I’m about to head out to finish up my Christmas shopping at Book Culture, so I thought it’d be fun to do a quick post on a few of my favorites books to give this year.
And since there’s almost no time left to get things shipped before Christmas, it’s a perfect opportunity to head out to your favorite independent bookstore and show them some holiday support. Buying books at indie stores is one of the best ways to support your community. If you enjoy browsing for books in real bookstores, support them now while they’re still here.
For people with young daughters:
Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman is the ultimate lullaby/poem for little girls, and it’s beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess.
For food & food writing fans:
Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink, edited by David Remnick, is an excellent collection of food writing. It samples from the entire span of the New Yorker’s history to date, so the authors featured range from M. F. K. Fisher to Julian Barnes. Perhaps the perfect gift to accompany a DVD of Julie & Julia?
For any reader:
The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse. I can’t think of a better gift for a reader than introducing them to P. G. Wodehouse, if they’re not already acquainted. Thank You, Jeeves would also be a great first Wodehouse to give.
For bakers:
The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is my go-to source for new baking recipes. It’s a beautiful cookbook with heavy duty ringed binding, and every recipe I’ve tried has come out successfully and delicious.
For anyone:
I’m not sure there’s anyone who won’t smile when they open the Fur-Covered edition of The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. It’s probably the best designed book to come out in 2009, and the novel itself is fantastic as well.
Happy shopping, and happy reading!
Great titles! Unfortunately, the majority of my friends are not readers (but a lot in my family are), but I have given a few copies of The History of Love this year.
Interesting suggestions! Gaiman’s ‘Blueberry girl’ and ‘Secret Ingredients : The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink’ are wonderful suggestions! I will add them to my ‘TBR’ and ‘TBG’ (To Be Gifted) lists :) ‘The Code of the Woosters’ is a wonderful book! I got inspired by your suggestion and read it this year and enjoyed it very much! I have a Wodehouse collection called ‘What Ho, Jeeves’ and I am tempted to start reading it now :)
I bought the fur covered The Wild Things for my assistant who loved Where the Wild Things Are so much as a child.
She adored it and everyone had to “cop a feel” of the cover!