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Bookish gifts
Books are a good gift, even for people who don’t read, who can use them as shelf decoration (Look! I read!) or (even better!) swap them at Borders for two and a half Ginger Peppermocha Thunderwhip Lattes. Here’s a list from the Times of 100 notable books (fiction and non-fiction) from this year, and here’s a book wish-list from National Review.
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back to top12 Comments to “Bookish gifts”
Not much of interest to me. I read history and used to read Sci fi.
Blogs are da bomb!
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Paul Krugman’s Conscience of a Liberal is on the NYT best seller list but not on this list. You’d think they would give their own columnist a boost.
I’d recommend Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine. Ocassionally she engages in over reach but she has a solid thesis.
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Books are wonderful and make great gifts. However, one must select carefully, by being aware of the person’s taste in literature and what they have, don’t have, or want. If in doubt, I’m sure a gift certificate to a bookstore would be greatly appreciated. Well, I know that’s what I would want anyway.
For humor, I would suggest “Santaland Diaries” by David Sedaris. It’s a humorous look at his job as an elf in Macy’s Department Store one Christmas. It’s not a book for children, however.
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If one is interested in giving books to children (to quote Grandpa in the Princess Bride movie, “In my day, video games were called books!”), consult “Books Children Love, A Guide to the Best Children’s Literature” by Elizabeth Wilson. The book is divided into handy categories of book type and each entry has a full bibliography and a nice sized paragraph summary. I have used this book for years in selecting tomes for my children and they are all avid readers. See http://www.amazon.com/Books-Children-Love-Childrens-Literature/dp/1581341989/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196108400&sr=8-1
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I scanned these lists and I think I have raad four of them, but I can only remember The Lord of the Rings and My Grandfather’s Son. I highly recommend both. I read a lot of Thomas Hardy’s books as a kid, but not the book about him.
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Don’t feel bad, Chas. I’m in the industry, a heavy reader, have a degree in English Literature from a reputable university, and I’ve only read two books on the Times list. I usually pull the non-fiction NYTimes notable list each December, however, and enjoy a lot of those books throughout the year–getting them from the library.
I’m disappointed with NR’s list and will let them know.
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Litoralise – I used Gladys Hunt’s “Honey for a Child’s Heart” for many years!
I always get a bit of an axious feeling when I read these lists and realize I’ve read very few or none of the books listed. (I did read two from this list.) But I read several books a week normally.
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Re #7:
I feel more concern when I haven’t read a lot of the books on a list of books for a decade or a century or longer. But I rarely read any book the year it comes out. (Harry Potter is an exception – once we discovered the series we bought and read all the books the week they came out.) I wait for books to show up in paperback, on clearance, or in the library. And I wait to hear good reviews of them from various sources (including customer reviews at amazon.com).
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I am not bothered at all by not having read books from lists composed by large commercial interests. I would be more concerned if I lacked the joy of exploring the great classics that have stood the test of time.
Over Thanksgiving, I finished “Pilgrim’s Progress” (complete and unabridged) and also “Animal Farm.” I dare say these books provide a wealth of enjoyment and enlightenment that far outstrip much of what is on “lists” today. That’s not to say that there is nothing at all worthwhile on these lists, but I wonder how the entries fare compared to truly great and well written literature.
Currently, I am reading “Valley of Vision” (a collection of Puritan prayers a couple of hundred years old) and “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by James Herriot. (Did you know that the Puritans actually spear-headed the idea of personal devotions and personal prayer in one’s spiritual life? Something we assume is a modern concept and not associated with a group we have misunderstood to be so many “stuffed shirts.”) Herriot is disarmingly simple and enjoyable with insight into the human spirit as seen in the dailiness of human experience. Plus, it’s nice to read something a bit more “light” without it being light-weight.
VS,
“Honey for a Child’s Heart” has a great reputation. I’ve not seen it myself, but am sure it’s a great resource.
Harrison,
Here’s an idea: Ask your posters to list their the Top Ten Books (that we have actually read). I think it would interesting and enjoyable. And perhaps folks could share what they are currently reading as well.
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It would be very difficult to name my top ten books. I put the Bible in a different category, since I study it and usually read it through about once a year. But the list would have to include:
Pilgrim’s Progress (The only book I’ve read three times.)
The Lord of the Rings series
The Narnia Series
Gee, this is tough. My mind keeps going to books I’ve read recently. (e.g. Terrorist Hunter, The Truth About Mohammed, the Koran, Betrayal, Unlimited Warfare, etc.) But I know that isn’t the case. It would take some serious thinking to fill out the list. I’m not sure Narnia even belongs on this list.
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Chas,
Yes, I know what you mean. It is very hard to pick a Top Ten, but I found it to be a very worthwhile experience. I ended up doing it because I joined http://www.shelfari.com and began compiling my virtual bookshelf of all the (better) books that I owned or had read. (Can you believe I forgot about some gems I had? I have over 1000 books.) After doing that, I found it challenging, but very rewarding to pick 10 favorites. It was easier for me, though, because I had just made the list of the best books that I had on Shelfari. Shelfari actually includes a place for your general shelf, your Top Ten, your Reading List, and your Wish List. This is what got me to pick my top ten.
My Top Ten:
1. “The Holy Bible” by God
2. “The Holiness of God” by R.C. Sproul
3. “Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan
4. “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence
5. “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
6. “The Valley of Vision; A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions” edited by Arthur G. Bennett
7. “The Parable of Joy; Reflections on the Wisdom of the Book of John” by Michael Card
8. “Shepherding A Child’s Heart” by Tedd Tripp
9. “A Meaningful World; How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature” by Benjamin Wiker and Jonathan Witt
10. “The Complete Novels of Jane Austen” by Jane Austen
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If a list of my favorite books meant simply those I have enjoyed the most, I would be hard-pressed to select those dozens or even hundreds belong on such a list out of the many hundreds if not thousands I have read in my life (at one point I kept a reading list and was reading about 100 a year). So instead I made my list based on two factors:
Have I read the book multiple times?
If I lost the book would I replace it?
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Your God Is Too Small by J.B. Phillips
The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke
The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Aged 37 ¾ by Adrian Plass
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
I have not included books that I read multiple times in the past but might not replace if I lost them, such as Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach and Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, nor books that I bought in case I wanted to reread or simply look up passages in them, such as The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
I also haven’t included children’s books that I enjoy as an adult but might not have bought if I didn’t have children to read to, such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne.
I could list many favorite authors, such as E.B. White, Susan Cooper, Dorothy Gilman, Ellis Peters, Jan Karon and Dean Koontz. I have some of their books and if I were packing for a trip and wanted to take a book along I would be sure to enjoy, I could take any of their books, whether previously read or not, and enjoy it thoroughly.
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