Friday 28 December 2018

Who Got Books for Christmas?

Or was your entire tree made of books?


(Thanks to Mistress Maddie of A Day with the Mistress Borghese for letting me use his great photo of this Book Tree!)

I got quite a few books as gifts this year. Two were recipe books -- Best of Bridge Weekday Suppers and the latest by one of Canada's favourite food authors, Greta Podleski's Yum & Yummer. Plus I got a book of large-print crossword puzzles for my poor old eyes.

I got one novel -- French Exit by Patrick DeWitt. It was shortlisted for Canada's Giller Prize this year, so should be a good read. He previously wrote The Sisters Brothers, which just got made into a movie (haven't seen it yet).

What books did YOU get?

43 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

I got a gift card for books; I have a few travel & bio books on my wishlist...

Bob said...

Carlos gave me several books written by one of my favorite ex-presidents, and one of my current favorite humanitarians, Jimmy Carter, about his life.

DEZMOND said...

hey, Debs, how come you never post some recipes and the things you cooked! I'd love to see it :)

Parnassus said...

Hello Debra, I only buy books in the summer (in Ohio), but then I get the fun of going on a book-buying binge. You should see my book-wanted list--it makes small kids writing to Santa look like minimalists!
--Jim

mxtodis123 said...

I got "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook" and "The Spirit Almanac: A Modern Guide to Ancient Self-Care". Can't wait to start reading them.
I've also gone through my books and picked out one for each adult family member that fits their personalities.

Rommy said...

When my son came home from college he handed me the books he had to read as part of his literature course as a gift. :D I really enjoyed a graphic novel in particular, My Favorite Thing is Monsters, by Emil Ferris. The art (lovingly detailed colored pencil sketch mixed with lots of B-movie/pulp fiction style imagery) is amazing. And I was really intrigued by the story (so annoyed I have to wait for September for the next edition).

I also got a holiday book at random when I bought perfume from Black Phoenix Alchemy (it was themed after the Scandinavian practice of reading on Christmas Eve). The book they sent was Old Songs in a New Cafe, a series of essays by Robert James Waller. This isn't the usual type of book I'd pick up for myself, but I'm several essays in and find I like his writing style.

LOL, finally, every year I get an Amazon gift card from my brother. I also have one from work. So when I am done with the Waller book, a book shopping I shall go!

The Happy Whisk said...

Sounds like great books and lots of fun. LOVE The tree! I got two cookery books. One came with my new Vitamix and the other came with my new DeLonghi. Happy Christmas. Happy 2019!

Marie Smith said...

I got gift cards for the books store. Haven’t done my shopping yet though. I always read the Gillers too.

Leanna said...

I got a $100 gift card for Half Priced Books which is a bookstore chain around here. I love collecting art and cookbooks so this is a perfect gift for me.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Ooh, thanks for the book recommendations ... no, NOT the cookbooks. I do daily crosswords online, which means I can make the type as big as I want. And I do love that tree.

JP said...

I looked up the recipe book you mentioned. It looks orgasmic.
JP

Susan said...

I used to get books. Now, in the time of wanting less physical things, I get myself audio books. I just finished Becoming by Michelle Obama (LOVED it) and will be moving on to Rules of Civility, by the author of A Gentleman in Moscow. Then there are the bazillion physical books that I have piled on the dresser...

Sooo-this-is-me said...

What are "books"? Is that movies that haven't been transferred from paper to the screen yet? (Snicker)

Rain said...

Hi Debra :) Oh that recipe book Weekday Suppers looks really great, I looked those up, I'm a cookbook addict ya see. :)

Alex and I didn't exchange gifts this year! Oh, I am downloading The Sisters Brothers...I saw it online, I hope it's a good one!

This N That said...

Nobody would ever give me a book.... I just don't read... If I get into a good book, I do nothing else til it's finished..I spend too much time on the computer..Every now and then (every year or so), I will read a book that I have on my Kindle..Mostly Alex Cross (James Patterson)..Usually in the winter time..Netflix and Amazon take up reading time in the evening.. Happy New Year!! Love the book tree..

Barbara said...

Books are still one of my most favorite presents. Fiction, non-fiction, art books, cookbooks, just about any subject is my favorite.

Martha said...

Books? Me? Does the sun rise every morning? LOL I don't think a holiday goes by that I don't get at least one book (or 10). HAHA I got a mixture, which including anything from cookbooks to metaphysical to fiction!

Carol Blackburn said...

Happy reading and cooking!

Magic Love Crow said...

Please post some things you have cooked Deb! I didn't get any books, but my mom did. I love that tree! Big Hugs!

Morgaine Pendragon said...

The only book I got was a Sloth coloring book. But it's so cute and I can't wait to color in it.

Susan Kane said...

My husband gave me a cheesy romance novel. He knows I have a stack of good books awaiting me. This book can always be a bathroom reading book.

