Not only is the 14th of February the day of rose petals, tiny chocolate hearts in fiddly foil wrapping, and (sometimes daunting) romantic expectations – it shares the honor of being “International Book Giving Day,” which, for many, might be the more appealing celebration.
Giving a book to someone is an incredibly meaningful gift. It allows them a glimpse into your own psyche if you’ve read and absorbed the novel, and demands from them a pretty significant amount of trust. You are, after all, asking them to occupy a good amount of hours of their precious time with a recommendation you’ve made.
This means that choosing the right book to give as a gift is imperative to the success of your gesture. Thankfully, the Sandton Central team has rounded up some of the most exciting bestsellers on the market at the moment, and put together a brief gift guide to help you pick the right adventure to send your loved ones on.
We’re warning you though – these are so good, you’ll want to buy two copies. One for your intended recipient and one for yourself to hang onto and devour!
1: For the avid royalist (or the one who just likes some juicy gossip)
We recommend Spare, an autobiographical behind-the-scenes look at the trials and tribulations of growing up in the British Royal family, written by former Prince of the Realm, Harry Windsor. Following the tragic events of the young man’s childhood, including the untimely passing of his mother, Diana of Wales, this tell-all memoir exposes the secret life of royals and the immense pressure that comes from being a central part of one of the most recognizable monarchies in the world.
Of particular interest are the events that led to Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepping away from the British Royal Family and moving to America, and the controversy that followed. For anyone interested in pop culture, UK history, or even just a very juicy set of carefully kept family secrets, this read is impossible to put down.
The proof is in the numbers! ‘Spare’ sold 1,430,000 copies on its first day of sale in the US, Canada, and the UK, making it the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. Be sure more than one person in the circle reads it, though. This is definitely one you’re going to want to discuss.
2: For the motivated go-getter on a self-improvement journey.
Try James Clear’s Atomic Habits. The book presents “an easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones,” and explains this through the formation of what the author calls ‘atomic habits.’ These ‘atomic habits’ are tiny, seemingly meaningless decisions that people make by the hundreds every day, that, cumulatively, could make a massive impact on changing the course of one’s life.
More than just your average “self-help” book, Clear’s work is a reflection on the meaningfulness of intention, and how the seemingly mundane is much more weighted than we could imagine in determining the eventual outcome of our lives. Through outlining a few actionable techniques, such as “the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone,” this book is a manual for streamlining efficiency and enjoyment and optimizing how one can live in ways one never thought possible. This work was featured on both the New York Times and Sunday Times Bestseller lists. If unlocking personal potential has a key, it’s ‘Atomic Habits.’
3: For the hopeless romantic with a penchant for the emotional tearjerker.
We recommend diving into Colleen Hoover’s heart-wrenching fiction novel, It Ends With Us. Following the story of a workaholic, Lilly, who still holds on to lingering feelings about her first love, this novel explores the themes of the sacrifices we’re willing to make for relationships. And the difficult choices life throws at us as we grow to realize that there’s no such thing as a “black and white” choice.
Disarmingly honest and starkly relatable, Hoover’s prose draws the reader into an immersive state of rapturous attention and personal reflection that makes for a truly moving reading experience, while treating characters with empathy and complexity in ways that feel fleshed-out and grounded in real-life experience.
This novel has been described by critics as “a brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn’t let go, long after you’ve finished it.” This read is sure to bring out all the feelings, so it might be best to gift a box of tissues too. If the recipient loves it, your next gift is also sorted. The sequel to this story, It Starts with Us, was released in October 2022 and is available for purchase now.
4: For the savvy business guru (or aspiring entrepreneur).
Our pick would be The Psychology of Money, an anthology of short stories by Morgan Hansel. This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about the unspoken rules of successfully working with money by altering one’s behaviors. The premise of this book is that managing money is typically taught as a mathematics and science-based field, all spreadsheets and numbers. However, when people make choices about their money, it’s usually in much more emotive settings, influenced by a number of social, societal, political, and personal factors that turn financial management into a much more psychological field than an empirical one. Through 19 short, descriptive stories, the author explores the oft-strange and inexplicable ways people think about money and helps the reader understand that a successful fiscal roadmap is drawn from so much more than neat columns of income and expenses.
If the recipient of this book follows this incredible advice to a tee, the reward for you might be tenfold. Think even more books coming back your way because they’ll be able to afford a ton of them! It’s a win-win!
5: For the fantasy fanatic (with a sense of humor).
We’re passing on Legends and Lattes, a “tale of high fantasy and low stakes,” by Travis Baldree. The fantasy novel follows Viv, an orc barbarian who’s chosen to hang up her battle-worn sword for what she believes to be a more peaceful path: starting up her own cozy coffee shop in the magical city of Thune.
The life of a small business owner is never easy, especially when old rivalries rear their ugly heads and underground organized criminals of the city start to do nefarious deeds. Thankfully for Viv, help might just be coming from unexpected places. And that help might just order a latte to go. A light-hearted read about the importance of fresh starts, family, and keeping it fun. This book is sure to have readers clinging to the edge of their seats, broadly grinning and craving an iced mocha, for some reason.
Who needs a Valentine’s Day date when you could be crawling under the covers with the read of your dreams? Whether you’re shopping for a finance guru, a fantasy nerd, a romantic reader or even just yourself, these five bestsellers are sure to provide you with hours of fun.
You can grab all of these (and thousands more exciting pieces of literature) at Exclusive Books, Sandton City! If you’re not quite ready to commit to purchasing yet, another great place to explore the written word is at the Sandton Library in Nelson Mandela Square. They’ve got almost 100,000 books to browse, so you can easily spend a day getting lost in stories in their comfy reading nooks.
Sandton Central is any book lovers’ paradise, and this International Book Giving Day, you should be sure to visit us to satisfy all your reading needs.
