The Top Books to Gift This Year No Matter Who You're Buying For (According to an Expert)

Grace MacKenzie
December 09, 2022

Whether your giftee is celeb-obsessed, a history buff, forever lost in a novel or constantly travelling, Kinokuniya's head book buyer has the rec for you.

Selecting the ultimate pressie for a treasured pal can be a tricky task at the best of times. With so many winning options, decision fatigue can set in and you’ll find yourself scrambling at the eleventh hour. So, we’re here to make a solid case for opting for a literary gift this year, and we’ve enlisted an expert to help you out: Helene Byfield, head buyer at the beloved Sydney bookstore Kinokuniya.

“Books make a wonderful gift,” Helene enthuses. “They show you’ve really thought about the person.”

Kinokuniya, which Helene describes as a “book-lover’s haven”, sits above the buzz of Sydney’s busy CBD on level 2 of The Galeries. From manga and cookbooks to the latest fiction, memoir and travel works, stacks of stand-out titles await shoppers. And with about 70 passionate readers in the team, if you pop in you’ll be met by someone friendly, knowledgeable and personally invested in the art of getting lost in the pages of a good book. Helene’s favourite genre? “Fiction mainly, but I enjoy everything from poetry to biography to creative nonfiction and cookbooks.”

And with that, here are her expert picks no matter who you’re buying for this year.

 

Whether you’re buying for a celeb-obsessed cousin or your fiction-fanatic friend, Kinokuniya has the top books for you this festive season. Head to the full literary gift guide to start making your picks.

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