide to indoor plant care.
For the person with an impulse buying issue …
The Art of Spending Money
Morgan Housel
Know someone who relies on that little dopamine hit you get from buying something? Who knows their postie by name and seems incapable of dodging a targeted ad in the alogorithm? Morgan Housel is here to help!
In The Art of Spending Money, Housel unpacks the hidden psychology, emotions, biases, and social forces that drive our financial decisions. With sharp insights and practical takeaways, this book aims to help people make smarter financial choices, use money with intention – to not just build wealth, but to actually enjoy it.
For the person who's been swearing to get that thing fixed for as long as you've known them …
Sarah Beeny's 100 DIY Jobs
Sarah Beeny
They've been struggling with that one drawer for five years, there's a chunk taken out of a wall where they were trying to manoeuvre a couch they don't even own anymore, and the handwritten sign blu-tacked next to the doorbell that says 'please knock! Doorbell not working' is yellowed with age. If this sounds familiar consider gifting them a copy of Sarah Beeny's bible to basic home repairs.
Beeny is a household name in the UK where she's hosted a number of hugely popular TV shows, and her book combines her down-to-earth attitude and expert knowledge with step-by-step instructions, a comprehensive tool list and precise technical illustrations.
For the person who borrowed your favourite book, and then gave it back with a cracked spine and a sticky cover …
Looking After Your Books
Francesca Galligan
The Readings office is pretty evenly split between those who believe books are sacred and must be treated with respect, and those who believe books are made to be read and enjoyed, even if that means ocassionally dropping one in the bath … But we're united in our belief that if you're reading someone else's book, you should return it to them in the same condition that they lent it to you.
If you've been the sad recipient of a damaged borrowed book, maybe send them an unsubtle hint via Francesca Galligan's Looking After Your Books. Galligan is an expert rare books librarian at the Bodleian Library, and her book covers a range of subjects including collecting, arranging and most importantly, keeping books in good nick.
For the person who idolises Elon Musk (or any other billionaires) …
Dirtbag Billionaire
David Gelles
Musician Billie Eilish said it best, when she said 'If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away.' Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard is one of those (exceedingly rare) billionaires who have done this very thing.
In his biography of Chouinard, author David Gelles offers the inside story of Patagonia, its extraordinary founder, and what it looks like when a company is driven by environmental activism instead of cutthroat capitalism.
For the person who keeps trying to get you to go camping ...
Dream Trips of the World
Lonely Planet
Tents, campfires, untamed wilderness, nothing to do all day but stare at nature? Who could possibly want to go camping when instead you could spend your hard-earned leave ticking some of the world's best destinations off your bucket list?
Lonely Planet's Dream Trips of the World is the definitive guide to the 100 best travel experiences around the globe. With detailed itineraries, at-a-glance recommendations on where to eat, sleep and shop, along with detailed maps and breathtaking photography, this is guaranteed to inspire anyone to make their travel dreams a reality.
For the person who refuses to go camping with you …
Camping around Australia
Hardie Grant Explore
Tents, campfires, untamed wilderness, nothing to do all day but stare at nature? What a perfect way to recover from your hectic day-to-day life!
Now in its fifth edition, Camping around Australia lists more than 3000 campsites from across the continent with symbols indicating available facilities and activities at each site. Whether you're looking for dog-friendly sites, free campsites, hot showers, a nearby boat ramp or access for camper trailers, you'll find the perfect campsite for your next trip.
