Matching books to readers this Xmas
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Books are my favourite presents, both to give and to receive. But it's hard to choose one for someone who is younger than you, or older, or just has different tastes. So here's a quick guide to what I (and some other very talented Australian authors) have available this year.
In case you're wondering, I don't use affiliate links and I've never met the authors below (other than myself, obviously. Actually, can you meet yourself? Off-topic.) I'm only recommending these books because I like them.
For readers less than 5 years old
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I didn't write these books, but I wish I had. In each one, Pig (a pretty hideous pug) does something naughty and gets injured. It's that simple, but it somehow has every kid I know in stitches - and the rhymes are ingenious. Get the box set from your local bookstore or online at Booktopia.
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For the fantasy reader aged from a voracious 6 to a reluctant 10
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The Mysterious World of Cosentino is about the adventures of an illusionist living in a world where magic is real - but banned by the evil King of Diamonds. Each book has beautiful illustrations, plenty of humour and each one even teaches magic tricks! Get the three volume box set from your local bookstore or online.
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For the thriller reader aged from a voracious 10 to a reluctant 15
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The Liars series is about a kid who invents a lie detector app, accidentally exposing everyone's darkest secrets and making him the target of a criminal mastermind known only as Viper. Book 1 is called The Truth App, book 2 is No Survivors, and both are non-stop action-packed edge-of-your-seat hyphen-filled thrill-rides. Get them from your local bookshop or online.
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For the crime fiction addict aged 16+
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Hangman is a crime thriller about an FBI consultant with a brilliant but disturbed mind... and the case which might push him over the edge. Crime legend Jeffery Deaver called it "brilliant," and said: "By turns psychologically insightful, wonderfully disturbed and even darkly comedic, Hangman will keep you coursing through the pages at a lightning pace."
Book 2 comes out next year, but you can get book 1 from your local bookshop or online.
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For the true crime reader aged 18+
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I didn't write this one, but it was one of my favourite books published last year. Journalist Eileen Ormsby takes an unflinching look at the chilling, strange and sometimes ridiculous activities of criminals on the hidden side of the internet. Get it from your local bookstore, or online.
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OK, this one isn't new, and isn't Australian. But even though it's the only novel ever to win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke Awards, I keep meeting sci-fi fans who haven't heard of it, so I feel honour-bound to give it a plug. The main character is a sentient starship who has to investigate her own murder while trapped in the body of a human being, and it's one of the most entertainingly mind-bending books I've ever read. Get it from your local bookshop or online.
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For the gamer, the film nerd, the writer
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I've been making a card game! In Lights, Camera, Pitch, you play as a film producer with 60 seconds to pitch a movie based on the actors, sets and title cards in your hand. It's already 300% funded on Kickstarter, but it's not too late for you to get in on the action!
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What have I missed? Hit me up with your own gift suggestions on social media (@jackheathwriter, links below, underneath the snowman) and I'll share them if I like them.
As always, thanks for subscribing! You guys rock. Have a merry Christmas, or whatever it is you celebrate. I'll have plenty more books for you next year!
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