Books I just got in the mail/bought/checked out Showing 351-400 of 2,311

[Gwennie]

It was pretty funny, that's for sure. Oh, and we got a kite too... she tries to be thoughtful.

The best present (meaning worst) we got this year was from my Father-in-law. He bought my 6 year old daughter a Hello Kitty house phone for her room. Except... she HATES Hello Kitty and we don't have a house line!

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

Ouch Wendy, that's pretty bad.

Amanda, I still get a stocking every year too. I like it that way though. I told my mom once that I didn't care about having a single package to open under the tree as long as I got a stocking Christmas morning from Santa! Which is funny because the stocking stuffers are usually silly things like nail polish, chap stick, etc... but to me there is just something about still having Santa come visit me each year. I love it.

One day I will be that mother giving her kids stockings well into their 50s.

[Gwennie]

My stockings stopped just before I had a kid.

It's okay though, there's something magical about BEING Santa.

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

As to the whole gift card thing, I'll be honest, I refuse to give gift cards out to others. I try really hard to give thoughtful gifts though. I try to put a lot of thought into what I buy others. To me giving a gift card says... "I don't know you at all and have no idea what to buy you, so here's some $$" In my opinion if you don't know a person well enough to pick out a gift for them you probably shouldn't be buying them a Christmas gift to begin with.

Now that being said, there are those who are just awful gift givers, don't have time, etc... It's not anyone's fault, it just is. Also, I always give money as wedding gifts, because I know that's what they really want. So I'm not 100% opposed to the idea.

I don't begrudge others for giving out gift cards, but I gotta be honest, come Christmas morning if all I have is a stack of gift cards I would be disappointed, but I'm not a shopper. That being said, the best gift I got this Christmas was an itunes gift card in my stocking, that and my step-dad bought me a new set of tires for my car before the winter weather hit. Great gift. I couldn't believe it!

[Gwennie]

That's what my family says too. That it's not personal, it's easy. And in a way I get that.

But for me, the people who try to buy me something usually get it wrong. Unless they really really know me. My husband knows what to buy me, my oldest sister can always hit it spot on, but pretty much anyone else is going to be a miss, or it's going to be generic. My little sister got me a blanket, but who doesn't love a nice blanket. My mom got me the hairbrush set...

To me a great gift is the one that says 'hey, here is the gift of being able to buy yourself exactly what you want'.

Now, I'll say that one year my mom bought me the Outlander set of books (at the time there were only 5) in hardcover. That was my best gift ever. Then another year she did the same thing with the Clan of the Cave Bear books. But most of the time she gets me what she wants me to have. Like pots and pans. Or a cookbook.

No matter what I always act gracious and thankful. Then I come here to goodreads and complain.

[Amanda]

Wendy, I'm still snickering over the hairbrushes......

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

I think that is a universal mother rule. This year my mother got me some nice dressy clothes that I will never wear because she wants me to look nicer (and find a man). I work at an ice rink. Dressing up is not encouraged and I'm definitely not dressing up on my day off.

[Heidi]

Wow. These gifts sounds more like white elephant gifts! Perhaps you should give them as WE gifts next year :)

[Gwennie]

I love White Elephant, haha. That's what I do alot of the time.

Brittany, that is hilarious! Your mom sounds like my mom. She does the same thing to me too. She goes to thrift stores and buys me long dresses and knitted thingies. Too funny.

This year she got my HUSBAND a wok. He loves to cook, me not so much.

[Jaimie]

I'm not into giving gift cards unless I really don't know the person well enough to be more thoughtful. However I would have gladly accepted a amazon gift card from my aunt this year instead I got a Rachel Ray cookbook - I love to cook but I hate Rachel Ray!

[Becca]

The reason I prefer gift cards over anything else (except from my husband) is that the gifts, even when thought about are usually demorilizing or completely ridiculous.

For example, my mother has gotten me clothes every year for everything (Christmas, birthday, anniversary, etc.) and while the style is usually something I would at least wear around the house, the sizes she gets puts me in mind of an elephant. Every time she hands me a new package I pray she's listened to me about my actual size and not decided I'm fatter than I really am. And I'm the only one of her six daughters she does this to. Why do you have to buy me the XXL size when I wear a medium? I'm only one size larger than the rest of the girls, not an enormous walking tent!

