Here are this week’s memes:
Meme the First
Do you give books as gifts? To everyone? Or only to select people? How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?
I do give books as gifts. I try to be very careful about it, though. I try to be mindful of the person’s reading habits and tastes and pick out a book I think they’ll like. I try to pick books that I’ve read, so I can make an informed recommendation. I particularly love to give my nieces and nephews books that I loved as a child. This Christmas season there are a number of books going to people on my list.
As for receiving books, I’m always appreciative of receiving a book. I’ve received some interesting books as gifts that I wouldn’t have necessarily picked up on my own. Though many of my family members claim that gift certificates are too impersonal to give as gifts, I disagree. When you give a book lover a gift certificate to a bookstore, you’re giving them three gifts: the trip to the bookstore; the fun of guilt-free book buying; and the lasting gift of a book.
Meme the Second
What is the best book you ever bought for yourself? And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?
This is a hard question. The first book I ever remember buying for myself is a dictionary. I was eight or so. I saved up my money and bought myself a huge Webster’s dictionary. My mother thought it was hilarious. I was so proud of myself though. I really wanted to be able to look up all those words. I still have, use, and treasure that dictionary.
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Your answers made me stop and think back to what my first exciting book purchases were…probably used Nancy Drew books & believe me, that was a thrill. :)
I like to receive books and give some away to some people.
A dictionary. Wow that’s great. I remember my mom buying a sesame street dictionary for my sister and I. I read it through cover to cover on a couple of occassions.
I love what you said about gift certificates being 3 gifts in one. I enjoy receiving them but rarely give them in case the person thinks I haven’t made an effort. Yet I never think that of someone else, only grateful and excited to plan a visit to the bookshop.
I’m spending a lot of time matching books to their recipients, especially those who don’t read much. I believe there is a book for everybody. Books are very personal gifts.
I’m a “piece of work” in terms of recipient of books. Over the years my friends have cringed from giving me books for my birthday owing to my eclectic taste. They also keep in mind that I’ve probably read some of the books they want to give me. Books do make perfect gifts, but by their very nature, books can also be a problem as tokens of affection. The delay factor is huge. Some books get a one-way ticket back to the used bookstore.
I’ll have to remember that argument for gift cards…my boyfriend always responds that they are boring gifts when I tell him that is what I want.
That’s hilarious that you bought yourself a dictionary. :) I surely would have done the same, except I didn’t need to — we had dictionaries around the house and were encouraged to use them.
Your story about buying yourself a dictionary reminds me of when I was about seven and made my parents buy me a set of encyclopedias. Didn’t actually pay for them myself, but I’ve always thought of them as books I bought, since I had the idea! And that probably was the best book(s) I ever bought myself.
I love to make my brothers buy me books.
:D
Here are my BTT posts:
Booking through treat
Booking through generosity
I like your response about how booklovers appreciate gift cards. I love them, too. It’s such a thrill to walk into a bookstore and be able to pick whatever you want! I almost enjoy it more than getting a book itself (which there’s a chance I won’t like).
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