The Top Page-Turning Titles of 2024 and Who to Gift Them to This Christmas

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The gifting season has kicked off with a bang, which means it's time to get your pressies sorted. For any readers in your life, you needn't look any further than Kinokuniya—one of the biggest bookstores in town.

This paradise of paperbacks and heaven of hardcovers carries more books than an aimless Christmas shopper can know what to do with. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Kinokuniya to curate the top titles of the year, and who'd love to unwrap them this Christmas.

For the Human Encyclopedia — Why Are We Like This? by Zoe Kean

Many of life's biggest and smallest questions can be answered by a good non-fiction book. Why Are We Like This? by science journalist Zoe Kean aims to answer some burning questions: what can snorkelling at Shark Bay teach us about humanity? Will the secrets of our sex lives be uncovered by stick insects? What do whale societies reveal about kindness? And why did we evolve to spend a third of our life asleep?

If the answer is found in evolution, Kean and the experts she's met along the way will find it.

Why Are We Like This? is available online and in-store for $32.99.

For the Daydreamers — The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

Nothing can make a quiet summer day breeze by like a good fiction book with a rich world to get immersed in. This acclaimed book from cult novelist Haruki Murakami is just that—a love story, a quest, and an ode to books and the libraries that house them. When a young man's girlfriend goes missing, he sets his heart on finding the imaginary city her true self calls home.

But when he finally reaches the strange walled city, her new life in a dream library includes no memories of their life together. As the lines between fiction and reality blur, he must decide what he's willing to lose.

The City and Its Uncertain Walls is available online and in-store for $49.99.

For the Inspiration Seekers — The Art of Memory Collecting by Martina Calvi

As far as book-adjacent hobbies go, one of the great classics is the art of scrapbooking. Like any creative expression, there's no wrong or right way to do it, but it's hard to know where to start. The Art of Memory Collecting sees memory collecting expert Martina Calvi offer 15 projects to make use of pictures, keepsakes and memories in a meaningful way.

These projects include scrapbooking journals, framed memory wall art, memory boxes, holiday journals, tiny trinket tins, pressed floral bookmarks, memory magnets and much more.

The Art of Memory Collecting is available online and in-store for $24.99.

For Little Legends — Off to the Nursery: A Celebration of Gardening, Plants and Seasons by Alice Oehr

For anyone with kiddos in their life, it's worth remembering that those little ones will be at home over the summer break and in need of entertainment. This book ticks off gifting and activities in one go. Off to the Nursery: A Celebration of Gardening, Plants and Seasons is the perfect starter guide for any little legends keen to lend a hand in the garden.

Be it growing greens, encouraging helpful garden guests like worms and bees, how to tend to plants and more, there are practical tips and vivid illustrations to bring the ideas to life throughout this book by award-winning artist Alice Oehr.

Off to the Nursery: A Celebration of Gardening, Plants and Seasons is available online and in-store for $24.99.

For the Amateur Chefs — Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan

If you know a kitchen whiz, or even someone looking to level up their home entertaining skills this summer, this is the literary gift for them. Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class combines 150 recipes from renowned chef Tony Tan, who has been cooking, eating, writing about and teaching Asian cuisine for decades.

This book, which looks as good as the food (if prepared correctly) tastes, shares Tan's contemporary and adventurous takes on evergreen dishes from Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and beyond. Not only is this Kinokuniya's Cookbook of the Year for 2024, it's currently 20% off.

Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class is available online and in-store for $59.99.

For the Horizon Chasers — Swimming Sydney: A Tale of 52 Swims by Chris Baker

The simple act of going for a swim is relaxing, healthy and just flat-out Australian. This book is the result of Chris Baker taking weekly swims across Sydney over the course of a year and reflecting on friendship, history, family and how swimming can help us better understand ourselves. From Palm Beach to Mount Druitt and ocean swell to bushland lakes, it's a love letter to swimming throughout Sydney.

It's a perfect gift for any water baby, avid explorer and lover of storytelling.

Swimming Sydney: A Tale of 52 Swims is available online and in-store for $32.99.

For Comic Book Lovers — Fool Night Vol. 1 by Kasumi Yasada

When words on a page just don't cut it for your friends and family anymore, comic books might fill the void. They're one of the most dynamic storytelling formats and there are plenty of great picks to choose from.

One such title is the first volume of Fool Night by Kasumi Yasada. In this dystopian distant future, Earth is dying and oxygen is a precious resource. For the desperate and noble, the experimental procedure of 'transfloration' transforms the human body into flora—and comes with a hefty paycheque. For the financially desperate, this dangerous procedure is the only option left to provide for their loved ones.

Fool Night Vol. 1 is available online and in-store for $22.99.

For the Trinket Collector — Seishin Self-Watering Cultivation Kits

Any bookstore is only as good as its trinket collection because you need to pick up a few things on your way out. One of the top options available at Kinokuniya is the adorable Seishin self-watering cultivation kit. The animal-shaped planter is designed for the animal to 'drink' the water placed in front of it and automatically redirect it to the plant on its back, making it perfect for any low-maintenance herbs and small greens to bring some life to an indoor space. Head in-store to see the full range, available from $15.95.

For more gifts you can find at Kinokuniya, look no further than the 2024 gift guide.