Monday, December 26, 2011

What I Gave And What I Got

That's Christmas books I'm talking about here. And by Christmas books, I do not mean books about Christmas. I mean Christmas gifts.

Okay, let's see if I can recall this. Hmmm.


My sister and brother-in-law received a copy of Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.


Their son and daughter-in-law received Jellico Road by Melina Marchetta.

I sent my other sister a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. Seriously, I don't think she's read it.

My mother got a book of short stories about dogs called Tails of Love.


I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President by Josh Lieb went to my older son. I also got him Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.

I got a book on making beaded jewelry for my daughter-in-law. But...ah...I couldn't even guess which one.

I know I got the younger son Worlds by Eric Flint, mainly because it includes a short novel set in the Honor Harrington universe. Also, it fit in a Christmas stocking.

Oh, and I also got my sister-in-law a LOL Cats book; but, like with the bead book, I no longer remember the title.

Of course, it is more blessed to give than receive. However, receiving is good, too. I got a copy of The Mediterranean Prescription, which I asked for because we go through periods when we eat dreadfully at Chez Gauthier, and we've been in one of them for a while. I also asked for and received Curse of the Wolf Girl by Martin Millar because I am such a fan of Millar's Lonely Werewolf Girl. Both books will be going with me on retreat week, which is less than two weeks away.

Share Your Loot: I wasn't going to do the whole "What I Got For Christmas" thing, but Becky Levine did, and now I'm thinking everyone should. If you blog about your Christmas books, post a link in my comments. Or just comment here about what you got or gave.

13 comments:

Cynthia Leitich Smith said...

I received The New Annotated Dracula by Bram Stoker, with commentary by Leslie S. Klinger and an introduction by Neil Gaiman (W.W. Norton: October 2008). Love it! Many blessings to you in the new year!

Unknown said...

Cynthia, that sounds awesome! I wish I had that one. I just reread Dracula earlier this year. Dracula is still the best and he definitely does not sparkle!

I got the Steve Jobs biography. We gave our son The Stand: Hardcases graphic novel, Ender's Game: Formic Wars: Burning Earth graphic novel, and First Meetings in Ender's Universe.

Books are still the best gifts!

Nancy Poydar said...

I received a book of essays. I like essays but I'm not sure how to define an essay. This collection is called Brooklyn was Mine. Appropriately it is from my Brooklyn family. It includes an essay by Jonathan Letham. I've read two of his novels and liked them. This weekend I walked Dean Street, the setting for one of those novels.

Cheryl said...

I gave Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj; Not a Box by Antoinette Porter; The Monster At the End of this Book by Jon Stone; George Shrinks by William Joyce; (all picture books), and, if I can count two copies of my own book that I bought and shipped out to two readers during a contest, HUNTED by me (Cheryl Rainfield). I also (ahem), bought myself a ton of books for the holiday--including replacing a bunch of Amelia Bedelia books that I had as a kid (but didn't have copies of now), and a ton of YA books as ebooks, including Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, which I'm reading now. And also some suspense ebooks....

J. R Wagner said...

I gave The Hunger Games to my 12-year-old daughter...the first time she's ever asked for a book for Christmas!

I received The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks...so funny!

Anamaria (bookstogether) said...

This year I gave my husband an old edition of Dickens, Pictures of Italy (we were there in the fall, and Dickens is his favorite), as well as The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. The kids got D'Aulaire's, Greek and Norse (somehow we didn't own these); the first book of The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan (for 11yo son), a cookbook and a craft book (for 7yo daughter). Plus they get to pick from the box of Cybils review copies--the rest are donated, but I let them keep one or two of their favorites!

Anonymous said...

I have money to spend so am on the look for books...some of the ones you gave look like must haves. Esp the I am a genius of unspeakable evil..oh my, lol! I let my niece raid my book shelves of ARCS and other MG and YA.

MotherReader said...

I gave "The Only Ones" to teen, "Wildwood" to tween, "Map of My Dead Pilots" to my father-in-law, "Steve Jobs" and "That is All" to my husband. I give all my nieces and nephews books from my review copies - two or three each - titles too many to mention.

I got "Three Maids for a Crown" and "Mindhacker." A slow book year for me. But I did just get "Why We Broke Up" today, so it's all good!

Lawral the Librarian said...

I got Paul Madonna's books for Christmas, and I gave all the young readers in my life Dude: Fun with Dude and Betty. It was a good, bookish Christmas. :)

Beth G. said...

I gave a bunch of books, including 4 of the Elephant & Piggie books to my going-on-5-year-old daughter. She liked them so much she had to pause and read through them all before she would open anything else.

I got a copy of Dinosaur vs. the Library (Bob Shea), The Daily Ukulele, the gorgeous Books: A Living History, and the new annotated edition of The Phantom Tollbooth. That last one, I wanted to pause and read before doing anything else! :)

Sarah Stevenson said...

Gail, great idea for a post/thread! Hope you're having a lovely holiday season.

I gave lots of books as gifts this year. I gave two copies of Colleen Mondor's book Map of My Dead Pilots--one to my brother-in-law who is an air traffic controller and one to my father-in-law, whose father and oldest brother were both military pilots at one time or another.

I gave Frankie Pickle books to our older nephew and a friend's boy, Everything Goes by Brian Biggs to my youngest nephew, Smile by Raina Telgemeier for my niece in Australia, and I will be sending a copy of More Than Soil, More Than Sky: The Modesto Poets to a friend.

My mom gave me a book of Robert Frost poetry, and we got a book about herbs and spices from my husband's aunt.

Stephanie Greene said...

I got "Queen of the Tambourine" by Jane Gardam from my husband. We gave a book on growing and cooking with peppers to our son, who grows - but doesn't yet cook - with peppers, along with a book on the origins of his name. I gave my mother (from ABE Books, a great source) a used, obscure Elizabeth Bowen book, and I recommended "Hemingway's Boat" by Paul Hendrickson to a million people.

Gail Gauthier said...

I knew Colleen had a book coming out, but I didn't realize it had been published already.

So many books here I haven't read and hadn't even heard of. Good work, people!