Chick lit: The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, by Deborah Rodriguez

Five very different women form a Sex and the City style bond in a café in one of the most dangerous places on Earth.

Thriller/crime: The Litigators by John Grisham

Another riveting courtroom drama, this time involving two lowbrow legal eagles who go from ambulance chasing to taking on big pharmaceutical.

Guilty pleasure: 11.22.63 by Stephen King

The master of horror creates a time travel thriller pivoting on the date of the Kennedy assassination.

Biography: Steve Jobs $9.99

Author Walter Isaacson gives a fascinating account of the Apple founder’s short but amazing life.

Bestseller: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Two former teenage lovers return home for a funeral and are forced to confront where life has taken them.

If you’re popping into Aldi this weekend to do some discount grocery shopping, then grab a spot of DIY help to.

If you’re trying to save $ by doing some DIY around the house, then look out for these new Better Homes & Garden DIY books at Aldi this weekend. The BHG TV show is great, but you can’t always remember just how they do what they do, fix what they fix!

Now the BHG sets of DIY books tells you everything you need to know about Decks, Plumbing, Fencing/Gates and Cabinets/Shelves. With practical step-by-steps and lots of well-founded advice, you can save hundreds of dollars by having a go yourself. And if all else fails - and you have to call in the pros - then at least you know you’ve had a go!

At this time of year with Christmas engulfing us, saving money may seem like something of an impossibility.

Many of us have the vague notion at the back of our minds that we’ll need to tighten the belt after Christmas, but few of us really have any concrete plans of how to do so. The thought has definitely crossed my mind, but so far my best strategies include “find more money on the pavement” and “start reusing pieces of cling wrap”. Neither of which is likely to keep me out of the poor house for too long.

So I was definitely interested when I received a copy of a new book called “Save It: Easy Ways to Save Money“. Queensland resident Esta Hammond has compiled her best money saving tips in the one book, and there are some great ideas here. Everything from planning a wedding to maintaining your car to staying beautiful on a budget is covered. (The book can be purchased through the website.)

Also handy is the budget planner at the back of the book so you can keep track of your incomings and outgoings.

We’ll be giving away some copies of “Save It” (worth $24.95 each) next week so stay tuned.

By Caroline Warnes

Fathers Day is nearly here again and the good news is you do not have to spend a fortune on a gift for dad. Here are some present ideas for under $50.

* Home Worx Toolkit: Most men are either fanatical handymen or fancy themselves as such. This 69-piece toolkit from BIG W will only set you back $44.97.

* AC/DC book: If you spent most of your teenage years being embarrassed by your dad’s tendency to play air guitar to AC/DC in front of you friends, he will love this book by Murray Englehart - $32.45 at Myer (save 35%).

* 60 Years of Holden: It’s un-Australian not to love Holden cars, and this DVD from Target proves why (1 disc, $24.99).

* NRL polo shirts: Yeah, I know AFL is more popular in Australia, but I’m still a rugby league girl. If your dad is an NRL man, get him a polo shirt for his favourite team for $35.99 from League Online.

* Horse Racing Australia: These days my dad is cashing his tickets at the big TAB in the sky, but this is what he would have been getting this year. What better way to celebrate the compulsive gambler in your life than with a magazine subscription to Horse Racing Australia.

Find more Fathers Day gifts under $50

By Caroline Warnes

Mother’s Day gifts can be a tricky thing to get right, especially for the mum who has everything. So I’ve tracked down the five best Mother’s Day gifts under $40 for you.

1. Mother’s Day cards: Whenever I was running low on money, I always used to get my parents a nice card with some sentimental message on it. Is this as good as an actual present? Probably not, but my parents always used to tell my sister and myself that our presence was enough. And oh, how right they were. Sam’s Warehouse is selling Mother’s Day cards from 50c each, if you truly need to go the el cheapo route this year.

2. Photo brag book: I always say that photos of yourself make the best gifts for other people, especially if you’ve autographed and framed them. Camera House is selling personalised brag books for Mother’s Day from $5.35, so you can put all your glamour shots into one portfolio that mum can carry around and show everyone she meets (I assume that’s what a brag book is for?).

3. Mini cookbooks: Angus & Robertson has two mini cookbooks by Jane Lawson for $9.99 each that would make a nice Mother’s Day gift. Mum’s Dinners and Nana’s Sweet Treats both feature some good old fashioned comfort food recipes.

4. Halle Berry: Apparently actress Halle Berry has a perfume, which I wasn’t even aware of until today but I figure that it must be ok given that she’s pretty much one of the best-looking women in the world and has a hot boyfriend a decade younger than her (some of us would be lucky to have a mediocre-looking boyfriend a decade older than us). Target has the fragrance gift pack for $39, which looks to contain the perfume, some sort of lotion and a handbag.

5. Send mum on a holiday: … or not, if you’re only willing to cough up $40 (unless your idea of a holiday is setting her up on the pokies at the local RSL with a glass of chardonnay for a few hours). If you can’t afford the actual holiday, Target has this spiffy luggage set in glamorous hot pink for $39.99. Tell her you’re getting her the holiday NEXT Mother’s Day.

By Caroline Warnes

By now, it’s probably fairly obvious I’ll spend my money on just about anything, but I have to say I have a special soft spot for books.

I used to buy about one book per fortnight, but lately I have been burning through approximately one book per week (yes, I’ve been making a concerted effort to have even less of a life than usual), and it’s all been getting a bit pricey, so I joined the library instead.

While this has freed up considerable amounts of cash to spend on other things (for example cut-price French champagne at Dan Murphy’s), and I highly recommend joining a library as a way of both expanding your literary knowledge and saving money to spend on grog, there are some titles I still plan to buy and keep to read more than once.

