Monday, December 8, 2008

Blogger Book Boost

'Tis the season for giving and receiving, and what better gift to give or receive than that of a book. In the age of over-consumerism and economic meltdown, a book is a gift that will be cost effective as well as entertain, transport, and be thought provoking. Books are the perfect gift of the young and the old and everyone in between. Even my one year old is a book lover and will sit and page through a book by herself. Of course, she also sometimes likes to eat her books, but we're working on that.

Sarah, at Sarah Laurence Blog, has come up with a great way to share book recommendations this holiday season. Click on the link to her blog and you will find her recommendations. Be sure to read the comments as well, because they are filled with more info and links to other Blogger Book Boost posts. If you don't know what to buy, this is a good starting point.

As I mentioned, I have a young daughter and so most of my book buying of late has been for her. One of her most beloved books and one that is very engaging is "Baby Says Peekaboo!" by DK Publishing. This was her favorite book when she was between six and nine months old, and she still picks it up at least once a day.



One of her current favorites is "One Snowy Night" by M. Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton. This is a touch and feel board book with a winter gift-giving theme. Lillian loves the different textures.



I recently had the good fortune to acquire the garden book "Planthropology" by Ken Druse. This is a great choice for any plant lover or gardener on your list. Not only are there beautiful pictures, but there is so much information about the history of plants, the mathematics in plants, and plants in art.



These last two selections are novels that I enjoyed, although I read both of them some time ago. The first, "Ocean Sea" by Alessandro Baricco, I read so long ago (probably eight years), I can't even describe to you what it is about. I just remember that I loved the language of this book and it was one that I saved to re-read some day.



The second is a book I bought because I love Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and thought it would be an interesting companion book to P&P. It is "Mr. Darcy's Diary" by Amanda Grange. I loved reading about the characters I had come to know and love from a different perspective and would recommend this to all Austenite's.



Thus concludes my list. Although I would also like to mention one book that is on my list to receive this year. "Hello, Cupcake" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson is the foodie book I must have. Cupcakes seem to be the hot item these days and I love the artistry of cake decorating. This book just looks fun to me.

8 comments:

tina said...

Yum! That last book looks good enough to eat for sure! I will have to look for Planthropology, as I really like to know the history of the books. All good recommendations. You have a great holiday!

Sarah Laurence said...

Cindy, thanks! It's great to have some board books recommended here as those make great gifts. I bet your daughter loves those cute cup cakes too. That Ocean Sea book looks interesting and Jane Austin and gardens appeal to many. Good to see you back on line!

Cindy said...

Tina ~ The Cupcake book has a lot of garden / plant related designs. I first saw it on Fern's site, Life on the Balcony, and now I have to have it.

Sarah ~ I saw Tina's post today and was jolted into action! At first I didn't know what books to talk about so I just looked on my bookshelf and found inspiration. I hope this becomes a yearly event on your blog. I think it's a great idea.

Bee said...

Those cupcakes - hilarious!

Cindy, you do a great job of covering various book bases here. The plant book particularly intrigued me . . . math in plants? I need to read Mr. Darcy's Diary as well -- just to keep my Austenite cred, you know.

Like Sarah, I'm glad you're online again!

Cindy said...

Hi Bee ~ Mr. Darcy's Diary is a very fast, easy read but I think you would enjoy it. In fact, I was thinking of you when I picked it out, fellow Austenite.
And Planthropology talks about Fibonacci numbers and the Golden Spiral in nature. It's funny to think of math in the context of nature but I was at a quilting class one time and we did talk about the golden spiral and it's existence in everyday places there too.

Sarah Laurence said...

An annual book boost is not a bad idea. I've really enjoyed seeing the other posts. It would be easier to organize a second time.

Alyson | New England Living said...

What interesting books! I like how you have all kinds. I wanted to be a part of this, but couldn't think straight since I've been sick.

Cindy said...

Sarah - Next year's will be a cinch then! I can't wait.

Alyson - Sick and four kids, you poor dear. I surprised myself for getting this post out. I was unsure of what to recommend and then I stumbled on some books on my shelf and it sort of wrote itself.