The faces of some people positively lighten up when they receive the gift of a book. Other people look positively offended when they unwrap a present to find a book inside.

You’ve guessed right. The answer to the question posed in the title is: it all depends on the giftee. So, be a thoughtful gifter and take trouble to find out whether the person for whom the gift is intended likes books or not. Just scan his or her living space; the presence of books on shelves is usually a good indicator that the gift of reading matter will be welcome.

However, even people who are not big readers will appreciate the gift of a book – if the book speaks to them; that is, if it about something that interest them.

For ideas, consider some of the books bidorbuyers purchased recently. At the time we looked, all of the books mentioned below were available on bidorbuy; simply go to www.bidorbuy.co.za and do a search for the title:

• Foodies will appreciate Mary Berry’s Baking Bible, Nigellissima, or any cook book from Best Food Fast series.
• Naturalist will love any of Birds of South Africa books that you can find on bidorbuy, or perhaps the book entitled Tarantulas and Other Arachnids (there’s no accounting for tastes).
• Books like Guitar for Beginners by Massimo Montarese or Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd by Nick Mason are a boon for music lovers.
  Children will treasure Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales or Andrew Grey’s Winnie-the-Pooh Pocket Library.
• As for gamers, Minecraft: The Official Annual 2014 is the choice book gift.
• A DIY enthusiast will melt when leafing through Shelves, Cabinets and Bookcases.
• A hobbyist will ponder over David Cooke’s Dinky Toys.
• An art lover will swoon when you give her or him Incredible Tretchikoff by Boris Gorelik.

Explore the bidorbuy Books & Education category for more gift ideas for book lovers. With such a variety of titles on offer, it’s difficult to go wrong.

PS: Whatever kind of book you go for, remember that only new ones will do as a gift. Unless we’re talking antiquarian and collectable, second-hand books are absolutely out of the question.

To browse through new books only on bidorbuy, select New in the left hand column, under Condition.

PPS: E-books are also a no-no when if comes to gifting. If you want to give someone a whole library of electronic books, bundle it up with an e-reader.