I was browsing in Dymocks the other day when I came across the Popular Penguins range, which offers some of history’s most popular and important books in the original Penguin dust jacket for just $9.95. Well, what really caught my attention is the fact that “The Surgeon of Crowthorne” is amongst the bunch, and I paid $19.95 for this book not four months ago.

Anyhow, the range contains some of my favourites (”On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, amongst others) and many of those worthy titles I’ve always intended to read but never have because I’ve never felt virtuous enough (”The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Crimes Against Humanity” by Geoffrey Robertson and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck). Now I have no financial excuse not to read them.

The Popular Penguins range is available from most bookshops, including Dymocks and Borders.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re still trying to find a gift for Mother’s Day this Sunday, we’ve got the top 10 gifts that won’t break the bank.

1. Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers EDP, $17.95 at Amcal
Love this floral fragrance. I went through a phase of wearing it daily.

2. “Change of Heart” by Jodi Picoult, $19.95 at BIG W, Angus & Robertson and Borders
Save $13 on this new bestseller.

3. Kambrook rice cooker, $19.98 at Betta Electrical
If, like me, you manage to ruin rice each time you cook it, a rice cooker is the easy way to get it right.

4. Remington Big Shot hair dryer, $29.98 at Betta Electrical
I’ve always found Remington products to be reliable and $30 is a good price for a hair dryer.

5. Lavender cubic zirconia ring, $39 at Michael Hill Jeweller
This is a gorgeous looking cocktail ring.

6. Rose Bouquet gift set, $9.95 at Terry White Chemists
The set contains rose-scented hand and body lotion, body scrub and soap petals.

7. Georgia dinnerware pieces, $2.39 at Target
The separates include a side plate, mug, milk jug or bowl - you could buy a couple and put together a set.

8. Homedics Bubble Spa footbath, $39.94 at Tandy
After a rare day of wearing high heels today, this footspa is looking pretty good to me right now.

9. Snooze Zone pyjama set, $39.99 at Best & Less
$40 for PJ pants and top and a nightie? Bargain.

10. “Comfort Food” by Kate Jacobs, $21.44 at Target
Not actually a cookbook, but a fun new girly novel.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’ve left your Christmas shopping to the last minute, don’t panic - you’ve still got time! Here’s the best gift ideas I’ve seen this week…

For her

* Oroton has released the Lucky necklace (pictured here), which is a reinterpretation of the label’s iconic mesh purses. The original mesh purses are a collector’s item with vintage fans - I bought a 1960s version from a second-hand shop in Sydney’s Castlereagh Street several years ago and it was one of the finds of the year for me! Priced at $195, the Lucky necklace comes in antique gold, silver or gunmental.

* If you’re shopping for someone with wavy or curly hair, she’ll love the Curl-ease towel. Curly hair is notoriously tricky to wash and dry without ending up with a mountain of frizz. The Curl-ease towel is completely flat, so no strands can get caught and frizz up. It retails for $19.99.

* Hollywood Fashion Tape makes a great stocking filler for most girls, especially in the party season. It’s double-sided tape that sticks to both clothing and skin, so you can avoid any potential waldrobe malfunctions, particularly with skimpy tops and dresses on New Year’s Eve. You can find it at a range of boutiques, specialty stores, spas and beauty salons.

* Target has 20 percent off fragrance gift packs until Christmas Eve. I don’t recommend buying perfume for anyone unless you’re fairly confident you know what they like - fragrance is a very individual thing and what smells good on one woman may end up smelling like toilet cleaner on another.

For him

* The iconic Aussie Stubbies have been reinvented - and you’ll hardly recognise them. No longer restricted to those sporting the so-called trasdesman’s crack, they now come in a range of vintage prints and styles. Check them out at your local Myer stores in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. (They also make Stubbies for women, and they are oh-so-comfy…)

* If the man in question has some metrosexual tendencies - or just looks after his skin - Nivea For Men recently released some new products, including a Moisturising Body Lotion and Extreme Comfort shaving gel and balm. While I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of the men’s products myself, for obvious reasons, they have received good feedback from my male friends and I do love the women’s products, (the Nivea Visage Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Repair Night Cream is one of the best supermarket night moisturisers I’ve used).

* For adventure-seekers, the Oregon Scientific Action Cam is one of the coolest new gadgets around. Its maker claims it’s the world’s first amateur waterproof and shock-resistant hands-free digital vide camera - you can mount it on helmets, handlebars or even on your arm to capture all the action when you’re surfing, mountain biking or generally getting up to antics in the great outdoors. You can pick it up for under $200 from camera shops, including Camera House and Ted’s Cameras.

* For photography nuts, the Lowepro Flipside Camera Backpack is a great gift idea. It’s designed for carrying a dSLR camera with lens attached as well as extra lenses and accessories.

For kids and babies

* The Bonds Easysuit is one of the best products for babies to hit the market in recent times. There are no press studs, buttons, velcro or zips - it’s a three-step suit so mums and dads alike will have an easier time of changing baby.

* Little Tots is a brand new site that offers Australian-made clothing for sizes ranging from 1 to 5.

* If you’re shopping for a little girl who loves Dora the Explorer, how about the fragrance? It’s a bargain at only $14.95.

For your office Kris Kringle

* If your Kris Kringle at work thrives on stress, the new book Flip the Switch (available at major bookshops) offers tips for dealing with workplace stress and improving your quality of life.

* The Lloyds Christmas Chocolate Lovers gift box from Target is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth.

* The holidays are a great time for BBQs, so the BBQ Sauce Triple Pack makes a nice office gift - for only $12.99.

By Caroline Warnes