Over the holiday season, I gifted
my family and friends with books, as I believe there is no greater gift than one
of lessons, characters, and eloquent words. In return, I was also given books
as gifts.
Please note, these books are
specified to my friends’ tastes as well as my own. However, I believe that
these are overall good books and could inspire gifts for your family as well.
First, the books I gave.
Pride and
Prejudice
By Jane Austen

Austen’s Bennet-Darcy romance was
perfect to captivate a family member of mine currently going through chemotherapy.
Accompanied by a journal and some pens, the best of Austen’s work made the
perfect gift to read and think of during treatment.
The Log
Cabin: An Illustrated History
By Andrew Belonsky

Populated with an abundance of pictures
of cabins ranging from sweetly simple to intricately designed, Belonsky’s book
is the perfect gift for someone who loves the history of the frontiersman and
what they crafted with their hands.
The Old Farmer’s
Almanac 2020
By Old Farmer’s Almanac
This old standby made a thoughtful
and sentimental gift, on a budget, as a lot of my family members, living and
passed, were farmers. While it may not serve its utilitarian job much anymore,
it certainly scratches the agricultural itch of the receiver.
Saving
America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the
Suburban Age
By Lizabeth Cohen


The budding architect in my family
loved this story of determination and strategy. While one of the more
specialized books in this list, Cohen’s work can broaden a person’s perspective
on not only architecture but also why urban areas are the way they appear
today.
The Museum of
Lost Art
By Noah Charney

Imagine a museum made up of all
the “lost” art. Centuries worth of stolen, burned, ripped, damaged, and censored
art would populate the walls of the endless exhibition. The museum of lost art
would have more priceless works of art than any real museum that exists today.
Looking at
Pictures
By Susan Woodford

A beginner at analyzing art, one
of my family members loves looking at and understanding works. As a novice, she
needs some guidance as to how to go about understanding a work’s true worthmand
meaning. Woodford’s guide to physically “looking at pictures” provides the reader
with a real work, describes it in detail (down to brush strokes, color use, and
symbolism), and analyzes it (while giving space to the reader’s original ideas
about the work of art).
Second, lucky me, the books I
received.
The Botanical
Bible
By Sonya Patel Ellis

As a beginning botanist, I struggled
to find a guide to the world of plants that was accessible with my little
knowledge on the subject while comprehensible for a first-time learner. In
efforts to diversify not only my book collection but also my interests, I was
given The Botanical Bible. Ellis mixes botany (plant science),
gardening, natural beauty and health, botanical art, and famous scientists into
a readily understood solution.
The Trail of
Blood
By J.M. Carroll

As a religious person (Baptist), I
should have more religious books in my repertoire; however, I own a King James
Version Holy Bible and that’s it: until now. I own, proudly, the story of the Missionary
Baptist Church: The Trail of Blood.
Jus Post
Bellum and Transitional Justice
By Larry May (editor) & Elizabeth
Edenberg (editor)

Very specialized to my interests, this
law book has a lot of examples of Transitional Justice/Law.
Virgo: The Art
of Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign
By Sally Kirkman
While I did not enjoy the more
mature chapters (that do not pertain to me), it is fun to read about my astrological
sign and how it may or may not be accurate to my personality. From which
celebrities I share a sign with to how a typical Virgo is “supposed to look” or
act, this book made for a funny and interesting gift.
Works Cited
"The Botanical
Bible." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781419732232. Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"Jus Post Bellum
and Transitional Justice." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781107546370. Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"The Log Cabin: An
Illustrated History." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781682680803. Accessed 26 Dec. 2019.
"Looking at
Pictures." Parnassus Books, 2019, www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9780500293218.
Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"The Museum of Lost
Art." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9780714875842. Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"The Old Farmer's
Almanac 2020." Parnassus Books, 2019, www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781571988102.
Accessed 26 Dec. 2019.
"Pride and
Prejudice." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9780141439518. Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"Saving America's
Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban
Age." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9780374254087. Accessed 26 Dec. 2019.
"The Trail of
Blood." Parnassus Books, 2019,
www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781365466069. Accessed 29 Dec. 2019.
"Virgo: The Art of
Living Well and Finding Happiness According to Your Star Sign." Parnassus
Books, 2019, www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781473676619. Accessed 29 Dec.
2019.
Dear Hallie: It was so thoughtful of you to recognize my health event with Pride & Prejudice and a journal for me to record my hills, mountains and roads with rocks that hurt my feet along the way.... and finally my thankfulness for His mercy and hope.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I had help...
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