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The Books They Gave Me: True Stories of Life, Love, and Lit
This beautiful full-color treasury of stories about gift book-giving celebrates the enduring power of stories of significant books people have received and what those books mean to them.
THE GIFT OF A BOOK BECOMES PART OF THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE. Perhaps it came with a note as simple as “This made me think of you,” but it takes up residence in your heart and your home. The Books They Gave Me is a mixtape of stories behind books given and received. Some of the stories are poignant, some snarky, some romantic, some disastrous—but all are illuminating.
Jen Adams collected nearly two hundred of the most provocative stories submitted to the tumblr blog TheBooksTheyGaveMe.com to capture the many ways books can change our lives and loves, revealing volumes about the relationships that inspired the gifts. These stories are, by turns, romantic, cynical, funny, dark, and hopeful. There’s the poorly thought out gift of Lolita from a thirty-year-old man to a teenage girl. There’s the couple who tried to read Ulysses together over the course of their long-distance relationship and never finished it. There’s the girl whose school library wouldn’t allow her to check out Fahrenheit 451, but who received it at Christmas with the note, “Little Read everything you can. Subvert Authority! Love always, your big brother.” These are stories of people falling in love, regretting mistakes, and finding hope. Together they constitute a love letter to the book as physical object and inspiration.
Illustrated in full color with the jackets of beloved editions, The Books They Gave Me is, above all, an uplifting testament to the power of literature.
THE GIFT OF A BOOK BECOMES PART OF THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE. Perhaps it came with a note as simple as “This made me think of you,” but it takes up residence in your heart and your home. The Books They Gave Me is a mixtape of stories behind books given and received. Some of the stories are poignant, some snarky, some romantic, some disastrous—but all are illuminating.
Jen Adams collected nearly two hundred of the most provocative stories submitted to the tumblr blog TheBooksTheyGaveMe.com to capture the many ways books can change our lives and loves, revealing volumes about the relationships that inspired the gifts. These stories are, by turns, romantic, cynical, funny, dark, and hopeful. There’s the poorly thought out gift of Lolita from a thirty-year-old man to a teenage girl. There’s the couple who tried to read Ulysses together over the course of their long-distance relationship and never finished it. There’s the girl whose school library wouldn’t allow her to check out Fahrenheit 451, but who received it at Christmas with the note, “Little Read everything you can. Subvert Authority! Love always, your big brother.” These are stories of people falling in love, regretting mistakes, and finding hope. Together they constitute a love letter to the book as physical object and inspiration.
Illustrated in full color with the jackets of beloved editions, The Books They Gave Me is, above all, an uplifting testament to the power of literature.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 28, 2012
This is the perfect book for readers. People emailed Adams and told her which book gift was the most significant and why. Some of the stories are sweet and some are sad and some are just almost baffling.
This book appealed to me on two levels. The first, obviously, is that few things give me greater joy than talking about books or reading about books. :) I loved reading about which books were most valuable to people and why.
The second is the part of me that loves things like PostSecret and The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories. I love getting little glimpses into people's personalities and this book will definitely give you that.
This was an incredibly fun book to read and I hope that there will be a second volume at some point. Meanwhile, I hope to catch up on the Tumblr (linked above).
It also made me think about the books that have meant the most to me. Generally when I get books as presents, they're books that I've asked for. People don't usually give me unrequested books as presents because it's hard to know what I have or what I've already read. My friend Bekki, though, gave me Blue Like Jazz and it's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. When we were first starting to get to know each other, my birthmom sent me a copy of Harlan Coben's Tell No One. Obviously it isn't a life changer in the way that Blue Like Jazz was but it introduced me to this author that I absolutely was and it was a book that was just perfect---it was like every possible thing that I could've loved in one volume.
But getting back to THIS book, I recommend it very, very much.
This book appealed to me on two levels. The first, obviously, is that few things give me greater joy than talking about books or reading about books. :) I loved reading about which books were most valuable to people and why.
The second is the part of me that loves things like PostSecret and The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories. I love getting little glimpses into people's personalities and this book will definitely give you that.
This was an incredibly fun book to read and I hope that there will be a second volume at some point. Meanwhile, I hope to catch up on the Tumblr (linked above).
