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If you’re looking for something for someone who errs more towards the geeky side of things (yes, I am fully aware that my guide has been fairly geeky already), this has been a great year for comic books, especially as they’re really beginning to break through into the mainstream (I guess geek chic is to thank for that, or maybe people have just started to realise how awesome these things actually are).

Scott Pilgrim, The Walking Dead, and a host of others have really made a name for themselves this year, and make great gifts. The Scott Pilgrim DVD ($19.99) is on sale as well as the books in North America, but if you’re not there, you’ll have to make do with the books (which are fantastic, and now easier to get hold of outside of North America). If you haven’t seen the movie, or at least heard the premise, here’s a recap: 20-something Scott meets Ramona Flowers, falls in love, and has to battle her seven evil exes. It’s a great twist on the romantic comedy genre, packed full of awesomely nerdy references (videogames and indie rock, what’s not to love?), accompanied by a great art style that oozes personality, and fits the clever writing perfectly. The Walking Dead on the other hand, is a far more sombre, grizzly affair, jammed full of post apocalyptic Zombie action. The TV show has become a firm fan favourite, and it’s easy to see why.

Don’t forget your standard prose and poetry books as well, which always make great gifts. Chances are you know their favourite authors already, so see if you can get a quick glance at their bookshelf to make sure you’re not getting them something they already have. My current favourite recent novel is Reif Larsen’s debut, “The Selected Works of T.S.Spivet”. There’s also a whole host of non fiction books that are bound to cater to anyone’s interests, and a huge range, from anything from something as broad as pop music to something as specific as a history of British Ice Hockey (something I’ve had my eye on for a while) can be found in any good bookshop.

If you fancy really splashing out on something, netbooks ($200 – $350) are awesome and useful, and of course, the selection of phones is ever growing. Check your guy’s contract beforehand! For the more career orientated guy, the Blackberry Torch, for someone who’s happy to sit playing silly flash games for hours on end (like yours truly), the iPhone4, or really, any Android phone. If they’ve got all the gadgets they want (which is unlikely, there are always more gadgets), experience days are awesome, offering a wide range of options, from skydiving to driving a tank.

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It’s that time of the year again where, nearly all over the world, the sound of jingle bells can be heard, accompanied, of course, by soft, quiet sobbing from your bank account. But gift giving isn’t always easy, so to alleviate a little of that festive stress, here’s the My Lips But Better guide to Christmas gift shopping for the men in your life.

This year, you really are spoilt for choice if the men in your life are gamers. From gritty cold war fantasists wet dream Call of Duty: Black Ops to swords, sorcery and Stephen Fry in Fable 3, there’s a huge range of games to choose from, and that’s just from recent releases. The most important thing to determine is whether your man prefers PC games or console games, and which console he owns. Be sure to check this!
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood continues from where the second game left off, the mixture of it’s unique “social stealth” combined with Prince of Persia style platform gaming makes for a great mix, but if they haven’t played (and ideally, completed) Assassin’s Creed 2, this might be best left on the shelf.

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