Books! A Great Gift for All Ages
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I fell in love with books as a child and reading is still one of my favorite things to do. Since it’s so close to Christmas I wanted to share some of my all time favorites with you just in case you are looking for a gift for a friend.
The Hiding Place
Here are the books I routinely give my friends…When I taught high school history I always used this book in class. The true story of Corrie Ten Boom’s family during WWII exemplifies what it means to put others before ourselves. Corrie’s family hid Jews in their home knowing that if they were caught they would be punished. This book (and Corrie’s life) exemplify courage, love, faith and so much more. It’s a great read for any teenagers and adults. I’ve given it to many, many friends over the years.
Cold Sassy Tree
This is another personal favorite that I just gave some new friends. If you are from the south (and even if you just love southerners) this book is for you. It’s charming, funny and very well written. It’s another book that is appropriate for teens or adults and one that will have you smiling and thinking “I know someone like that.”
Natchez Burning
I would identify this one as a legal thriller and the author, Greg Isles is a master story teller. I literally couldn’t put it down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading. I wouldn’t gift this one to a teen. It has some parts that my mom would say “just skip over the bad words.” I love legal thrillers, medical thrillers, and whodunnits and this is one of the best.
Where The Crawdads Sing
I ordered this one for a friend last week and I’m hoping he likes it just half as much as I did. I loved the heroine and by the end of the book I felt like I knew her. It’s another one of those I couldn’t put down so don’t start reading this one unless you are prepared to stay up late. The language in this one is beautiful too, almost musical. I wouldn’t give this one to a teen but adults will love it.
Educated
I gave this one to several of my friends. This is a memoir and I’ve mentioned it and some of the other books before, but if I’m doing a list of books I love then I have to include all these. Educated is the story of Tara Westover and not only is it amazing, it’s inspirational.
The Faith-Filled Grandmother
Yes. This is a shameless plug for my book. If I don’t think my own book is good enough to be on this list then what kind of writer would I be? Give it to a friend who is a grandmother. She’ll love it.
Thoughts About Books
The thing about giving the gift of a book is that it isn’t fattening or something that you would be embarrassed to wear. A good book is a timeless treasure that you can revisit or share with others.
And you don’t necessarily even have to buy a book to give a friend. The following is from Melinda Campbell who writes “Reflections from the Kitchen Sink.”
As many of you know Melinda’s husband, Michael, was killed by a drunk driver. The books pictured here are from his collection.
“Giving books from a special collection can be wonderful gifts. A couple years ago, I wrote a little note inside one of my late husband’s books and gave it to a special friend. She seemed to really appreciate it. The gift that didn’t cost a dime was worth so much more than money could buy.“
So give a friend a book for Christmas, or their birthday, or just because. It’s a much nicer gift than what Ralphie got in the Christmas movie, A Christmas Story. Remember?
