Monday, November 17, 2008

Booking It--Presents!

This week’s question:

What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”

First of all, I have no idea what a “gift aura” is, so I’m skipping that part. If you know, please fill me in.

When I was about eight or nine years old, my aunt Peggy gave me my first Trixie Belden book. I think it was actually the second one in the series. I don’t remember the occasion, but I’ll never forget the book because that gift started my love of owning books—of writing my name inside the front cover, of seeing them on my shelf, of being able to pick them up and re-read them any time I wanted, of knowing they were mine. In fact, after I read that book, I was willing to beg, borrow, or steal to get the others in the series. (I didn’t really steal anything, but you get the picture. I did beg and borrow.)

My oldest son has given me several wonderful books throughout the years, but I think the inscriptions mean more to me than the actual books—and that’s saying a lot from a book lover!


You know, with the holidays fast approaching, I'm surprised they didn't ask this question: Do you ever re-gift books?

2 comments:

Sarah said...

I think the best book I ever received as a gift was The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. I read it over and over, gave it as a gift to many of my friends--I learned to love allegory because of this book. And I loved that books could be both literary and have a good message.

Ash said...

I think the best book(s) I ever received was the Anne of Green Gables series from my parents. I already loved to read, but it was this series that really propelled me into the next level of loving books. The very worn paperbacks are some of the most cherished in my library.

And I HAVE re-gifted books, and have had them re-gifted to me, too. I think nothing makes a better present to a book lover than a fellow reader giving a dearly-loved book to pass the experience on.