Giving books as gifts is a delicate art. We can't rely on our own tastes to guide us in selecting gifts for those we cherish. Actually, our own tastes can easily lead us astray since we can't assume what we love will also resonate with others, even those closest to us.
Since I'll be talking about giving books as gifts at Barnes and Noble on Wednesday, I thought I'd get the conversation started early with a sneak peek at three books that make great gifts for readers, even if it's just to read selected portions or flip through their pretty pages.
"Sorted Books" by Nina Katchadourian
Anecdotal evidence suggests books lovers have an insatiable appetite for pictures of books. "Sorted Books" fulfills it, but with so much more.
For 20 years, conceptual artist Katchadourian has entered public and private libraries to sort through their titles, arrange them into found poems, and photograph the results. "Sorted Books," a poetry-sculpture-photography hybrid, documents her work, with beautiful photos of artfully arranged books, the poetry created from the titles, and reflection from Katchadourian about her process. You don't have to be a poet, or poetry enthusiast, to appreciate her work or to look at your own collection with fresh eyes.
"Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction's Most Beloved Heroines" by Samantha Hahn
The book is a collection of artist (and reader) Hahn's portraits of 50 of literature's most memorable female characters and quotes from the texts in which they appear. Evocative, beautifully stylized, the watercolors may just remind readers of books they want to revisit.
"Ultimately, every reader brings his or her own imagination to the task of envisioning these legendary characters." Hahn writes in her introduction to the book. "As an artist consumed by the female form, I could not resist the challenge of bringing each of the greatest women in literature (in my own opinion, of course) to life, as, reading intently, I see them spring forth in my mind."
Passionate readers are most likely aware, at minimum from personal experience, of reading's salutary benefits. Books get us through rough times by whisking us away from our troubles, at least temporarily, and into an alternate world. They provide us with moments of communion and empathetic identification. They offer us perspective and insight into our pain, both physical and emotional. Drawing on books for healing is even an official thing, called Bibliotherapy.
Berthoud and Elderkin's book is a guide for the lay practitioner. They offer a somewhat exhaustive lists of ailments—everything from "agoraphobia," "existential angst," and "bereavement," to "narcissism," "paranoia" and "perfectionism," to "going senile," "sibling rivalry," and "spinelessness," to "wanderlust," "wardrobe crisis," and "writer's block." Each ailment is paired with a summary of and reflection on a suggested read that speaks to the issue. Related ailments are also cross-referenced.
Those seeking curative effects from books can search it for the right read in four ways: by reading ailment, author, novel, or through the Berthoud and Elderkin's "Ten-Best Lists" (escapist, breakup, for after a nightmare, etc.). It's not a book readers are likely to read through cover-to-cover, but it's the kind of big, doorstop of a reference that readers can pick up on a tough day when they're looking for comfort or locked in the grip of reader's block.
This is but a mere starter list. What are your go-to books to give for gifting?
Photo credit: susivinh