It also made me think about the books that have meant the most to me. Generally when I get books as presents, they're books that I've asked for. People don't usually give me unrequested books as presents because it's hard to know what I have or what I've already read. My friend Bekki, though, gave me Blue Like Jazz and it's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. When we were first starting to get to know each other, my birthmom sent me a copy of Harlan Coben's Tell No One. Obviously it isn't a life changer in the way that Blue Like Jazz was but it introduced me to this author that I absolutely was and it was a book that was just perfect---it was like every possible thing that I could've loved in one volume.
But getting back to THIS book, I recommend it very, very much.
Read
March 27, 2013A very good friend gave me this book for a recent birthday. We have recommended / loaned / gifted / discussed many books throughout the years and this was yet another that I really enjoyed. (I still remember when she handed me a little book with a yellow cover - Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger - in a faraway land telling me, "I think you'll like it." It immediately became and has stayed my favorite for the past fifteen years.)
This book contains page after page of stories of books gifted or left behind or loaned. I loved reading it - I wrote down books I would like to read and will certainly remember some of the stories (some happy, some sad) for a long time. Like so many of the contributors, books provide a certain backdrop for my life; I really believe books can be read at the exact right time and that you can learn a lot about a person through the books they love (or, in this case, gift).
I can't believe that I had never heard of the Tumblr The books They Gave me (http://thebookstheygaveme.tumblr.com/), but you can be certain that it is now bookmarked on my computer.
(Of course, many thanks to my friend for gifting this to me. I already look forward to the many other books I'm sure you will share with me.)
This book contains page after page of stories of books gifted or left behind or loaned. I loved reading it - I wrote down books I would like to read and will certainly remember some of the stories (some happy, some sad) for a long time. Like so many of the contributors, books provide a certain backdrop for my life; I really believe books can be read at the exact right time and that you can learn a lot about a person through the books they love (or, in this case, gift).
I can't believe that I had never heard of the Tumblr The books They Gave me (http://thebookstheygaveme.tumblr.com/), but you can be certain that it is now bookmarked on my computer.
(Of course, many thanks to my friend for gifting this to me. I already look forward to the many other books I'm sure you will share with me.)
April 22, 2013
Quirky spit of a book that I picked up on the title alone at a great indie bookstore, Bartleby's Books in Vermont.
This is one of those books that began as a blog and somehow found it's way to bookshelves. Jen Adams collected hundreds of stories of the origin of the gift of a book. Some are funny, some heartbreaking and frankly, some I didn't get at all.
Taken alone as snapshot essays, with author, title, you might find some new books to read here. I don't think that is the author's intent however. As she gathered and bound the answers she received I really can't fault her for the content. I'm just not certain the results are important enough to warrant a print edition.
This is one of those books that began as a blog and somehow found it's way to bookshelves. Jen Adams collected hundreds of stories of the origin of the gift of a book. Some are funny, some heartbreaking and frankly, some I didn't get at all.
Taken alone as snapshot essays, with author, title, you might find some new books to read here. I don't think that is the author's intent however. As she gathered and bound the answers she received I really can't fault her for the content. I'm just not certain the results are important enough to warrant a print edition.
December 1, 2012
This book is fascinating. You can sit down and just read one, flipping through randomly, or you can get absorbed for hours in both these people's memories and your own. If books are part of your life, you want this book. And you'll want to give one to every book lover on your list. Adam's came up with an amazing project that has now become an amazing book (with the possibility of more editions in a couple of years, according to her blog). This is a treasure about treasures, and a celebration of books, the giving, the getting, the reading and the cherishing of memories of them.
December 26, 2014
Ļoti, ļoti.
Īsi stāstiņi, kuru stāstītāji un kuros minētās personas nav pat nosauktas vārdos, bet lasot ir tā sajūta, ka caur tiem dažiem teikumiem vai to vienu lappusi, ir ļauts pa atslēgas caurumu ielūkoties šo cilvēku dvēselē.
Laimīgi un mazāk laimīgi stāsti. Stāsti, kuriem gribētos zināt turpinājumu un stāsti, kuri mazliet pavelk uz asariņu. Ļoti dažādi, ļoti personiski.
''Choosing a book to read is an art. There's a magic to it, and when you read the right book at the right time it becomes so much more than just a book; it becomes a symbol for that moment.''
Īsi stāstiņi, kuru stāstītāji un kuros minētās personas nav pat nosauktas vārdos, bet lasot ir tā sajūta, ka caur tiem dažiem teikumiem vai to vienu lappusi, ir ļauts pa atslēgas caurumu ielūkoties šo cilvēku dvēselē.
