Easy to wrap and a treasure to receive! Give the gift of the written word this Christmas 2020.
If you’ve yet to get your Christmas shopping all wrapped up and are still searching for the perfect gift, don’t panic! We have searched the shelves to bring you a selection of the best 10 books to gift this year.
Whether you are shopping for a cooking enthusiast, a climate activist or a budding feminist, we have you covered with our guide to the 10 best books to buy and gift the book-lover this Christmas 2020!
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Women Don't Owe You Pretty, Florence Given
This book is a game changer for women all over. Florence is a fearlessly ferocious feminist whose every word encourages you to think differently about how you show up in the world. The book is an accessible gateway into modern feminism providing refreshing relationship advice, enlightening the reader about misogyny and unpacking why women owe men nothing, least of all pretty! Easy to read and beautifully illustrated with a colourful 70s theme, this is the ideal gift for the emerging feminist.
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Loving Country, Bruce Pascoe and Vicky Shukuroglou
With most of Australians likely to be ‘staycationing’ for a while, this book will inspire you to see Australia through fresh eyes. Think of it as an alternative travel guide educating the reader on the importance of travelling more consciously as we navigate a time of environmental and social change. Discover Australia from an Indigenous perspective and learn about traditional cultural practices to inspire healthier communication and understanding between all peoples and country, further motivating a change for the greater good. Showcasing 18 locations in detail from the Indigenous fish traps at Brewarrina to the magnificent whale story of Margaret River, this is the perfect purchase for the conscious traveller.
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A Promised Land: The Presidential Memoirs Vol. 1, Barack Obama
These extraordinarily intimate memoirs of former U.S. president Barack Obama provide a welcoming distraction during a time of political turmoil. Obama invites the reader into The White House to tell his story of his evolution from a young man in search of his identity, to achieving the highest honour of becoming the leader of the free world. Obama explores his thoughts on both the possibilities and the constraints of presidential power as well as sharing in remarkable detail the successes and opposition he faced at home and abroad.
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Always Add Lemon, Danielle Alvarez
This latest cookbook from Danielle Alvarez is sure to get your culinary juices simmering thanks to the 100+ mouth-watering recipes. Born to a food-loving Cuban family and learning her craft in some of California’s top restaurants, Danielle is passionate about farm-to-table cooking. Breaking down how to eat seasonally and sustainably, Danielle teaches us the basics from baking your own bread, to learning how to pickle and preserve like a pro. Packed with tantalisingly tasty recipes from scrumptious Summer Vegetable Panzanella to delightful Duck Pot Pie all the way from her Paddington restaurant, Fred’s; this book is a must-buy this Christmas 2020 for the cooking connoisseur.
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Such A Fun Age, Kiley Reid
Winner of the 2020 Booker Prize and a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, this page turner will enrich and excite the fiction-fanatic. When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it has far-reaching consequences. Emira’s well-meaning employer and feminist blogger Alix tries to make amends, but when Emira meets someone from Alix’s past, the two women find themselves on a life changing emotional journey that will challenge everything they think they know about themselves, each other and the underlying force of race, class and privilege in the 21st century. Clever and thought-provoking, this is a gift any bookworm would thank you for.
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Happy, Turia Pitt
Humanitarian and author Turia Pitt offers an unconventional self-help guide with her latest book. Despite suffering burns to 65 percent of her body after surviving a grassfire while competing in a 100-kilometre ultramarathon in 2011, Pitt has become an inspiration for people around the world and proves that you can achieve what you want with the right focus. Inspired by people’s preoccupation with happiness, she sets out on a quest to find out if it is possible to make ourselves happier. Talking to world experts, scientists, high profile athletes and comedians to uncover factors that can directly impact how happy we are all whilst offering some hilarious insights into her own life and personal strategies. After a crazy 2020, this is the perfect book to welcome in the new year!
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A Life On Our Planet, David Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough reflects on his astonishing 93 years on Earth and beautifully narrates all that he has witnessed during his time on this planet, recounting the environmental and social changes he has encountered and the impacts these things have had on our sacred home. A Life On Our Planet is an emotive and candid look-back on how we have arrived at our current climate crisis and a powerful vision statement for the future. Attenborough provides a positive perspective on how he feels it is not too late to make changes and how, if we act now, we can restore the ‘wonderful world we inherited.’ This book is a must-read.
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The Law of Innocence, Michael Connelly
The ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ Mickey Haller is back in the latest exhilarating thriller thanks to number one best-selling crime author Michael Connelly. Defence attorney Mickey Haller is left fighting to prove his innocence after police find the body of a client in the trunk of his Lincoln. Charged with murder and unable to make bail, Mickey decides to defend himself and build an entire case from his jail cell. Knowing that he has been framed, Mickey is determined to find out who has plotted to destroy his life in order to clear his name and seek justice for a crime he didn’t commit. A tense and gripping read to immerse yourself in this festive season.
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In Praise of Veg, Alice Zaslavsky
This is the ultimate guide to making vibrant veggies take the centre stage of your plate. Alice Zaslavsky serves us a beautifully illustrated and comprehensive kitchen companion dishing up over 150 recipes of herbivore heaven. Alice breaks down 50 vegetable varieties, uniquely organised by colour and comprises countless tips on flavour combinations as well as buying and storing methods and cooking shortcuts. Delivering insights into the wonderful world of vegetables from over 50 of the world’s top chefs, this is the ultimate beginners’ handbook that will take meat-free meals from glum to yum.
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The Truths We Hold, Kamala Harris
Written before making history in becoming the first female, first black and first South Asian Vice-President Elect, Harris’ book shares a personal insight into the life and career of one of the most formidable women in US politics. Born to immigrant parents who met as activists during the civil rights movement, Harris was raised in a community that cared about social justice. Sharing her journey from prosecutor to California’s Attorney General, Harris is renowned for giving a voice to the voiceless by sharing her vision, struggle, purpose and values – all whilst dawning on the complex issues that affect America and the world at large faces. This book is a master class in problem solving and leadership and is an incredibly poignant read.
Looking for more book inspiration? Take a look at our 15 Best Wellbeing Books to Live Your Best Life. Need some more Christmas shopping ideas? Check out our guide to the Top 10 Gift Ideas for the Alcohol Connoisseur in your life.
Editor’s Note: Our writers and contributors have independently selected and curated this article, and all opinions are their own. This article does contain affiliate links which allow us to make revenue off some purchases made by our readers.
This article was first published on December 07 2018. It was updated and edited by Hunter and Bligh on November 28 2020.