Our family's reunions are full of fun activities—river rafting, rides, games, swimming—but this year, even in the midst of all this, people are reading more than I've ever seen them read. And their reading their family members favorite books of the year.
Little ones are walking around with their new books under their arms.
My twelve-year-old nephew stayed up until three-thirty last night reading the book his uncle chose. He loved it.
My father-in-law is reading juvenile historical fiction, and thoroughly enjoying himself.
My niece is trying a new genre she'd never attempted before—Westerns!
There is power in giving a book as a gift.
Not only is a book great to give a kid just because it's a book, but he or she sees the book, they will remember who gave it to them.
Occasionally darling friends send me books, and I can honestly say, I always think fondly of them whenever I see it on my nightstand or my shelves.
Here are two grown-up books two friends have recently sent me as surprises, courtesy of Amazon. Both were wonderful (though about as different as you can imagine).
My dear friend Holley and her daughter, Morgan, sent me this, a light-hearted regency romance that is impossible to put down:
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. And here's the book jacket description:
Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.
I would recommend this for adults and teens.
And my other dear friend Quinn sent me this:
The Rent Collector by Camron Wright.
Here's the description of this book (it couldn't be more different from the one above):
Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working. Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money--a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one womans journey to save her son and another womans chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia--perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia--everyone deserves a second chance.
This is a true story, one that is difficult to put down in your mind well after you've finished reading it.
Give someone the gift of a book today!
Wow, I really love this idea of sharing favorites at a family reunion! What an awesome tradition you've started. That list of books in the previous post looked wonderful. So many good ones, and many others that I'm adding to my to-read (and to-give!) list.
ReplyDeleteI received Edenbrooke as a birthday gift last year and thought it was a darling book. Very fun. And my mom and best friend both recently told me about The Rent Collector. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks, as always, for your terrific suggestions!