What books, if any, did you receive this holiday season, and what books, if any, did you give to others?
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I received A Thousand Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich from my hubby, thanks to the recommendations here. (You folks are not a good influence!)
I got my nephew a Barnes and Noble gift certificate. I’d love to think he’s going to buy, like, real books, but his mom says he wanted that gift certificate in particular so he could pick up some more manga. Guess it’s better than nothing, right?
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No books but a number of gift cards for both books and audios.
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Lots of books under the tree for me! You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Happy People Don’t Live Here, Book and Dagger, Early Morning Riser, and Library of America copies of Octavia Butler, including The Xenogenesis Trilogy, Joanna Russ, also Hurston which I already have so we will return. Wow a wonderful morning!! Merry Christmas to all!!
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I received a Mary Oliver journal–almost too beautiful to write it in–if that counts as a book. I gave a copy of “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan to my friend with Irish Catholic roots who (I hope) has not read it yet.
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You hit the jackpot!
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Ooh, I forgot I bought myself my first-ever book journal as a Christmas present from me to me. It’s so pretty, and has so many pages I can fill up, haha. I think I was inspired by The Forgotten Book Club, if I’m being honest. After maybe twenty years (or more!) of tracking my reading via spreadsheet I’m finally getting more detailed and deliberate about my reading.
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I didn’t receive any books as Christmas gifts 
, but we did give our granddaughter a copy of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black which she had requested. Her middle school library has it, but she said it was always checked out.
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I didn’t get any books but did get a Kindle. I gave John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs and also The Beatles Anthology.
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I bought books for myself! Shield of Sparrows and Conform. Trying new to me genre.
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Kim - what book journal did you get? I track my books on Goodreads but I think I would love a good book journal!
@Jodi_G, it was from Amazon from a company called Zicoto. What I liked about it was that there were graphics to color in (so in addition to noting what book I’d read, I could also color in a virtual book shelf).
I should add that I have given myself a book journal/planner each year for the last 5 years. It comes from Canada so my husband had a “Yikes!” moment when he saw the credit card bill, but I love it so much I couldn’t give it up.
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I gave my daughter-in-law the book “Little Alleluias” by Mary Oliver. This is a 2025 publication of some of her work. I gave my mother-in-law “The First Gentleman” by Clinton & Patterson, a political thriller. I gave my husband “The Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding a Civilization.” This is a collection of interesting science and engineering facts.
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I received 5 books for the holidays.
Buckeye
Heart the Lover
The Dream Hotel
The Compound
My Friends
I also gifted four children’s books, a cookbook, and a Barnes & Noble gift card. Happy new year!
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Great choices! Is it the My Friends by Fredrik Backman or by Hisham Matar?
I received Nikki Giovanni, The New Book. I gave Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America.
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I gave out copies of Little Bird by Barbara Viniar to friends as a holiday gift. Barbara is a friend of mine, and I am so proud of her publishing her first novel as a retiree! The book is based on her Grandmother’s immigration into the US at the turn of the 20th century. Her book is available on Amazon and via Sibylline Press.
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Little Bird looks really interesting, @Jorene_J! I’ve put it on my list.
It the book by Fredrik Backman. It will be the 5th novel of his that I will have read.
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