Ol'Buzzard said...

I got Stephen King's new novel Elevation and a pre-solstice gift of Walter Isaacson's Leonardo da Vinci.
the Ol'Buzzard

Adam said...

I heard Trump made a book

started with Mein

I forgot the other word.

Started with a K

Magaly Guerrero said...

We only opened one gift on the Solstice, since I had hospital stuff going on, and the present I opened was a giftcard for 13 audiobooks. I also got a glorious first edition of The West Wing, by Gorey (which smells delicious!). We are opening the rest of our presents on the 31st, and some of the packages look suspiciously like... yep, you guessed it, BOOKS!

peppylady (Dora) said...

Didn't get any books for Christmas although I gave books for Christmas gift.
My son a hiking book for area he lives in and his father in law two hiking books of kooteny lake area in british colombia.
Then my grand daughters also books but I don't recall there titles.
Coffee is on

Bea said...

A book tree looks like the best kind of Chrristmas tree to have! (No books for Xmas, sadly.)

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

I love that book tree! I got Martha's Vineyard - To Everything there is a Season, by photography Peter Simon, who recently passed. It is a book I will cherish always - Currently reading Michelle Obama's Becoming. Very interesting if you haven't read it yet.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

That tree is just amazing! I love it! Books...the best gift ever!

Debi said...

Many blessings for you & yours , health & happiness in the coming New Year!
Well of course I received BOOKS! &. Old & New MUSIC!
I also received a heart full of hope, eyes that see through dark and a brain, sparking to every new idea I can imagine!

I am happy to read you had a wonderful celebration! I will be expecting helpful cooking tips NOW! hahahahaha!
xoxoDebi

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I gave but did not get books. That's the way I like it these days - as I have an ever growing pile of "Read me already!"

Lovely, smart tree there.

Have a great New Year, Debra.

Mistress Maddie said...

That was the most books I saw this season alas.

But Warbucks did send me a special gift of a trip, and a small coffee table book of Ton of Finland.

Lady M said...

I got two high altitude cookbooks so I can make my baking dreams a reality. Otherwise I got lots of puzzles - his Lordship and I like to do a puzzle on long dark evenings!!!

Liz Hinds said...

I got the latest Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum book plus non-fiction, Diary of a Bookseller and Pebbles on the Beach.

I do like that tree.

JFM said...

Books are the greatest gift ever!!!
One can never have too many books as far as I am concerned :)
Sorry that I missed this post Debra 📕📓📒📑

AntiquityTravelers said...

I actually gave a lot of books ... to my girls. One can never have enough! the younger one loves her Manga, and so we picked up some to try out a few new series for her. And my older one appears to be into Tarot (I know something you enjoy!) ... so there were books on reading those cards! Along with a few others ... one called 'Unladylike: A Field Guide to Smashing the Patriarchy and Claiming Your Space.' Gotta love that it was on her Christmas list ;)

Bill Lisleman said...

We gave book gifts to a number of grandkids. My wife and I both agree it's very difficult to pick a book for someone. I recall getting books in the past and never read much of them. That's the great thing about the library, check out a book and return if it doesn't hold your interest.

Ole Phat Stu said...

At Xmas, I was given Christopher Moore's "The stupidest angel", ISBN 978-1-84149-618-4. Not nearly as good as Pratchett's "Good Omens".
What I CAN recommend is a non-fiction book : Dava Sobel's "Longitude", which is about John Harrison's development of the first sea-going chronometer to measure longitude.

Sybil said...

Love the book tree.

e said...

I received a Marcia Muller mystery (I don't read mysteries much but I love that my friend sent it to me) and Baking with Mary Berry. I love the GBBO/GBBS - it's my tv happy place. Everyone is so decent and kind to each other. I'm not baking much but, who knows? I could whip up a treacle tart!

yellowdoggranny said...

I didn't get any books..but I gave them to the gg's and the new step ggs..got abby and Olivia their first jr. Cook book..

Jenn said...

Now I have seen a book tree and a wine tree...combining those 2 might also work!!

Fundy Blue said...

Wow! My kind of Christmas tree! Terry gave me three books for Christmas: "That Month in Tuscany" by Inglath Cooper (because of our recent romp through Tuscany), "Abaddon's Gate" by James S. A. Corey(# three in a sci fi series I really like), and "New York 2140" by Kim Stanley Robinson (a genius and giant of a writer!). My brother gave me "Fear: Trump in the White House" by Bob Woodward ~ He likes to stir the pot! I have read "The Sisters Brothers" ~ found it on a bookshelf in our favorite little Victoria hotel. Happy reading in 2019! I gorged on books in December, reading more in that month than I have in a long time.

Insomniac's Attic said...

I got book gift certificates! I haven't got the actual books yet but I think all five of them have the word "faery" or "witch" in the title. I probably SHOULD have ordered aome cookbooks instead. lol