Perhaps as a person who works in the publishing industry I'm biased, but I'd like to think if there were a perfect gift that existed in this world, it would be a book. Of course, the type of book — the genre, the tone, the subject matter — should vary depending on who is receiving said gift.
Each year, it's become a tradition for me to get each of my family members a book. The best part of gifting books is picking them out. Reading the jacket and cover copy. Admiring the covers and spines and bindings. Browsing the chapter starts. Reading the bookstore's staff recommendations. And then melding all this information together to pick out a book that is just right for each future book-reader. It is one of my favorite activities of the holiday season. It feels much more personal than simply stopping by Target on my way home from work to get everyone I know a set of glass Tupperware.
For my dad, I usually end up with some book of historical or political fiction. For my mom, I often get a novel set in some interesting location outside of the US or a memoir. For my brother, the book might have to do with geography or politics or technology. And for my sister, I find narrative nonfiction on medicine and health, or poetry.
Picking out these books always makes me feel like I'm curating a kind of library for my loved ones. What kind of books do you find for the loved ones in your life?
— Eliza Leahy, Associate Editor
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