For the Holidays, Give Books

What else can you buy that gives hours of fun, kick starts your imagination, requires no batteries, and is powered simply by words? I’ve read so many fantastic books this year that have transformed my combined 90-minute commute into time I look forward to. And it continues most nights—when I read to my sons who are genuinely excited for story time. Without exaggerating, if a hidden camera were to capture us reading together, beaming our image into every household across the country, audiences would think this is staged, but it’s real. You can’t make this stuff up.

Cool Gifts
Books make cool gifts

Since I work in publishing, one of the perks is that I get a lot of complimentary books. I was able to secure a copy of the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid and passed it to my older son, whose eyes popped out of his head as he exclaimed how he could not believe he had a copy even before the stores did. My wife confirmed on her computer that Amazon.com did not have the book either, which prompted my son to openly contemplate a future in publishing when he grows up.

Book gifts are personal. The books you give signify how well you know someone. You can add to a book’s meaning by inscribing it, so your thoughts become a permanent part of the book. When you inscribe a book, the significance of the writing and the beauty of the cover gets transferred to you, and whenever the recipient of your gift picks up that book, he or she is forever reminded of you.

Finally, as a publisher I have behind the scenes knowledge of what goes into the making of a book. I can tell you that the books we have published since 1993 represent years of dedicated work by a host of talented individuals. Their combined efforts are the heart and soul behind what makes books so desirable in the first place. I am curious to know how many of you out there make it a tradition to give books as gifts for the holidays. What books have you given as gifts, and why? Happy holidays, everyone.

2 thoughts on “For the Holidays, Give Books”

  1. For the kids who have everything, I like being the quirky aunt who gives all books, all the time. I try to cover the classics for every holiday from “Bunnicula” to the “Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes.” One of my favorite gift books for the older set–“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”

  2. There have been a number of different books I’ve given as gifts over the years. For people who have just had babies, Baby Born and Toddler Two are go to books. World War Z to my guy friends, Flow to my creative friends, and lately Hunger Games to just about anyone. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of my favorites as well!

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