Nathan Bransford - The Forums

So I'm just curious, did anyone ask for books for Christmas? Did you buy anyone books for Christmas?

If the answer is yes to either of these questions, what did you ask for and which did you buy?

I did both.

I asked for:
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Plain Kate by Erin Bow

I gave:
Matched by Ally Condie for a friend
Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King for a friend
The Short second life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer for a coworker
A couple of out of print RPG books
A biography of Hunter S. Thompson for my husband
The Percy Jackson series to a boy who is a reluctant reader
The Maze Runner by James Dashner to a boy who is a reluctant reader
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson for a good friend
and Another Pan by Daniel Nayeri to a friend who loved Another Faust
Plain Kate by Erin Bow to a teen girl
I still need to buy: Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers for a friend, but the book came out today

I did both two!

I gave:
Are You There Vodka, Its Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler to a friend who is a reluctant reader.
SuperFreakanomics to my brother
Julie and Julia and Clean Food to my stepmother who is a cookbook addict.


I asked for mainly books I needed for research only because I know my father is getting me a kindle (and my stepmom an Amazon gift card to go along with it).
Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend by Mark Jenkins
The First Emperor: Selections from the Historical Records by Qian Sima
The Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun by vicomte de Gabriel Joseph de Lavergne Guilleragues
The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Rameses III by Susan Redford

Vixen is on my personal wishlist though!

I did!!

I asked for the Dresden Files books that I'm missing and a really cool boxed set of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. I have a bunch of others on my Amazon wishlist but those are the ones I *really* want.

I gave my niece (who turned 7 on the 18th) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and for Christmas she's getting A Light in the Attic and Falling Up (cause every child needs to read Shel Silverstein).

I'm also giving my mother-in-law the newest Danielle Steel book, Legacy. They always publish hers in large print right away which makes my MIL so very happy. :)

I bought ten copies of TRUE GRIT and stuck a bow on each. People will like this book.

I get books I don't like for Christmas, and a few days later take them to Moe's Bookstore in Berkeley and exchange them for store credit. It works out perfect.

Troy - Barry Strauss
Autobiography of Mark Twain

Didn't buy books this year for two reasons: 1) I'm broke 2) I suck at picking out books for people and I don't want people to know what I got them.

dios4vida wrote:I did!!

I asked for the Dresden Files books that I'm missing and a really cool boxed set of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. I have a bunch of others on my Amazon wishlist but those are the ones I *really* want.

I gave my niece (who turned 7 on the 18th) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and for Christmas she's getting A Light in the Attic and Falling Up (cause every child needs to read Shel Silverstein).

I'm also giving my mother-in-law the newest Danielle Steel book, Legacy. They always publish hers in large print right away which makes my MIL so very happy. :)

Yay Dresden and Percy Jackson! I love Jim Butcher :-)

Have you seen the book by Shel Silverstein for adults? I think it is called Crazy Dances or something like that. I bought it at a used book store a few years ago thinking "Oh wow, a Shel Silverstein book I've never read!" Holy moly. Not for kids. Also it is awesome. But Shel held my hand as I grew up and taught me all the important gross stuff in the world. Like the older brother I always wanted.

Watcher55 wrote:Troy - Barry Strauss
Autobiography of Mark Twain

Didn't buy books this year for two reasons: 1) I'm broke 2) I suck at picking out books for people and I don't want people to know what I got them.

I was just looking at a Mark Twain autobiography at the book store! I really want to read one too.

I <3 Mark Twain.

Sommer Leigh wrote:

dios4vida wrote:I did!!

I asked for the Dresden Files books that I'm missing and a really cool boxed set of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. I have a bunch of others on my Amazon wishlist but those are the ones I *really* want.

I gave my niece (who turned 7 on the 18th) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and for Christmas she's getting A Light in the Attic and Falling Up (cause every child needs to read Shel Silverstein).

I'm also giving my mother-in-law the newest Danielle Steel book, Legacy. They always publish hers in large print right away which makes my MIL so very happy. :)

Yay Dresden and Percy Jackson! I love Jim Butcher :-)

Have you seen the book by Shel Silverstein for adults? I think it is called Crazy Dances or something like that. I bought it at a used book store a few years ago thinking "Oh wow, a Shel Silverstein book I've never read!" Holy moly. Not for kids. Also it is awesome. But Shel held my hand as I grew up and taught me all the important gross stuff in the world. Like the older brother I always wanted.

My brother got that for me years ago. I still have it but it's in storage. A lot of the cartoons still pop in my head from time to time. It's surprising how relevant it still is.

Sommer Leigh wrote:

Watcher55 wrote:Troy - Barry Strauss
Autobiography of Mark Twain

Didn't buy books this year for two reasons: 1) I'm broke 2) I suck at picking out books for people and I don't want people to know what I got them.

I was just looking at a Mark Twain autobiography at the book store! I really want to read one too.

I <3 Mark Twain.

He wrote it and said he didn't want published until he was dead a hundred years. What a time to be alive!

Sommer Leigh wrote:Have you seen the book by Shel Silverstein for adults? I think it is called Crazy Dances or something like that. I bought it at a used book store a few years ago thinking "Oh wow, a Shel Silverstein book I've never read!" Holy moly. Not for kids. Also it is awesome. But Shel held my hand as I grew up and taught me all the important gross stuff in the world. Like the older brother I always wanted.

GASP! Really?! OMG!! <frantically searches Amazon.com>

And Shel definitely helped me to grow up a lot, too. I have an anxiety disorder so I'm always worrying about everything (if my husband is 10 minutes late from work I'm terrified that he's been in an accident or something ridiculous like that) so the "What Ifs" from the "What If" poem were very relevant to me. "What if my toes turn green?" still helps me remember that not everything is worth worrying over.

Sadly, I did not.

My extended family is very judgmental (reason I use a pen name), and they don't like the kind of books I read. SO I ask for money, then go buy books. :P

CV