The Best Gift? Books!!!! (Sydney Salter)

The other day my college-aged daughter posted this image in our family texting group:

The caption above the photo reads: It's a book!


My daughters exchanged jokes about my propensity to give books, and yeah, so far the only packages under our tree are books.



After finals week, my college senior will savor that new thriller like comfort food for an overworked brain. I'm also giving her the cookbook that contains her favorite pecan pie recipe now that she's just a few months from moving into her first apartment. The book of dinosaur art will be a reminder of her passionate younger self - and I'm sure she'll share it with her own family someday.

My 18 year old doesn't have time to read the books I've chosen for her, not with the relentless pace of IB papers and projects, and all that college application stuff. *nerves* Yet someday that clever photography book might inspire one of her own projects. Or maybe she'll open one of the books someday just to see my handwriting again.

Books have long lives, connecting us in an ongoing conversation with authors and so many varied readers throughout time. I like to think that my daughters will remember me through books - not so much because I write books, but because I passionately love reading them.

So my gift to you? Books, of course! You can win a $25 gift certificate to your favorite place to shop for books. Just leave a comment below. I will announce the winner in my January 10th post!



Comments

  1. I agree--nothing better than a new book! Happy holidays, Sydney!

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  2. There's nothing like getting a book that you really want, or that you've never heard of but turns out to be perfect for you.

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  3. I don't think you'll find much disagreement here--books are the BEST gifts!

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  4. I completely agree. Even though my TBR pile is overweight, I'll be thrilled when I open packages with books on Christmas...And best of all, I'll get to read to my 4 year old granddaughter after she opens some of hers.

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  5. Sydney, what a great gift idea! (Books and the gift certificate.) I have always been so happy both giving and receiving books. This year, my 3-year-old daughter has fallen in love with A CHRISTMAS CAROL. She had a board book, and then I got tired of having to tell the story, so I got her an abridged picture book. And that still wasn't enough, so I'm reading her the original novel as she falls asleep at night. I don't know how much she understands, though she can talk accurately about the characters and the plot, but I hope one day she will remember the sound of my voice. I am so happy that she shares my love of books. It's the best gift I could get.

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  6. I give away soooooo many books as gifts! And we installed a Little Free Library so we could basically give away more. I can't say that books are the best gift EVER -- hello, that would be a trip to Paris! -- but they are toward the top of the list!

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  7. I am the giver of books in my family as well. Best job ever: Working at a bookstore where I got a 30% off discount. That Christmas, everyone knew what they were getting from me :)

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  8. Books are perfect gifts! (Don't enter me for the raffle, though. I'm commenting only because I agree!) Living with my sister (we're not speaking at the moment, to give you an idea of just how well we get along) was hard. Books provided me with the perfect escape.

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  9. Your statement about how books have long lives is especially true. That's why I've kept some of my books from childhood; I love them so much that I don't want to give them up, even though I often end up reading them differently now that I'm an adult, compared to when I was a child/teenager.

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  10. Back in the day Christmas shopping started at Borders or Waldenbooks where I picked out a book for my husband and each of our five kids, and whoever else I saw the perfect book for. I still love getting books as presents.

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