Laimīgi un mazāk laimīgi stāsti. Stāsti, kuriem gribētos zināt turpinājumu un stāsti, kuri mazliet pavelk uz asariņu. Ļoti dažādi, ļoti personiski.
''Choosing a book to read is an art. There's a magic to it, and when you read the right book at the right time it becomes so much more than just a book; it becomes a symbol for that moment.''
May 27, 2012
This is such a wonderful gift for bibliophiles, a chronicle of books people have been given: some are funny, some are poignant, and some are sad, but all will resonate with the reader. Plus each account has a picture of the book described, a nice touch. I loved it!
August 11, 2026
I haven’t savoured a book this much in a very long time. Over the last few weeks, this book became a part of my mornings, a warm cup of coffee beside it, as the early rays of sunshine seeped in through the window. I read through stories of all kinds of books, the meaning they held for people, and the beautiful, funny or sad stories behind the person who gave them the book. Loved all the snippets talking about inscriptions on the first pages. It really feels like you have a piece of the person forever etched into the ink of the page. (I recently came across a book I had gotten as a birthday gift from a friend, and she had written a small message on the front and even though I haven’t seen her in years - I still remember her through those words, through her handwriting)
All of the stories felt a little magical - I really wished I had a physical copy of my own (this one was from the library) so that I could annotate in the margins of the book, and I could underline all the words that I know I’d want to come back to.
All in all, a wonderful read.
All of the stories felt a little magical - I really wished I had a physical copy of my own (this one was from the library) so that I could annotate in the margins of the book, and I could underline all the words that I know I’d want to come back to.
All in all, a wonderful read.
Read
August 25, 2017Some of these were nice. Most were ridiculous. I think I rolled my eyes about 200 times.
February 17, 2023
The perfect book for bibliophiles and romantics, this collection of very short pieces describes the giving and receiving of books, and the stories behind them. Definitely one to dip in and out of rather than reading straight through - and it's remarkable how many of the stories have a sad or bitter(sweet?) ending. A warning, perhaps?
October 30, 2016
In my adult life, only one person has ever given me a book; it was different when young, as books are routinely given by parents and occasional others for birthdays etc. and then there are the compulsory texts for schooling.
I've speculated about this, because I love reading, but my love is non-fiction – history, politics, ideas, psychology etc., possibly due to a negative school experience with the titles set there, but also a desire to find out. As a writer, I tread the same path and was astounded a few years ago when a colleague in my area told me that she only read novels, which made me think twice, again, about the knowledge and theory that were underpinning her work.
Anyway, the book I was given wasn't one I would have chosen off the shelf, but the giver thought I would find it interesting, and she was right; I enjoyed it very much.
This could be one of the stories in the compilation of book gift giving (and associated minefields) put together by Jen Adams and I only bought it because of the combination of price and musing about my singular experience. I thought it would be interesting to read these stories and see similarities and differences. The stories were also brief and suited my tendency to read different things in different places and different times.
The overwhelming theme here is relationship: the desire for someone else to like what you like (an attitude I used to take regarding music, and possibly still hold, in a more nuanced way – hopefully, anyway); those who give you a book but don't read themselves; the poor choices and those spot-on; the ones never read, for reasons ranging from lack of interest, to a memory of some kind. There are some pretty sharp judgements, from both contributors and the other party.
I hadn't heard of many of the books – most, probably – and there were a small number I'd read. It was interesting what contributors liked to read, with some interesting fantasies attached.
The sample was drawn from online submissions and there's the usual biases from that, as well as North American presumptions about culture and society.
I enjoyed it, anyway, and it fitted the bill for what I wanted from it; I'm now going to hand it on to someone who currently plays a role in distributing books I've read (or not completed) that might be of interest to other people, none of whom I think I know. I hope it is enjoyable for someone, anyway, and I prefer to give without any implications of a quid-pro-quo, a desire articulated by more than a few contributors
I've speculated about this, because I love reading, but my love is non-fiction – history, politics, ideas, psychology etc., possibly due to a negative school experience with the titles set there, but also a desire to find out. As a writer, I tread the same path and was astounded a few years ago when a colleague in my area told me that she only read novels, which made me think twice, again, about the knowledge and theory that were underpinning her work.
