Books you're giving as gifts (or would like to give_

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Brightdreamer

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I'd love to give books.

Unfortunately, nobody on my list reads anymore.

(What's truly sad is that this includes my parents, the ones who raised me on SF/F and books...)
 

Jaymz Connelly

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Books are well received here.

#1 son reads manga, and he's just getting more of a series he's following.

#2 son reads SF/F. He's getting continuations of the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka, continuation of the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Laundy (sp?), plus The Magician's Guild trilogy by Trudi Canavan, 'The Colour of Magic' (don't think I need to specify the author here *g*), 4 books of the Matthew Swift series (can't remember the author right now), and a Warhammer 40K book. And he'll probably be finished the lot of them by the middle of January. *sigh* To say he's a voracious reader is an understatement.


For myself, I'm getting Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley(I think that's her last name). I have her 'The Watchmaker of Filigree Street' already and like her style of writing.
 

mrsmig

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I'm gifting two folks with The Ravenmaster: My Life with The Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife, the Yeoman Warder in charge of the birds. He gave a talk here in DC back in October, and did a book signing afterward. One of the two recipients is big into British history, and the other is a birder. I like both topics, so of course I bought a signed copy for myself.

The book is just a tad precious, but still enjoyable.
 

AstronautMikeDexter

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My office does a book swap for the holidays and I think I'm going to either give "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent or "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Ottessa Moshfegh. I can't decide, though!

As for me, I'm hoping to get "The Power" by Naomi Alderman.
 

starsknight

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Every now and then, I run across a book nearly every SFF reader on my list will enjoy. Last year, it was Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs. This year, it's Martha Wells's All Systems Red. (Why yes, those ARE both the first books of series. Which means future gift-fodder . . . muahahaha!) I'm also giving a few of the geeky-humor-oriented readers on my list John Scalzi's Redshirts.
 

Brightdreamer

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Every now and then, I run across a book nearly every SFF reader on my list will enjoy. Last year, it was Robert Jackson Bennett's City of Stairs. This year, it's Martha Wells's All Systems Red. (Why yes, those ARE both the first books of series. Which means future gift-fodder . . . muahahaha!) I'm also giving a few of the geeky-humor-oriented readers on my list John Scalzi's Redshirts.

For another geek-humor option, have you read Scott Meyer's Magic 2.0 books (first: Off to Be the Wizard)? A computer geek discovers the data files behind reality and hacks them to give himself wizard-like powers. He winds up fleeing trouble he created in modern times to hide out in medieval England, hoping to pass himself off as a wizard... only to find that he's not the first to discover the files, and a host of other computer geeks/nerds are already there. Think Douglas Adams Lite for the tone and style, plenty of computer/SF/culture references. First three are fun - there may be a fourth one, but I haven't confirmed yet.
 

Marissa D

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4 books of the Matthew Swift series (can't remember the author right now),

Kate Griffin. Those were amazing.

I'm not buying as much fiction for holiday gifts for family because we share a B&N account for our Nooks and I'm buying books all year, but I am getting the enormous "Jewelry: The Body Transformed" for my jewelry student daughter, and various non-fiction for friends on topics we've discussed, including "White Mughals" by William Dalrymple, about 18th century British East India agents who thoroughly embraced the cultures they originally came to exploit.
 

Maggie Maxwell

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I'm getting my mom the new John Grisham and a book on backroads and two-day trips in our state, which she loves to do. I think she's the only books on the list, though.
 

WilkinsonMJ

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I'm giving my roommate a copy of DUNE because I'm tired of him not understanding when I make hilarious references to it. Last year I bought him 'Killing Pablo', about the death of Pablo Escobar written by one of the men involved, because he was interested and hadn't gotten around to reading in a while.
 

Alessandra Kelley

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I got my husband Richard (for his birthday a couple of weeks ago, so not worried about spoilers) a copy of John Crowley’s Ka.

Because A) John Crowley is a brilliant writer and always worth reading, and B) he was one of Richard’s teachers at Clarion West, fondly remembered for exploding all of Richard’s ideas of writing and setting him on the course he is on today.
 

Myrealana

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Last year, I gave the readers on my list a subscription to GiftLit.

For the kids, I got a 12 month subscription, and for the adults, a 6 month. They have lists for various reading types and levels. I got my teenage son a graphic novel subscription, and he actually started reading again.

This year, I'm giving my mom and dad a custom book. They took a 2-week trip to Wales and Ireland this summer. Every day, my mom sent me a 1500-2000 word email detailing everything they did that day. I edited her emails together into one travelogue, added pictures from their trip and put it together into a hardcover book. The things you can make for yourself these days are incredible.
 
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starrystorm

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This thread reminds me of one time where I was in a Christmas book swap in elementary school and someone handed out "The End" by Lemony Snicket. That's the 13th book in the "Series of Unfortunate Events". Thirteenth! Or at least that's how my mom tells it. I don't remember it, but I have no doubt that it could and would have happen.
 
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RookieWriter

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Over the years I have given a lot of books to friends and family. The three most common authors I have used as gifts are James Patterson, John Grisham, and Sue Grafton.
 

jjdebenedictis

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My family has slumped into the comfy tradition of giving each other bookstore gift cards, because we ALL want to hoover up new novels on someone else's dime, but we still want to pick titles for ourselves. It feels lazy, but we've all agreed we appreciate a subsidy of our book addictions more than taking a risk on someone else's vision of what our tastes are.
 

Brightdreamer

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My family has slumped into the comfy tradition of giving each other bookstore gift cards, because we ALL want to hoover up new novels on someone else's dime, but we still want to pick titles for ourselves. It feels lazy, but we've all agreed we appreciate a subsidy of our book addictions more than taking a risk on someone else's vision of what our tastes are.

I, for one, would love to get a nice gift card for books; a bookstore binge is all the sweeter when it's gift card enabled. (Inexplicably, family is very slow to catch on to that. Sometimes I think they don't even know me.)
 

brightspark

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I'm gifting "Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine this year" because I've heard so many good things about it but this is also the first time I've gifted a book without reading it first.
 
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Evelyn Michelle

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I wanted to give out a couple of Dave Ramsey books for Christmas because of his sale. But my car broke down just before Christmas and I couldn’t afford much of anything. I did manage to get my brother some cool Legend of Zelda manga before that though.
 

RookieWriter

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Here are a few (of many) specifics I have given in recent years

Stephen King - Under the Dome, 11/23/63, Dark Tower Series

Tom Clancy - Against All Enemies, Locked On

Lewis Black - Me of Little Faith

Norm MacDonald - Based on a True Story

Michael Grant - Gone

Maya Angelou - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings