For those of you bustling around hurrying to finish up your shopping for the holidays, or those of you still in search for the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop for person, you’re in luck; this post is just for you! With Christmas quickly approaching, we wanted to help by giving you some last minute gift ideas for book lovers.
We asked around the house, “If someone wants to give the gift of reading, what book(s) would you suggest and why?” Here are some of our recommendations:
Susanne’s pick(s):
“Well, of course A Christmas Carol by Dickens, but also Mr. Tim by Louis Bayard which is not a Christmas tale but does give the story of Tiny Tim’s life after A Christmas Carol ends. Also, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, because Seuss is brilliant and the story, like any good holiday tale, is for both children and adults, and The Joy of Cooking–the quintessential cookbook for beginners and pros in the kitchen.”
Susanne Jaffe is Thurber House’s executive director
Meg’s pick(s):
“For children, Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg for the pure beauty of the story and illustrations. Makes a great Christmas present too! For mid-grade, Pond Scum by Alan Silberberg. It has fun characters, lots of great humor and a positive message. Parents will enjoy reading along too! And for young adults, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I finally checked it off my to-read list and loved it! It has great action, plot twists, messages about friendship, survival, and a great heroine. Boys, girls, and adults will get sucked into it. Make it a family affair and read it together and check out the movie in March to see if it holds true!”
Meg Brown is Thurber House’s children’s programming manager
Pat’s pick(s):
“So many books – so little time! The first book that came to mind is a picture book, aimed for adults called, It’s a Book by Lane Smith. It celebrates the book form in all its simplicity and joy. You can check out the trailer on YouTube. The irony comes when you look up the book on Amazon, and beneath the book cover, there’s a box that asks people to write to the publisher and request an ebook version. Also, I second Meg’s suggestion for Hunger Games, you can’t turn the pages fast enough! Another series that I love is Alexander McCall Smith’s, No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. The characters are charming, the mysteries are challenging and there’s just the right mix of humor and drama. The beauty of starting someone reading a series is that you can keep giving them books until they’ve read them all:)”
Pat Shannon is Thurber House’s Director of Education
Amanda’s pick(s):
“Anything from Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust series. Finding the right book at the right moment is often difficult, but she makes it easy by recommending books by vacation destinations or moods or important life moments. They’re books about hundreds of books, so it’s definitely a gift that will keep on giving.”
Amanda Fondreist is Thurber House’s General House Administrator
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out our Summer and Fall Staff Picks Lists!