Anyway, the book I was given wasn't one I would have chosen off the shelf, but the giver thought I would find it interesting, and she was right; I enjoyed it very much.
This could be one of the stories in the compilation of book gift giving (and associated minefields) put together by Jen Adams and I only bought it because of the combination of price and musing about my singular experience. I thought it would be interesting to read these stories and see similarities and differences. The stories were also brief and suited my tendency to read different things in different places and different times.
The overwhelming theme here is relationship: the desire for someone else to like what you like (an attitude I used to take regarding music, and possibly still hold, in a more nuanced way – hopefully, anyway); those who give you a book but don't read themselves; the poor choices and those spot-on; the ones never read, for reasons ranging from lack of interest, to a memory of some kind. There are some pretty sharp judgements, from both contributors and the other party.
I hadn't heard of many of the books – most, probably – and there were a small number I'd read. It was interesting what contributors liked to read, with some interesting fantasies attached.
The sample was drawn from online submissions and there's the usual biases from that, as well as North American presumptions about culture and society.
I enjoyed it, anyway, and it fitted the bill for what I wanted from it; I'm now going to hand it on to someone who currently plays a role in distributing books I've read (or not completed) that might be of interest to other people, none of whom I think I know. I hope it is enjoyable for someone, anyway, and I prefer to give without any implications of a quid-pro-quo, a desire articulated by more than a few contributors
December 4, 2012
Every year lists are published informing people which books they should buy for the readers in their lives. Inevitably, these lists are clueless. "If your daughter likes to read, give her THE HUNGER GAMES!" they say, as if anyone who reads young adult novels hasn't already read THE HUNGER GAMES or made a conscious decision not to. And no, the reader in your life does not want a journal. Everybody and their dog has given them a journal as a gift. Just stop. What you should buy for the reader in your life is THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME.
THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME: True Stories of Life and Love collects 200 stories originally posted at TheBooksTheyGaveMe.com. It's exactly what it sounds like. People share the stories of books they were given as gifts by lovers, relatives, and friends. Sometimes the book brings about an epiphany. Sometimes it is loved; other times hated; sometimes left unread. Each vignette is an intimate peek into a relationship.
I meant to only read a few stories at a time, but once I started it was hard to stop. THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME showcases the many ways a book can affect someone's life. And you never know which stories will end happily, sadly, or somewhere in between. Sometimes you might take sides between the receiver and the giver. But the stories never start to sound the same.
THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME is a great gift for someone else. But if you love books, it might be a good gift to buy yourself. At the very least peruse Jen Adams' tumblr (linked above) to get a taste of the wonderful stories she's collected.
THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME: True Stories of Life and Love collects 200 stories originally posted at TheBooksTheyGaveMe.com. It's exactly what it sounds like. People share the stories of books they were given as gifts by lovers, relatives, and friends. Sometimes the book brings about an epiphany. Sometimes it is loved; other times hated; sometimes left unread. Each vignette is an intimate peek into a relationship.
I meant to only read a few stories at a time, but once I started it was hard to stop. THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME showcases the many ways a book can affect someone's life. And you never know which stories will end happily, sadly, or somewhere in between. Sometimes you might take sides between the receiver and the giver. But the stories never start to sound the same.
THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME is a great gift for someone else. But if you love books, it might be a good gift to buy yourself. At the very least peruse Jen Adams' tumblr (linked above) to get a taste of the wonderful stories she's collected.
December 16, 2012
MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
BOOK PORN. Plain and simple, this is as good as it gets for us book lovers. If you enjoy reading Post Secret and really want to know why someone gifted a certain book or why that person enjoyed it or hated it, this is your peek into that their thinking. I love reading stuff like this. There is a wide range of emotions, everything from "why did I get this" to "this means so much". Much like The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, this is one you can pick up and read whenever you like. Probably my favorite from the whole collection is one where lovers gifted each other books and they both wrote essentially that the romance was over with this exchange.
