Some folks say it’s better to give than to receive, but when it comes to books, I prefer a little bit of both, to be quite honest. And in the spirit of the just-concluded holiday season, I thought it might be fun for all of us to post the best tomes we found beneath our trees, and the best ones we wrapped up for our loved ones.
On the giving side, I got Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri‘s gorgeous, Pulitzer prize-winning collection of short-stories, for my sister Nancy (thus completing my mission to get it into the hands of pretty much every person in my life). On the receiving side, I just finished tearing through Lee Child‘s Die Trying (from my sister Debby), a trashy-good thriller that I managed to finish in less than a week. Admittedly, it’s not a Great Work of Literature, but you can bet the value of all your holiday gift cards combined that I’ll be checking out the other entries in the Jack Reacher series.
Okay, your turn: Which books topped your holiday gift list? Hurry, I need ideas for a couple of fast-approaching January birthdays!
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield…A great book for anyone who loves music, my favorite book of 2007
drella66, I agree that Love is a Mixed Tape is a great book! But until my bf finds time to read more, I won’t be getting it for him. lol. This year I got him Teacher Man by Frank McCourt b/c both men are teachers. I received Wicked by Gregory Maguire. A word of warning, if you are a hardcore fan of the musical, this book is NOT the musical.
I actually just finished rereading “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens – absolutely hilarious, and even though I already knew the ending I was still surprised by how nicely everything tied together.
Currently reading “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer – fantastic so far.
I received the Kite Runner, book and movie. Beautiful!
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i got the omnivore’s dilemma for my dad….
I just finished reading The devil wears Prada, which is much better than the movie, except for anything that revolves around Meryl Streep ! I want to read The Kite Runner, next !
Tom Brokaw’s “Boom” is an excellent reminiscence of the political and cultural climate of 1968, one of the most cataclysmic years ever. Hard to believe how different things are 40 years later.
I wanted Born Standing Up, the Steve Martin memoir, but didn’t get it so I’ll have to wait til my birthday.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by the guy that wrote The Kite Runner. I LOOOOOVED it, maybe even more than The Kite Runner. I got Stephen Colbert’s book, also. Have to say, I’m not loving it, and I love his show.
“The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield, a fabulous gothic mystery
“A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini, which rivals “The Kite Runner”
I got my husband The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories by Tim Burton.
I received, read and loved I Love You Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle. It did drag at parts, but I can’t remember laughing so much while reading a book. I decided that my 13 year old daughter was old enough for King’s The Stand, but I balanced that out with The Book for Daring Girls and Saving Charlie (a Heroes novelization). I gave my into my partner’s desires (rather than my own sense of taste) and gave her the latest books by Tess Gerritson and Patricia Cornwell.
Among books I gave: All Aunt Hagar’s Children, Service Included (good for foodies), Best American Non-Required Reading (good for 20somethings), Born Standing Up, I Am America. Book I got: Suite Francaise. Xmas gifts to self: Then We Came to an End, How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read. The last one is hilarious so far and I recommend it to anyone who, like me, resolves to read more in ’08. I humbly submit that the Edward Jones stories (All Aunt Hagar’s…) would be a good gift to everyone upon whom you’ve foisted the fantastic Lahiri. Jones’s stories are totally different but equally brilliant. Also on my wish list: Junot Diaz novel. I’ll add this because, uh, the package was shaped almost like a book: the most well-received gift I gave was Friday Night Lights season 1. Three new converts!!
Glad to see you discovered Lee Child! I’m a huge fan of his and that one was actually the book that reigned me in. They may not change history, but definitely worth a good read. Have fun, Michael!
I also have to give a shout out to Love Is A Mix Tape. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Received: Rhett Butler’s People, Saturday, & Pillars of the Earth.
Gave: Atonement & The Known World