Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "presents"
Christmas Book List
Well, I trust you do have plenty of books on your Christmas wish list!
There is a tradition in one of the Nordic countries where Christmas Eve is spent eating chocolate and reading books. I like that - a lot!
Don’t forget audio books. There are plenty of ways to take in stories. Reading will always be my first love but listening to stories comes in at a respectable second.
And these are great for people who might not want to sit down with a book but who are happy to listen to a story while doing something else. You take in more than you might think.
Re-reading Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather and watching the adaptation of it is on my list of things to do and A Christmas Carol will be on the agenda for me to revisit again at some point in the run up to Christmas.
I’ll almost certainly be watching the Muppet version. Not only is that a great adaptation, Gonzo, as narrator Charles Dickens, reminds people to go and read the book at the end of the film. I love that and I’d always second that suggestion!
Okay, you know when you’ve got books as presents. The shape is a dead giveaway but it doesn’t matter if you know what’s in the wrapping.
There will always be something special about unwrapping a book for Christmas.
And they do make fabulous presents.
There is a tradition in one of the Nordic countries where Christmas Eve is spent eating chocolate and reading books. I like that - a lot!
Don’t forget audio books. There are plenty of ways to take in stories. Reading will always be my first love but listening to stories comes in at a respectable second.
And these are great for people who might not want to sit down with a book but who are happy to listen to a story while doing something else. You take in more than you might think.
Re-reading Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather and watching the adaptation of it is on my list of things to do and A Christmas Carol will be on the agenda for me to revisit again at some point in the run up to Christmas.
I’ll almost certainly be watching the Muppet version. Not only is that a great adaptation, Gonzo, as narrator Charles Dickens, reminds people to go and read the book at the end of the film. I love that and I’d always second that suggestion!
Okay, you know when you’ve got books as presents. The shape is a dead giveaway but it doesn’t matter if you know what’s in the wrapping.
There will always be something special about unwrapping a book for Christmas.
And they do make fabulous presents.
Books For Santa
Now I don’t know about you, but at the end of the day I love my reading time. It’s the perfect way to wind down before sleeping.
And there is nothing to beat putting your feet up and enjoying a good read unless you are doing that and eating a big bar of chocolate at the same time! (Let’s assume no mess!).
So let’s give some thought to someone who, when they finally get to put their feet up after a task well done, ought to be able to relax with a good book.
So just what would Santa read?
My list of books for Santa to read would include:-
1. Improve your World Geography Knowledge in Ten Easy Steps
2. How to Get the Best Out of Your Transport
3. Insulating Your Home The Easy Way
4. What You Really Need to Know about Elves
5. The All Time Great Flight Paths
6. A Christmas Carol (Scrooge prior to the ghosts’ visits would definitely be on the naughty list).
7. The Never Ending Story (Santa is likely to have a lot of sympathy with this one).
8. The Ultimate Gift Guide (not that Santa would really need this. It would be more of a case of keeping an eye on any possible competition!).
9. Perfect Parcel Wrapping - You Too Can Do This!
10. 1001 Carrot Recipes
I hope you have plenty of books on your list to Santa. It goes without saying I have!
And there is nothing to beat putting your feet up and enjoying a good read unless you are doing that and eating a big bar of chocolate at the same time! (Let’s assume no mess!).
So let’s give some thought to someone who, when they finally get to put their feet up after a task well done, ought to be able to relax with a good book.
So just what would Santa read?
My list of books for Santa to read would include:-
1. Improve your World Geography Knowledge in Ten Easy Steps
2. How to Get the Best Out of Your Transport
3. Insulating Your Home The Easy Way
4. What You Really Need to Know about Elves
5. The All Time Great Flight Paths
6. A Christmas Carol (Scrooge prior to the ghosts’ visits would definitely be on the naughty list).
7. The Never Ending Story (Santa is likely to have a lot of sympathy with this one).
8. The Ultimate Gift Guide (not that Santa would really need this. It would be more of a case of keeping an eye on any possible competition!).