This is one of those vicarious experiences that let you peek into the minds of like minded people. I know I had a lot of these books on my shelves or had read them in the past and it was really interesting to find what these same books had meant to them. I will revisit many times since it lends itself to rereading. I think that this would make the perfect gift for that book lover that has read everything.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
BOOK PORN. Plain and simple, this is as good as it gets for us book lovers. If you enjoy reading Post Secret and really want to know why someone gifted a certain book or why that person enjoyed it or hated it, this is your peek into that their thinking. I love reading stuff like this. There is a wide range of emotions, everything from "why did I get this" to "this means so much". Much like The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, this is one you can pick up and read whenever you like. Probably my favorite from the whole collection is one where lovers gifted each other books and they both wrote essentially that the romance was over with this exchange.
This is one of those vicarious experiences that let you peek into the minds of like minded people. I know I had a lot of these books on my shelves or had read them in the past and it was really interesting to find what these same books had meant to them. I will revisit many times since it lends itself to rereading. I think that this would make the perfect gift for that book lover that has read everything.
January 28, 2013
This is a book about books. Books that people have been given and how their lives were changed or touched by these books. I enjoyed reading about the different books, especially the ones I had read and how they affected their lives.
I was given the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, when I was younger by my Aunt Pat. I loved that book and read it every night until I had every poem there memorized. This book really opened my eyes to the funny things that people say, do and other peoples imagination. I read and I laughed and I loved that book and the others that followed it. What a wonderful gift that I have now given to my children to enjoy. I love books because they are gifts that keep giving…year after year after year.
This book reminds me of the Post Secret Series of books, which I love. This is a book about books that anyone who reads and enjoys the written word will also love. I may not have agreed with everyone’s ideas of why the books were important, but I respect their opinions and enjoyed the insight it gave me into those books, even the ones I have read.
I was given the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, when I was younger by my Aunt Pat. I loved that book and read it every night until I had every poem there memorized. This book really opened my eyes to the funny things that people say, do and other peoples imagination. I read and I laughed and I loved that book and the others that followed it. What a wonderful gift that I have now given to my children to enjoy. I love books because they are gifts that keep giving…year after year after year.
This book reminds me of the Post Secret Series of books, which I love. This is a book about books that anyone who reads and enjoys the written word will also love. I may not have agreed with everyone’s ideas of why the books were important, but I respect their opinions and enjoyed the insight it gave me into those books, even the ones I have read.
December 18, 2012
Ahhh, books about books...Just picked this little book up at the Library and devoured it in an hour. I found the glimpses into the lives of these people and the books they love, or hate, fascinating. All the books were given as gifts, mostly from significant others or family and came to define a moment in time for the recipient. Some were funny, others touching, almost all were interesting for one reason or another. Other than the voyeuristic quality of the book, I enjoyed that I got a few more titles to add to my "to read" section, which is always entertainingly and infuriatingly longer than my "read" section (as it should be I suppose). And if you are like me and have never found a mate who adores reading as much as you, you may find yourself growing jealous of some of these stories. The only person who ever picks out the perfect books for me (or any books at all for that matter) is my dad. Maybe when it finally happens I'll know I'm on to something...oh but enough about my love life already! This book makes for a fun and quick read and would make a great gift for bookworms.
December 1, 2012
I picked this book off the " new reads" section at the library. It is a fast read because it is a compilation of some blog where readers wrote about books they had been given. It was a good end of year book, because it gave me some ideas for books to try in 2013 as well as made me think back on past books I have enjoyed. I especially liked one response to the book "The Silmarillion" by Tolkien when the reader said, "It occupied me for a month or so. It gave me things to think about, as it had my father. That is the gift all books give." While I won't be trying "Silmarillion" anytime soon, maybe 2013 will be the year I break into 30 books. That way I will have more chances to experience the gift of ideas from reading.
November 16, 2012
I struggled with how to rate this book. It's probably more of a 3.5, but it's not a 4--hence my rating (since Goodreads doesn't allow half ratings).
Reading other people's stories of how they received books from others, I was intrigued about not just the meanings behind the gifts, but how the recipients viewed their gifts.
I was hoping that, being the reader I am, that I might get a new book idea or two. Sadly, of all the books listed, only 1 perked my interest. (For the record, I've only read 26 of the books mentioned). There were a few mentioned I've tried to read (and couldn't finish).
Some of the stories were interesting, some funny--but after a while I got a little bored.
Reading other people's stories of how they received books from others, I was intrigued about not just the meanings behind the gifts, but how the recipients viewed their gifts.
I was hoping that, being the reader I am, that I might get a new book idea or two. Sadly, of all the books listed, only 1 perked my interest. (For the record, I've only read 26 of the books mentioned). There were a few mentioned I've tried to read (and couldn't finish).
