This week's Booking through Thursday question is about books as gifts:What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”
The most significant book gifts I remember receiving were from my Aunt Margaret. At some point in elementary school, it became clear that I was "a reader." My reputation for loving to read became known family-wide. However, the only books I ever received as gifts were from Aunt Margaret. For several years, at every birthday and for Christmas, she gave me six Nancy Drew books. I loved getting them, reading them, and rereading them.
In a family that did not receive many gifts, the ones we did receive were often practical or generic. These books were picked out for me, to interest me, to suit me. I don't know if it was easy for my aunt to buy them for me because she didn't have to wonder what to get for me or if she picked them out for me to encourage me to read. I don't know. I do know, though, that I can't hear the words "Nancy Drew" without thinking of those gifted books. More importantly, I remember my Aunt Margaret, a wonderful aunt, dear friend, and a fabulous person. She died almost 10 years ago and life just hasn't been the same since.
6 down, 24 to go
10 comments:
Gosh...remember those detective stories that you got to solve?
Shoot....I do and can't remember who did them.
But the latest gifted book was of fairy artwork.
I'm adoring it LOTS.
As a big Stephen King fan, I loved it when his new books would come out in September, coinciding with my birthday. I would buy them as a gift to myself.
I remember getting boxed sets of LOTR and the Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas, but he most memorable was the one Christmas I asked for and received "Forever" by Judy Blume. It came out in 1975, so I was probably around ten when I got it. My brother, who is nine years older than me, grabbed the book and started reading it out loud! I was SO mortified, but also felt it was none of his business, as our mother was the one who purchased the book for me.
How funny! I got the six-pack of Nancy Drew's from my grandma. Every birthday. I could count on it. Oh, I ABSORBED them!
I remember one birthday, though, that much to my shock and chagrin, she gave me Nancy RUE books. It was so hard for this little girl to hide disappointment and be thankful for the books I wasn't expecting.
I was more into The Bobbsey Twins, than Nancy Drew, whom my mother ADORED. Reading the books made me feel very inferior to Nancy with her titian hair, her sports car, her confidence. I really had more in common with the dreadful George than with my namesake.
Has Marley any interest in Nancy Drew?
Mel, I don't remember books where you solved the mystery. I had a deprived childhood. ;) Other than Nancy Drew books, at home, my only other alternative was Harlequin romances and our school library was teeny, tiny.
De, Is Forever the sex one? I remember reading that in high school. (Late bloomer). I have distinct memories of a scene with aftershave. Hmmm...
Hib, Do you mind if I call you Hib? I have never heard of Nancy Rue. I'll have to go Google them.
Subspace, Titian hair! It took me forever to figure out exactly what titian hair was. I think Nancy and all of her friends were so different than anyone I ever experienced that I longed to be like all of them.
Marley has no real interest in Nancy Drew. Not really. She did love the movie with Emma Roberts. She checked out a couple of books but didn’t really get into them. I can’t get her to read the original Boxcar Children either. THAT book was one of my treasured elementary school favorites. I can still picture the silhouetted illustrations.
My MIL bought me some Lori Wick books the first Christmas I spent with them (first time I had met them - about 4 months prior to engagement and 9 months prior to wedding). I had just become a big reader the summer before, and I greatly appreciated the books and the thought.
Maybe mel is referring to the Encyclopedia Brown books? Each chapter is a self-contained mystery and your suppose to have figured out the mystery using the clues in the narrative. The answers were listed at the back of the book. They were great fun.
I loved receiving Nancy Drews!
Booking through presents
I loved Nancy Drew! I don't remember who introduced them to me, probably my mom. I also enjoyed the Boxcar Children, i'm pretty sure my childhood best friend got me hooked on those.
I loved, loved, LOVED Nancy Drew. Although I was a HUGE fan, I only remember reading them during the summers I spent at my Grandma's house. (It was hot and buggy outside - I much preferred to be curled up inside with Nancy and the girls.) I think I checked out every single Nancy Drew book the tiny local library owned.
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