Hooray for another Top Ten Tuesday! This week at The Broke and the Bookish, posters are listing and discussing “Books I Want To Give As Gifts This Christmas.” I have to tell you who and why as well, so this should be an interesting list. Honestly, I don’t give that many books as gifts, and I don’t know why that is. Perhaps I’m like Gollum and hoard books for no other reason than I want them all for myself. 🙂 (I think I just found a New Year’s Resolution I might actually keep!) Well, I am giving two for Christmas this year, so I’ll start with them. (Here’s hoping those two people don’t read this blog!) The other eight are books I would like to give to people.
The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit—I’m giving this beautiful boxed set to my cousin this year. He loves the movies and mentioned that he’d like to read The Hobbit this year before the movie first came out. Here’s hoping he can take some time out of his busy IB schedule to actually enjoy some fiction!
Wham! The Art and Life of Roy Lichetenstein—This one is for my brother who loves Lichtenstein’s pop art. I leafed through it before I wrapped it, and it looks to be well done–thorough and informational. It’s a little thin for my taste, but it will look good on a coffee table and make for a good conversation starter. I think Jarrod will really like it!
Death Comes to Pemberly—I’d have to give this one to my friend Audrey who took a Jane Austen class with me in graduate school. Our favorite book by the lovely Ms. Austen is Persuasion, and I think we’d have a good time laughing at and enjoying this one. I don’t think Elizabeth, despite her many virtues, would make a great sleuth. She should leave that to Sherlock.
Game of Thrones (Book 1 of The Song of Ice and Fire Series)—I’d give this book to my husband if I thought he’d read it. It’s lengthy, and he doesn’t really love reading that much. However, I’d love to have a book in common with him besides Alas Babylon! That was the only book I ever recommended that he actually read cover to cover and wanted to discuss with me. Also, the added perk would be I could then justify adding HBO to our cable package so we could watch season two of the series when it starts in April of 2012.
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook—Why a book like this even exists is beyond me! I suppose fans are just this into the trilogy. There’s a vacuum in the fantasy world since the Harry Potter books and films ended, and this looks like it’s going to fill the void nicely. This one would have to go to my friend, Renee, at work who loves the series as much as I do and would get the humor behind this gift. (And who would likely make some of the recipes with me!)
This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession—This each and every one of my musical friends be they band director, music teacher, or humble player like myself. I read through the first chapter of this one while I was waiting for a Margaret Atwood lecture at Emory last year and was hooked. Why have I never gone back and picked this one up for myself!? It is a combination of “hard” neurological science and emotional reactions to music that explains why it is such a powerful force for humans.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks—This one would be a gift for my friend, Sherri, who is a former Anatomy and Biology teacher as well as a Registered Nurse. I know she would love the mix of culture and medicine in this one. If you’ve never heard of her, don’t be alarmed. No one has outside of the medical community. Here’s what the book jacket summary says: “Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years….Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.” Interesting, no?
Throw Them All Out—This one is for my friend, Bree, who is as adamant a political junkie as I have ever seen. She is passionate, moral, and outspoken in all the right ways. She stands up for her right for free speech…as well as the rights of those who disagree with her. However, she’ll disassemble their arguments like a Marine cleaning his rifle soon afterwards. 🙂
The Walking Dead: Days Gone By (Volume 1)—This one is for my dad who loves the TV show and is always asking my brother and me what is going to happen next. It is a darned fine television show; I’ll give it that. However, any bibliophile will always tell you that the book, without fail, is much better than the movie or television series. I don’t honestly think I’ve ever seen a film that was better than the book. Have you?
A History of the World in 100 Objects—This one is a great looking read for the historian friends I have like Jill and Jeff. From the credit card to the hand axe, this book chronicles the objects that have helped cultures flourish as well as those that have caused their demise. I’d be interested to read this one myself. However, isn’t that always the case with book nerds? We’d like to read the books we give away?
Okay, that’s my official list for this week. What books are you giving away? What books do you hope show up in your stocking or wrapped under the tree?
Also, have you ever read a book you were giving someone else before you gave it to them? I’d love to hear about it!
Persuasion is my favorite Austen, too! I haven’t delved too much into non-Austen Austen, but maybe I will give that P.D. James a try. I did enjoy Austenland, I admit. And that one where Lizzie and the narrator somehow trade places? So, okay, I guess I’ve read a few.
Henrietta Lacks is a great book! Thanks for your list, Jamie. I kind of choked this week and just wrote a depressing post about a tree . . .
I didn’t think it was depressing. I thought it rather quirky and fun. 🙂 The non-Austen Austen books are what choke and are depressing in my book…
Great list–not only for the description of the book, but for how you personalized each synopsis. I would love the book “History of the World in 100 Objects” because I’m fascinated in what material things tell us about humans and their values/priorities.
I’ve read books that I’ve then purchased more copies of and given as gifts: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, and The Way of the Wizard by Deepak Chopra come to mind.
That’s what’s cool about the Broke and the Bookish lists. They usually ask for an explanation or some detail that makes it more than just a list. Fun to do each week!
Awwww, you’re too kind! Hahahaha! You know me too well. However, I’d also like the Pemberley one. I also took a graduate course on Jane Austen. I think my favorite was Northanger Abbey!
Is NA the one with all the Gothic/Castle of Otranto elements? I remember not loving that one…mostly because of the female protagonist’s stupidity.
I’m going to have to check out This Is Your Brain on Music. That looks interesting. I’ve read Game of Thrones, but I’ve never made it past the third book. I have A Feast For Crows (is that the title?), but have yet to read it. I’m going to have to talk my wife into adding HBO soon, as well, but for a different reason. it seems that the TV series for The Dark Tower is going to be on HBO. I cannot miss that.
Is the Dark Tower a total go? I heard it had been dropped AGAIN! That would be just about the best thing ever to finally see Roland in action. I grew up with him and reading of his cyclic journey (though I didn’t know it was until the very end.) I’ve been thinking about reading that series beginning to end again soon. Game of Thrones is rather racy in places, but I love the epicness of that story so much I look past some of it. Characters you start hating (Tyrion) end up being the most dear and dynamic, and characters you expect to make a resurgence (Bran) do so in a way you totally don’t expect…
Oh…I don’t know. I hadn’t heard that it had been dropped, so I don’t know. I started reading through it again, but have only gotten to “Song of Susannah” this time around. I assume you’ve heard he’s writing a seventh one? Eighth one? I forget…I lost count. Heh. Anyway. My favorite is “Wolves of the Callah.” Have you ever taken the time to find all the connections to Tower in all of his other books? It’s quite astounding, actually.
I’ve found quite a few, but not all of them. I just think it’s genius the way he wove it into everything from The Stand to Salem’s Lot. The new one, which is due around April 2012, is one like Wizard and Glass, a flashback to Roland’s youth after his mother died. EXCITED I AM!!!!
Here’s a big hug, just for giving books. Publishing companies are having a bit of a struggle these days. Nice post and reminder for gift giving.
That’s interesting. Do you think the drop off in books is because of technology? I ask because I think I’ve purchased MORE books since I got my Kindle last year. I read on that thing like crazy! I also still buy hard copies of books, but only ones that I want to collect and perhaps read again/lecture from. Pleasure reading books are all happily stored digitally. Thanks for coming by for a read and taking a moment to leave a kind comment! You made my morning!
Great read thaank you
Thanks so much!