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It’s my Dad’s birthday today, which makes me wonder … do you like to give books as gifts?

I’m usually torn. I love giving and sharing books, but it can be hard. The giftee can be difficult to please, or you don’t know what they’ve read (or what they thought of books they have read). Even people who love to read and love to get books can be hard to gift books to … so, does that make you pause and reach for the neckties or DVDs or sweaters … anything BUT a book at gift-giving time? How do you feel about getting books yourself? Are you picky or easy? (For the record, I’m told I’m VERY hard to buy for, even though I’ll read just about anything … go figure. – BTT

Gift giving is always tricky. I tend to not give books as gifts because most people I know don’t really appreciate books like I do. Secondly, while I love books, I am picky about the books I receive too. I have received books in the past and I appreciate the thought, but unless the person knows me very well (and few do), I don’t necessarily get the books I want. I really like to choose my own books, and I will pretty much read anything too. But there is something about choosing the books you read. I do love recommendations though, but I like to seek the book out in my own time.

I think a good way of giving a book lover a gift is to give them a gift certificate to their bookstore of choice, Amazon, Chapters, Book Depository, etc.

Otherwise, I like other gifts too. 🙂

Also, I posted this at 2AM not because of insomnia, but because I am just rereading Harry Potter stuffs.

14 thoughts on “Booking Through Thursday – Gifts

  1. I agree about getting books as gifts. No one really knows me well enough to buy me a book I really love, not even my mother who has known me for 23+ years, and the man I’ve lived with for six. I think the closest they would get is buying me something by an author I like.

    However, I love buying books as gifts. Its always tricky and they never appreciate is as much as I do, but I just cant help myself.

    Manda C.
    http://isolemnlyswearx.blogspot.com/2013/01/booking-through-thursday_10.html

    1. Hi Manda! You’re a better bibliophile than me to give books. I’m thinking I’ll just donate the books I have now to charity or strangers since none of my friends or family want them. Thanks for commenting!

  2. My solution to this to simply ask specific titles, both when I give books and receive them as presents.

    Reading Harry Potter sounds like a marvellous idea, by the way, enjoy yourself,

    kind regards

  3. I think gift cards are the best way to go too. Realistically speaking, I have a book priority queue, so even if I receive something that I really want, it may not be the one I *really* wanted. Or there have been times that I’ve received a random book that I know nothing about, but people seem to assume that because I’m a reader, I must know about the book and want it.

    1. Hi Crystal! I am like you, I have a book priority queue or more that I control when I want to read my books in that moment. Yes, there also books people have given me based on what they like (which is fine) or what they think I may like (but they haven’t read). Gift cards for books are better.

  4. I don’t tend to buy books for my friends because like you they don’t appreciate books as much as me. I do buy books for my mother, father and brother because there are genres I share with them all. If I’m dry of ideas though a book gift voucher is a great way to go 🙂

    1. Hi Jessica! I wish I could give books to my family, but none of them are interested in boos like I am. It’s hard to go wrong with a gift voucher. Hope you have a good weekend!

    1. Hi Holly! I completely agree about the subjectivity. This is why when people ask me for book recs, I have to know what they like and what they don’t like and consider it. Thanks and hope you have a good weekend!

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