9. Perfect Parcel Wrapping - You Too Can Do This!
10. 1001 Carrot Recipes
I hope you have plenty of books on your list to Santa. It goes without saying I have!
Book Shopping
Book shopping is an absolute pleasure, of course, and I like to mix up how I do this.
I do shop online but mix up the retailers I use (and I like to also support those who support independent bookshops. I have used You Know Who and I have found them helpful with out of print books in the past. I also believe in not putting all my eggs in one basket here but that goes for You Know Who as well as the other retailers here).
I also love going into a “proper” bookshop and browsing. Have not done the latter yet since the pandemic restrictions were lifted but hope it will be something I get back to before too long.
And the nice thing here is that book shopping is easy enough for family and friends to do for you for Christmas etc. Just give them a list of the books you want and send them to Waterstones!
I also like to mix up asking for paperbacks and ebooks (though usually I’ll sort out the latter myself). And I like to have non-fiction as well as fiction on my Wish List.
The downside of all of this?
I know I need to sort out my book shelves. Adding more books is not going to help! But it is a nice problem to have!
I do shop online but mix up the retailers I use (and I like to also support those who support independent bookshops. I have used You Know Who and I have found them helpful with out of print books in the past. I also believe in not putting all my eggs in one basket here but that goes for You Know Who as well as the other retailers here).
I also love going into a “proper” bookshop and browsing. Have not done the latter yet since the pandemic restrictions were lifted but hope it will be something I get back to before too long.
And the nice thing here is that book shopping is easy enough for family and friends to do for you for Christmas etc. Just give them a list of the books you want and send them to Waterstones!
I also like to mix up asking for paperbacks and ebooks (though usually I’ll sort out the latter myself). And I like to have non-fiction as well as fiction on my Wish List.
The downside of all of this?
I know I need to sort out my book shelves. Adding more books is not going to help! But it is a nice problem to have!
Books On Your Wish List
Do you have a Book Wish List? I have two a year - one for the period leading up to my birthday and the other leading up to Christmas. Family and friends of book lovers should appreciate us really. We are so easy to buy for. Just follow our list(s)!
I try to get a list together for Christmas in November. That’s early enough.
I’ve got some thoughts already for books I’d like to be on that list - not that I am surprised by this. I tend to make a mental note throughout the year of “possibles”! (I also refuse to believe I’m the only one who does that). And I like an annual, yes even at my age. (The Friendship Book before you ask).
Ebooks I tend to buy as I want them (and I do use this format for trying out authors new to me). Audio books are something I tend to give as presents to others.
But however you like your books, I hope you have plenty of them on your Wish List. And, best of all, books are so easy to wrap. Okay, you can’t hide what they are (not unless you really go overboard with the wrapping) but seeing a book-shaped present under the Christmas tree is always a great joy for me and has been for more years than I care to recall.
Now, hands up time. I buy books for others. Who has a quick peek before wrapping said gifts up, ensuring that the recipient would never guess of course?
Yes, me too, and it usually leads me to adding another book or several to my own Wish List!
I try to get a list together for Christmas in November. That’s early enough.
I’ve got some thoughts already for books I’d like to be on that list - not that I am surprised by this. I tend to make a mental note throughout the year of “possibles”! (I also refuse to believe I’m the only one who does that). And I like an annual, yes even at my age. (The Friendship Book before you ask).
Ebooks I tend to buy as I want them (and I do use this format for trying out authors new to me). Audio books are something I tend to give as presents to others.
But however you like your books, I hope you have plenty of them on your Wish List. And, best of all, books are so easy to wrap. Okay, you can’t hide what they are (not unless you really go overboard with the wrapping) but seeing a book-shaped present under the Christmas tree is always a great joy for me and has been for more years than I care to recall.
Now, hands up time. I buy books for others. Who has a quick peek before wrapping said gifts up, ensuring that the recipient would never guess of course?
Yes, me too, and it usually leads me to adding another book or several to my own Wish List!
