Sunday, November 15, 2009

Musing Monday...Have you Been Naughty or Nice?


Time to check out this week's question from Just one more page...

With the holiday season now upon us, have you left any hints – subtle or otherwise – for books family and friends might buy you for Christmas? Do you like to receive books, or do you prefer certificates so you can choose your own?

Oh, the dreaded gift buying season.
Without question, Christmas would be my very favorite time of year..except for the dreaded gift buying. I have no problem receiving gifts...I don't mind spending the money to buy gifts for others...I just never know what to buy! I see gift buying as sort of the ultimate proof of how well you know someone and on that I always come up short. And I know that I always will since I have a problem even deciding what to buy for myself. as the philosophers say "First, Know Thyself..."

So, why I find it very hard to buy any gift, to buy a book for a gift takes it to a whole other level. Books are very personal, what we like and dislike. I have, on rare occasion given books in the past and it has not always gone well. I have a book, one of my favorite books in the world and I gave it to a friend years ago. Not only did she not think it was the best book every written, she saw it in a way that was totally alien to my experience of it. That gave my book giving instinct pause.

And unless some one is kind enough for leave a nice wish list somewhere, hopefully printed out nice and neat and casually left "accidentally" somewhere, that is a very dangerous gift to get right. Not to mention the fact that it is very difficult to know what the receiver may have already read or own. Just in case anyone is in the dilemma as pertains to me...remember My Beloved Library Thing. Since I only started it a year or two ago it does not contain every book I have read but it does contain every book I have read in the last couple of years and every book that I own. And since I may well have forgotten most books I read before that, you would be pretty safe. An advantage of the vagary of advancing years...

But on the other hand, gift cards are just a wee bit impersonal. I will admit that I love to get them! Taking the card and going to the bookstore, spending hours looking around to make my decision, have a nice tea and a snack...it is just a lovely added part of the gift. But somehow, I don't like to give them. I feel I have given in, taking the easy way out of the gift giving test....even if the receiver loves it! After all, the point of gift giving is all about me...right?

Yes, I know, it makes no sense...

13 comments:

  1. I have no problem getting bookstore gift cards either. They are a lot of fun to redeem.

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  2. I'm going to shamelessly create a list and send it to my family. Here is mine

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  3. I see "gift giving" differently. For me, gift giving is sharing. I quite agree with you though that Christmas also meant choosing and buying gift for friends and relatives without knowing if they'd actually like what you got for them or not. It's one test in our lives that I have failed for a lot of times.

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  4. I'm w/ you. I find it to be an impersonal choice & the e~z way out. LOL.

    Now sitting there drinking, munching & book shopping...

    Whoo~Hoo!

    Here's mine:

    http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/11/musing-mondays.html

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  5. I love taking the easy way out - gift cards are my friend! LOL

    I, too, think giving books is very personal. I'm lucky in that I have no fellow book readers to worry about. As for getting books, I'd rather have a gift card and browse the stores myself.

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  6. I wish I could just give gift cards and be done with it, but my kids would be so disappointed and I would feel like a lazy scrooge (which I want to be)! LOL

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  7. I love receiving gift cards. That way, the money will be used on something useful. Christmas shouldn't be a headache.

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  8. the trip to the bookstore can be considered part of the gift! I think everybody who reads books enjoys the store. I haven't left any hints. I have a kindle--yes, the evil kindle. So here's the drawback--will anyone give me a book for Christmas? In my case a gift certificate could be used to purchase an e book. Ah, alas having a kindle takes away the book store experience too. (pros and cons)

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  9. but kathy, they make such a thin gift when wrapped.

    Bluestocking, that is shameless. I don't have a list though.

    cutlex. it is a test! and I hate to fail it!

    Book Resort, so impersonal is bad...right?

    Yvonne..there in lies the problem. so easy...so easy...

    Nice', yes, a lazy scrooge! done shopping in 1o minutes...awww....
    but especially with kids, well they are no fun at all to open.

    CeeCee, it should not be a headache! personally I am all for doing away with gifts. no one went for that either.

    kaye, absolutely! the Evil Kindle adds a whole other issue. a kindle certificate...can you say boring!?

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  10. I love getting gift cards and going to the bookstore!

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  11. I know exactly what you mean. Right now I new friend of mine is reading one of my very favorite books - book that I gave her. I am both excited and scared everytime she brings it up. Thankfully she is liking it so far.

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  12. I like gift cards in theory but am always forgetting I have them or to bring them with me. And therefore the store gets paid and I never get around to cashing in.

    I also feel like giving them is like waving the white flag - I give up! I have no idea what you want! Cash seemed so impersonal but gift cards have cool images on them to suit your personality!

    I get books as gifts quite often from family who know me well enough to gauge my taste. If I ever received one that I already had I would either exchange it or give it to someone else. I appreciate the effort.

    But I am like you - I wander malls and websites aimlessly until the last minute, constantly hoping to stumble across the perfect gifts. It feels so awesome when I do - but then I know I'll never top that gift ever again - so back to the gift cards I go ;0)

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  13. I love Xmas but hate gift buying as, like you, I never know what to buy!
    I don't buy books for people unless I know what they want - it's better to stick to gift tokens and let them buy thier own ;0)

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