Author James D. “Jim” Best is one of our favorite fans, and we’re one of his, too. Jim cares passionately about reading books, and offers these last-minute suggestions for people on your holiday gift-giving list.
| 18 Ideas for Gifting Books |
| At times, friends and relatives can be hard to buy for. Some seem to have everything. Due to age or illness, others may be less mobile than in years past. Some don’t really want much. Families scatter across this huge country and selecting a gift, packaging, and shipping can be a chore.A book is a perfect gift … and a great way to avoid the crowds. Books provide a great entertainment value, delivering hour upon hour of pleasure. Reading fiction is like taking a mini vacation without leaving home. An engrossing story makes worries fade away. Reading nonfiction can also entertain while learning how-to tips, gaining perspective, adding to knowledge, or finding enlightenment.If you take the time to match the recipient’s taste in fiction or nonfiction, your thoughtfulness becomes part of the gift. Whether your relatives or friends are interested in the Civil War, literature, romance novels, photography, westerns, paranormal fiction, fishing, railroads, guns, cooking, collecting old comic books, antique automobiles, politics or anything else, there’s always a book that will bring a smile to their face. Top Tips for Book Gift Giving 1. Write a personal message on the title page that won’t get tossed out like last year’s Christmas card. 2. Write surprise messages in the margin of random pages. 3. There are books about every hobby and interest in the world. Picking a book that fits you’re your recipient’s interests shows you care. 4. Search out an author signing for your recipient’s favorite author. 5. Gift an entire series, like a complete set of Harry Potter books. 6. Gift a collector’s version of the recipient’s favorite book. (I’d like a First Edition of The Virginian.) 7. Shop at an independent or specialty bookstore to get professional help selecting your book. 8. With Amazon Prime, gift wrapping and shipping is free and the book can be sent direct to the recipient. 9. Mail early to take advantage of media class at the Post Office. 10. Give a book as a piece of art, like a fine print book, unique coffee table book, favorite book as a child, or collectible cover art. (I like early 20th Century Westerns with period cover art.) 11. Make a highly personal photo book with ShutterFly or Mimeo. 12. Give a bookseller gift card for e-book and audio book enthusiasts. 13. Give a new model Kindle or a nice cover to an e-book enthusiast. 14. College students appreciate gift cards for their campus bookstore. (For fun, I put it inside a trashy novel for them to read on Spring break.) 15. As a bookmark, tuck in crisp currency. 16. If your friend or relative already owns piles of books, give a unique set of book ends to hold them in their proper place. 17. Children’s books are great gifts. We search for autographed storybooks for our grandkids. The icing on the cake is that when we visit, we read these books to them. 18. Coloring books now come for every age. Merry Christmas and have a great 2020, from Author James D. Best and all of us Baristas at the Fictional Cafe! |