And my in-laws are stuck somewhere in the seventies or eighties with their gift choices. Really freaking ridiculous. I got a money jar for Christams...just give me the money you wasted on this ridiculousness and I'll buy something I really want! I don't need more junk cluttering up my house because there is no where to put it! My MIL did give me a belgian waffle iron for Christmas this year, which I'm happy about, but it's such a cheap no-name variety that I'll probably be replacing it in a couple of years. Oh well, she tried harder this year than she has the past five.

[Heidi]

This year I picked out all my presents online and emailed the links to my family and I tell you what, I had the best Christmas ever! My dad was still sulking about it at Christmas because "there was no suprise about it", but who the heck cares when you are almost 40 years old (which I may, or may not be!). Give me what I want please. I am all about practicality.

[Jaimie]

Heidi I love you - i told everyone that was what I was going to do (universal wish list) but never actually got around to it. You are my hero!

[Amanda]

I think clothing should be banned from christmas/birthday presents lists, unless it's something you've specifically asaked for. It's so hard to find correct sizing and style. My mother got me a ZEBRA printed Snuggie for my birthday, which is in July. I was thinking to myself, WTH? it's 95 degrese out and you got me a blanket with arms.

Still snickering about the hairbrushes, I really don't know why I find it so funny. I guess I could totally see me mother doing it and knowing someone else's mother would do it too makes me smile. Hairbrushes.....

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

Here's my funny story of the year. My family lives far away so all my gifts were sent in the mail from my family because I couldn't get down there for the holiday. So I open one of my gifts and I see a cabela's camping lantern. And I LOVE to camp so I am super stoked about this gift. Then I'm on the phone talking with my mom and person who sent me the camping lantern is in the room. She starts asking all these questions about it like if it makes I lot of noise, etc... Then I get really confused. I say, "No, you got me the camping lantern remember why would that make noise?" Then I am told to open the box. It's not a camping lantern at all... it's a pair of Santa slippers that have jingle bells literally attached to the toes. She was just using the box so she could wrap it. So now, even though I love slippers I can't wear then because I refuse to be a walking jingle bell and I didn't even get the lantern, which was the gift I was most excited about!!

[Amanda]

Brittany wrote: "Here's my funny story of the year. My family lives far away so all my gifts were sent in the mail from my family because I couldn't get down there for the holiday. So I open one of my gifts and I..."

That's funny!

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

Wendy wrote: "Brittany, that is hilarious! Your mom sounds like my mom. She does the same thing to me too. She goes to thrift stores and buy..."

Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and I know she wants grandkids someday, but I work with kids. I don't need then in my house. I've got about 300 she can have. And I'm only 25 for crying out loud I don't need to get married tomorrow!

Although worse than that... I have a friend who actually got lingerie from her mother-in-law to be at her bridal shower. The word awkward has never been more appropriate. You get that from friends... not your future mother-in-law.

[Brittany (finally graduated and can once again read for fun)]

Carmel wrote: "Oh Brittany I had a naughty thought about what was in that box! LOL
Glad it was just slippers ha ha.
Ok I'm off to the naughty corner, again!!"

Get your mind out of the gutter.

[Amanda]

Brittany wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Brittany, that is hilarious! Your mom sounds like my mom. She does the same thing to me too. She goes to thrift stores and buy..."

Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and I know she..."

Reminds me of my bridal shower. My sister had everyone bring a pair of underwear they'd choose for me and I had to pick who brought them. The game would have been fun, except it was all family. I had to guess what pair my grandma bought me. ugh. Thankfully my mother-in-law wasn't there. Getting lingere from in-laws is a little creepy.

[Gwennie]

Becca wrote: "The reason I prefer gift cards over anything else (except from my husband) is that the gifts, even when thought about are usually demorilizing or completely ridiculous.

For example, my mother h..."

That's great! My mom does the opposite. I wear a large XL and she insists on buying me mediums! Like what I really want for Christmas is to put on clothes that make me FEEL like a tent.

[Heidi]

This thread is cracking me up! Amanda that story about your shower is HIlarious! Brittany Brittany Brittany you must have a lot of self control! I tear open gift boxes ASAP. I am still a little kid sometimes! I agree with you all NO CLOTHING! My hubby joked that he sure missed his annual sweater from my dad as we fired up our new bluray player :)

[Heidi]

Jaimie wrote: "Heidi I love you - i told everyone that was what I was going to do (universal wish list) but never actually got around to it. You are my hero!"

Why thank you Jaimie. Next year you must do it! I plan to make it a tradition now. I am so happy with everything - especially my cheesy 80's style popcorn popper. We have had popcorn every night!

