It’s a metaphorical tree, because I have 10,000 animals and my house is a veritable zoo, but nevertheless, gather round, dearies, and I’ll show you what will be under it on December 24th, late in the evening, when the animals have all been put to bed.
Dreams of sugar plums may or may not dance in their heads. I make no promises.
As bookish people, it should come as no surprise that, yes, I gift books for Christmas! Lots of books! To everyone!
Okay, not everyone. But I would if I could convince some of these people to read. Which I can’t. It’s a sad fact of life, right up there with no naps at work and turkey bacon.
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about holiday reads, but I’m actually not a Christmas reader. I’m more likely to binge watch cheesy Hallmark movies and bemoan the fact that my husband isn’t more romantic.
So instead, I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the books that I’m giving as gifts this year. Because who doesn’t want to spread all the bookish joy and cheer?!
Once Upon A River
Gift For: My mother
Reason: She loved The Thirteenth Tale and said she wanted to read this. Also, I read this, and it was fabulous. Obviously, she’s going to love it. Whether she likes it or not.
A Gateway to Sindarin
Gift For: My (12-year-old) sister … bless her heart
Reason: She loves Lord of the Rings and has yet to come crashing face-first into the bitter disappointment and realization that simply wanting to learn something isn’t enough. You actually have to put a lot of work into it. I mean … I haven’t reached that point, either, so I am 100% in support of encouraging her to learn Elvish. xD
As Old As Time
Gift For: My mother-in-law
Reason: She absolutely LOVES Beauty and the Beast. It’s got such a special place in her heart. Every year, I get her at least one thing B&tB, and she tells me the story of when hubby was younger and her mother (who has since passed and whom she was really close to) was trying to get hubby a toy Chip. Except … she couldn’t remember his name. And went through Walmart asking associates if they had Crack. It’s a great story. She actually asked for Lost in a Book last year, and she enjoyed reading that, but she’s also very much into darker books, so I’m hoping she likes the twist in this twisted tale version.
The Legend of Skeleton Man
Gift For: My eight-year-old minion
Reason: She … asked … for it. No, wait, that can’t be right. She never asks for books. ZOMG IS SHE A CHANGELING? Wait. Will this version of her behave better than the old one? I might be willing to work with it. Apparently, they read the first book in school, and the way she described the plot to me, it sounds shady AF to let a group of third graders read it, but ooookay. It has a sequel, which I don’t think she knows, so this should be doubly exciting for her, since I got a copy that contained both books.
Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords
Gift For: My eight-year-old minion
Reason: This was a recommendation from Lilyfae @ Lily and the Fae, who has some of the best mid-grade book recommendations (in case you have a mid-grade reader of your own). Mine has decided that this is the year of the unicorn, and she’s asked for all unicorn gifts. So I conveniently decided to pair that with this super cute-sounding series that Lilyfae’s talked about a few times, because it sounds just weird enough for her.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Gift For: My mother
Reason: Listen … the movie’s just come out, and I need someone to watch it with. I can’t be the only person sitting in the dark crying. That’s just … depressing. She loves dogs and she loves crying, so this seems like a natural fit, so it’s not entirely for utterly selfish, self-serving reasons. But also that, too.
Mary Poppins Boxed Set
Gift For: My eight-year-old minion
Reason: I am very much not a Mary Poppins kind of person, but guess who is?! That’s right, that thing that’s supposed to be 50% me. Fun fact: her other 50% is even less of a Mary Poppins fan. This just supports my changeling theory, honestly. Since I was forced to take her to the new Mary Poppins this year, and after hearing “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” about fifty million times, I figured if anything can get this kid to read, it’s a little Mary Poppins. If she succeeds, then that would be magic.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
Gift For: My mother
Reason: I actually found two copies of this book at my local bookstore for super cheap, hardback, with signed bookplates. Win, am I right? I immediately grabbed them both, one for me and one for my mother. She keeps telling me she wants to try new books instead of the ones she’s always read, and while I haven’t read it myself yet, from what I’ve heard of these characters, she’ll absolutely love them. Here’s to hoping. *crosses fingers*
Starsight
Gift For: Hubby
Reason: Brandon Sanderson is an auto-buy author in this house. Every year, hubby basically gets all his new books for Christmas. That’s just how this works. Who am I to fight the natural order of things? The only pain in the butt thing is that since I bought him his Kindle last year, he’s basically sworn off physical books, since the Kindle is easier to bring to work. Which means I just have to get creative on how to wrap and “give” him this for Christmas. Because simply sending it to his Kindle is too easy and lacks the proper fanfare.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Gift For: My brother-in-law
Reason: Guys … I just don’t know. On the surface, in theory, we are a lot alike, so in theory, we should also like pretty similar books? We just haven’t read very many similar books. He says he’s into fantasy, but not high fantasy or epic fantasy, which is … also something I often say. Yet, I’ve started reading high/epic fantasy books which I’ve loved this year, so you know what? He’s going to suck it up and try it, too. This is another book I haven’t read myself personally, but the way it’s described (character personality, violence, dark topics) sounds exactly like the books he loves, so here’s hoping. But, you know, just in case, I also ordered him Vicious by V.E. Schwab, and I’m sure he’s bound to like one or the other.
