I buy books for my family at Christmas, and they buy books for me. It all works out very nicely. Here's what I'm getting them this year (which of them would you want?)
For my 9 year old son:
Warriors Super Edition: Yellowfang's Secret, and
Warriors: Battles of the Clans Erin Hunter
Mal and Chad: Food Fight! Stephen McCranie
Simon's Dream (Fog Mound) Susan Schade
For my 12 year old son:
August Moon, Diana Thung
Baffling and Bizarre Inventions, Jim Murphy (currently hidden so well for Christmas that I can't find it. Sigh.)
Faradawn (Fog Mound), Susan Schade
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad
The Darwin Awards Next Evolution: Chlorinating the Gene Pool Wendy Northcutt (another one I hid really, really well. whah.)
For my husband:
Three of these he asked for, the rest were picked up over the course of the year, and miraculously I didn't hide any of them too well (although it's possible there are more little mouse nests of book presents somewhere that I've forgotten all about...)
The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood
The Ingenious Edgar Jones, Elizabeth Garner (Alan Garner's daughter; he's a huge fan of his, so I thought he'd find it interesting. I think I'll find it interesting too--have any of you all read it? It is a YA/adult fantasy that came out in 2010)
It All Turns on Affection (Paperback), Wendell Berry
London's Overthrow, China Mieville
The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way, Michael Phillips
Bento's Sketchbook, John Berger
A Place in Time: Twenty Stories of the Port William Membership, Wendell Berry
The annotated
Hunting of the Snark
For my mother:
Birds of Melanesia: Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia (Princeton Field Guides), Guy Dutson (her request)
Existence, by David Brin (it's nice to have a mama whose reading taste overlaps with one's own--although I'm not looking forward to dipping into the Birds of Melanesia, I'm am excited about reading this one!)
For my sister:
The Moomins and the Great Flood, by Tove Jansson (again, it's nice to give books that one wants to read--it save on having to pack books for oneself. I'm pretty sure this one is still at work....I hope)
and one secret one that she doesn't know about (if you aren't Emily, feel free to highlight to see what it is)
Bright Island, by Mabel L. Robinson
I'm glad I'm not the only one who stumbles upon little troves of gifts she forgot she bought.
ReplyDeleteIt almost make shopping ahead of time not worth it!
DeleteIf your husband enjoys Wendell Berry, he might also like Louis Bromfield. My favorite book from Bromfield is Pleasant Valley: http://www.amazon.com/Pleasant-Valley-Louis-Bromfield/dp/1888683562/
ReplyDeleteGood call! He does, and we have several of his books.
DeleteI love this post! I can't do the same sort of thing because the books I'm giving are SECRET, but I love looking at other peoples' lists and gathering ideas. Yay, books!
ReplyDeleteWe also give each books for Christmas! And a few favorite DVDs also.
ReplyDeleteC.
Hi Charlotte,
ReplyDeleteI read The Ingenious Edgar Jones when it was first published here (UK). It is a fun/strange story. It is difficult to compare with her fathers work, although I would say it is lighter in both content and mood. Well worth a read though.
Kelvin
Good to know! Thanks.
DeleteNice choices. I'm posting my Christmas book list on Friday. Your youngest and Bit are a year apart in age so I always like looking at what you get him. She hasn't discovered the Warrior books yet but has several friends who like them so it will probably be coming soon.
ReplyDeleteLots of good sounding books! I got an ARC of August Moon and liked it. :)
ReplyDelete