[Eden]

Just borrowed Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine from the library. I've only read about 19 pages, but I am really loving the book so far. It is really good.

[Peep (Pop! Pop!)]

Well, I think my family is trying to tell me something because ALL my gifts were clothes. I got a coat, gloves, hoodie, cardigan and a purse. I think they're trying to tell me to ditch the jeans and t-shirt.

[[deleted user]]

Just bought & the other day. I'm excited about both! =)

[Catherine]

I got my kindle today (as I'm sure everyone already probably knows, because it's all I've talked about today), so I bought: The Amulet: A Faedra Bennett Custodian Novel & The Book Thief. And I got these either for free off of Amazon or off of netgalley; Populazzi, The Betrayal of Maggie Blair, Beasts and BFFs, Found in Translation: an unforgettable mission trip where faith, obedience, and forgiveness intersect., The Vespertine, Lost Voices, & Don't Die, Dragonfly.

[Catherine]

Thanks! I'm really excited. :)

[Gwennie]

Carmel wrote: "Wow Catherine, nice swag of books there!!"

Congratulations on your Kindle! And all the books to go with it. I just got paid so I'm heading over to Amazon right now to grab a few for my Kindle.

But first, from Borders today I got three more books! (Yay books!)

[Gwennie]

Okay, for my kindle I grabbed these two.

[Stormi (StormReads)]

I got a few ebooks from B&N

Actual books bought

[Becca]

Library just emailed. Books I'm picking up today:

and

[Priscilla]

Becca wrote:Library just emailed. Books I'm picking up today:

I finished reading Hex Hall earlier this year, its was an interesting read loved the subject matter,although at times it reminded me of Harry Potter,similar theme, storylines etc. Be interesting to hear what you think of it ....

[Catherine]

Today I got these in the mail: Disney After Dark & Solid. I got Solid off of this book swap, so imagine my surprise when I find out it's a copy of the book from the author & has a personal note stuck on the cover & an autograph inside the ARC. I was pretty excited! lol

[[deleted user]]

Damn, nice Cat

[Heidi]

Becca wrote: "Library just emailed. Books I'm picking up today:

[bookcover:Dra..."

I love libraries! I just went to mine today as well and got six books even though I told myself I was just picking up my two books on hold. As you know I loved Jellicoe Road - I also liked Gurnsey (I listened to it on audio). The Summoning was just ok for me - not great. Anyway, enjoy :)

[[deleted user]]

Stormi wrote: "I got a few ebooks from B&N

Actual books bought [bookcover:The ..."

Oh, I really liked The Devouring. It had a good creepy vibe. =)

[Traci]

Stormi- I just read The Devouring yesterday and I liked it, too. Though it got kind of weird at times..

[Arphaxad]

My latest stack of joy from the library:



:D

[[deleted user]]

Traci - it definitely did have some weird moments... Lol.

[Becca]

Arphaxad wrote: "My latest stack of joy from the library:

[bookcover:The Ring of Solomon: A Bartimaeus No..."

Wow, I really loved the Mistborn trilogy. The ideas may not be revolutionary, but the story took me by surprise several times over, which is rare indeed. I need to read more by Brandon Sanderson.

[Arphaxad]

Yeah, I think I pilfered it off one of your shelves, Becca! I've only read a few pages, but I'm liking it so far.

[Becca]

hahahaha! I wouldn't be surprised. I praised it pretty highly and I think I put it on my top ten series of all time shelf.

[Stormi (StormReads)]

Ashley wrote: "Stormi wrote: "I got a few ebooks from B&N

Actual books bought ..."

I am glad The Devouring is a good creepy book I am in need of a good creepy wierd book...LOL :)

[Gwennie]

My new Kindle buys for this payday!

[Traci]

So my roommate and I just went on a mini road trip to 5 independent bookstores and we decided to get books for a rainbow challenge we're doing together.

I got:

[Awesomevegan (AKA JenReads)]

Traci wrote: "So my roommate and I just went on a mini road trip to 5 independent bookstores and we decided to get books for a rainbow challenge we're doing together.

I got:
[bookco..."

That sounds like fun! What group is the rainbow challenge? Or are you doing it just the 2 of you?

[[deleted user]]

I know we have one in this group

[Gwennie]

I've knocked 5 books off my rainbow challenge list.

[Awesomevegan (AKA JenReads)]

My most recent purchases were:


and this journal: Great for YA lovers. :)

[Déa]

Ordered and from cdon.fi ♥