You’ve reminded me I need to read The Art of Racing in the Rain! I may be the last person on the planet who hasn’t read it😁
I mean … obviously not because my mother hasn’t read it yet, either. xD And just because I *bought* her the book doesn’t mean she’ll read it haha. So you’re good still.
Once Upon a River is a great book to gift! I need to keep it in mind for my own mother!
Here are some holiday reads I would like to read: My Top Ten Tuesday.
Yes! It makes a great gift, too. My copy just arrived, and it’s so pretty. xD
Not too sure at my age the Gentleman’s Guide would be of much help. First you have to be a gentleman. https://pmprescottenterprises.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/top-ten-tuesday-winter-movies/
It’s never too late to learn. xD I mean, if you wait awhile (like next year) there’ll be The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks. Surely, it’s not too late to be a nobleman. You own land. Just declare yourself. 😉
I decided to give all my nephews books this year. I decided on kid spy 🕵️♀️ books and a book in a new series by the Diary of a Wimpy Kid writer. Christmas is a great time to spread bookish love ❤️
Yeeees. Everyone knows they’re getting at least one book for me. That’s how I roll. xD I mean, it’s nice that I also live in a bookish family, but still lol.
Oooh, what’s the other series by Jeff Kinney? I feel like I should know this, but I’m so used to associating him with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books lol. My daughter loves those.
Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal ❤️🎄
Oooh, I hadn’t heard of that! Definitely gonna have to look for it now.
I hope your mom loves The Art of Racing in the Rain! That book made me cry (in a good way). And I can’t wait to see the film.
My TTT.
Ugh, same! Our library just got the movie in, and there’s a wait list a mile long, so I’ll probably wait until it does down to grab it. xD
Oh I loved Once Upon a River! It’s a beautiful book. I so wish I had more people to buy books for. I’m surrounded by non-readers. 🙁
Great list!
That’s such a shame. I love giving books almost as much as I love reading them. xD Well, you can always go into a local nursing home or something and ask there and wrap some books up for the seniors. :3
What a sweet idea! I guess I shouldn’t have said surrounded… I have one child that loves to read, but I wish my extended friends and family loved to read too. 🙂
What a fantastic post! All your choices & explanations are so solid. But I have to say, “all unicorn Christmas” sounds as fun to shop for as to receive, so two thumbs up to her life choices.
Also, “loves dogs and crying” is gonna be my new Tumblr bio.
I mean, it sort of is. I get excited when I find unicorn stuff. And gosh, the sorts of things you never imagined are out there that are unicorn. xD She’s getting a pinata. She always asks for one on her birthday, and a local store *just* got in unicorn pinatas, so … yeah. It’s gonna be some sort of Christmas, for sure lol.
Best Tumblr bio ever. I mean, what sort of monster doesn’t like dogs and crying? xD
Hooray for book gifts! I love giving book gifts, too. Let’s see… in no particular order, here are some of the ones I’m gifting this year:
The Paper Menagerie and other stories (Ken Liu)
Geekerella (Ashly Poston)
Gods of Jade and Shadow (Silvia Moreno-Garcia)
Heroine Complex (Sarah Kuhn)
The Collapsing Empire (John Scalzi)
… and more! I can’t remember them all right now.
Ha, I had to go look at my present pile in order to remember what I was gifting, too. xD
Book gifts are the best, though! I know two that I’m getting, and I’m already super excited. Gods of Jade and Shadow looks super interesting!
I should remember the books I’m gifting, since I always save those to buy close to when I gift them in case they need to be returned! Oh well, it means I get to go to the bookstore! And I always manage to come home with something for myself, too… 😉
I don’t know which books I’ll be getting this year, but I have high confidence that I’ll be getting SOMETHING. My wish list is probably 75% books, so odds are high. 🙂
I enjoyed Gods of Jade and Shadow! Especially the non-European mythology woven throughout.
I also may have totally bought myself something while I was shopping for everyone else. *cough* In our defense … you can’t release a book lover in a book store and expect them not to walk out with something. I mean, come on.
Well, Amazon had a $5 off $20 of books sale, so I specifically told hubby to grab it. xD And I only had two books on my list that were in that, I think.
Exactly! There are too many pretty shiny things to expect us to ignore them ALL. It’s just common sense.
Oh, that makes sense. I don’t usually ask for specific books (beyond the Amazon wishlist, I mean) though sometimes I’ll add a book and KNOW that one family member or another will pick it. Like the year I added a Sanderson book I knew my sis would get it for me because she’s always trying to get me to read his stuff.
Haha and rightly so! But shhhh, never tell her that because she’ll lord that over your head foreverrrr.
LOL, true!
Omg I didn’t even know A Gateway To Sindarin even existed! Now I want it too! 😀
Yeeees, it does! I didn’t know it exists, either, but she said she wanted to learn so she went and found the book herself. I’m so proud. xD
I love this take on the TTT! This also gives me some good book gift ideas for the people in my life. Great choices 🙂
Thanks! Books always make great Christmas presents. 😉
Ooh, these are such wonderful gifts to receive! I hope that they enjoy each of them! And that you get something truly memorable this holiday season!
Thank you!
[…] me, but I already did that here and I even gave a peek under my own tree with some books I’m giving for […]