So today is Black Friday and no, I won't be venturing out. I've already bought a good portion of my Christmas gifts. Still have a few more to make or purchase, but I'm never in the mood to fight crowds of people. Yuck! Instead I will be staying home, pigging out on leftovers, and reading. But for those of you heading out to do some shopping, here are my recommendations for the bookish people in your life (or for the non-bookish that you are hoping to convert).
Kids
The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
The first 20 books in the series are being released as ebooks just in time for Christmas! I own almost all of the books but I'm just itching to get them downloaded onto my kindle. These titles will be great for nostalgic readers like myself and hopefully will appeal to a whole new generation of young readers.
Speaking of appealing to a new generation- try giving out books that were your favorite when you were young. For instance, I would be giving out books like Little House on the Prairie, Ramona, and The Boxcar Children. If you are excited about giving the present, they'll be excited about getting it.
Press Here by Hervé Tullet
Perfect for kids of all ages. I've even seen it done for a group of third graders and it was hilarious. This book is also great for teachers or anyone who interacts with a group of children. It can easily be adapted for a group by letting the kids (and parents) in the audience take turns doing the books' various actions. Really got the first graders at one of my local elementary books excited about reading.
Boys
The Avengers, Batman, *insert various superhero here*
Any more there is a plethora of inexpensive and easy to read books out there for young boys. I have found these at library book sales and used books stores and often they are in decent shape. Your wallet will like the price and the kid(s) will like the book. Even if they aren't quite reading they will enjoy seeing the familiar characters and that will get them excited about their book.
Girls
*See above, only insert things like Barbie, My Little Pony, Dora...*
Again, seeing familiar characters that they already love will get them excited about books
Teens/Adults
Movie Tie-Ins
This year had movie releases such as The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, Hugo (based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret), Breaking Dawn Part 2, One for the Money...okay, I could go on and on with titles. Clearly there's a lot out there for movie/book lovers. So why not tie-in to that? Be creative! Don't just rush out and buy someone the original title- if they enjoy it, they likely already have it. But see if there is some sort of companion to the book, or a copy of the dvd. Or maybe the movie they want to see isn't out yet- get them movie tickets for it's release. Maybe there's a sequel coming out or just something else by the same author. Perhaps they haven't read the book the movie is based on. There's a lot of things you can do.
Accessories
If your favorite reader has an e-reader device, they'll likely enjoy getting a fancy new cover or perhaps a book light (or the Paperwhite Kindle...). Or get them the best accessory- a gift card to buy more books for their e-reader.
If your reader is like me, you may not be able to keep up with what books they own/don't own/want to own...so that's when a gift card becomes the perfect gift. Personally I am not a fan of giving gift card (they always seem a little impersonal), but they do come in handy.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
Readers! What book(s) are you hoping to find under the tree this year?
Great news book lovers! Did you know that you can wear some of your favorite books? Literary Book Gifts offers a wide range of shirts featuring some favorite works of literature. They have shirts, sweatshirts, and tank tops. Additionally, they have some great tote bags, so you can show off your favorite book while carrying more books inside! I had a hard time picking my favorites out of all of the selections, but finally narrowed it down and have included some pictures in this post- but trust me, there is a lot more to choose from. There are options in both Men's and Women's styles. Personally, I am a big fan of the sweatshirts, because who doesn't need more sweatshirts? I also really like the cut and style of the tank tops, perfect for exercising or a casual outfit. And you can never go wrong with a t-shirt featuring the work of one of your favorite authors. All in all- there is something for everyone!