Some of the stories were interesting, some funny--but after a while I got a little bored.
April 11, 2013
A collection of short quips about stories that were given to the authors. The reasons they liked or didn't like the stories given to them are at times hilarious, and at times heartbreaking. I thought that Jen Adams introduction was wonderful and I would like to read more by her. She certainly has a grip on what it means to be a fan of books. I could never have stated my love of books as well as she did. She said everything I would want to say if I could use my words as well as Ms. Adams obviously can. I also found several books included that I would like to read and some that I had never heard of.
December 2, 2012
Delightful book given to me by my "bestest" reading buddy, made it a delightful "read" for me. Again, a completely different format for me, it was written in blog form, short descriptions of books given to different readers at different times in their lives and why the books are still on their shelves. I was amazed at how many of the books were given by readers who had received the books from past loves; lots of broken relationships with books that keep the memories alive. I will have this on my shelves from now on to remind me of the beautiful reading relationship that Judy and I have!
January 30, 2013
I really wanted to love this book. What could be better than stories about books? Alas, I was disappointed. The selection of essays was repetitive. Too many, IMHO, were from lovers no longer loved; too many involved romances that went sour. It seemed to be one broken heart or man "who done her wrong" after another. The few essays describing books from parent to child, dear friend to dear friend, or beloved teacher to pupil were too few. I love the concept, and perhaps the next edition will have more variety.
February 23, 2013
The worst part about this book is how great the premise is. I liked maybe about a quarter of the stories, hence the additional star. But the rest of the vignettes were so packed with obnoxious cliches and literary smugness, I was just glad to be done with it.
August 22, 2013
A random person gave me a book because we were in love, but then we weren't and I should have realized it because the book they chose sucked.
Sorry, I found this book to be rather useless drivel.
Sorry, I found this book to be rather useless drivel.
November 28, 2012
A book about the books that impacted readers lives, a book like this can do wrong. Great read.
December 29, 2012
Rating = 3.5 stars
July 26, 2013
I loved the idea for this book, but the essays were strangely uninteresting.
January 25, 2014
Really boring. It did not inspire me to read any of the books it featured and I found the stories to be really uninteresting.
May 13, 2015
Can we please stop turning cute blog ideas into books?
February 3, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! It was one of those that had me making notes in the margins and underlining passages. It was easy to put down and come back to. It made me laugh and think and re-read sections.
I am a bibliophile with a whole wall of old books and a hundred more on my kindle and this book made me really think about the books that I have kept and why I have kept them. And the books that I have given and why I have given them. I even quizzed my husband to see if he could answer questions about my books beyond the fact that I always put bookstores on our travel itinerary. For the record, he has never bought me a book but he never grumbles about my bringing a dozen home or spending hours of his life following me around old bookstores.
So in the end I loved this book and would have added it to my shelf, except I felt like it needed to be out in the world for other people to enjoy, so I sold it to a used bookstore and immediately regretted it and went back for it, but it was gone. So I bought another copy and gave it to one of my fellow bibliophiles. Seemed fitting.
I am a bibliophile with a whole wall of old books and a hundred more on my kindle and this book made me really think about the books that I have kept and why I have kept them. And the books that I have given and why I have given them. I even quizzed my husband to see if he could answer questions about my books beyond the fact that I always put bookstores on our travel itinerary. For the record, he has never bought me a book but he never grumbles about my bringing a dozen home or spending hours of his life following me around old bookstores.
So in the end I loved this book and would have added it to my shelf, except I felt like it needed to be out in the world for other people to enjoy, so I sold it to a used bookstore and immediately regretted it and went back for it, but it was gone. So I bought another copy and gave it to one of my fellow bibliophiles. Seemed fitting.
December 26, 2019
For two years this book has been sitting on my desk, and I'd pick it up and read a few entries, only to put it down after remembering why I don't enjoy it at all. The promise of this book - a mixtape of stories behind books given and received - is so high that maybe my expectations are off. It's why I kept trying over and over again. I expected stories that inspire and amuse, and book recommendations that would have me going back and adding to my goodreads list over and over again. Instead we get page after page of entries that read something like this: "He gave me this book on our third date. I don't know why he did. We broke up one week later as both he and this book were pretty boring and not my type. I don't know where he is today and the book is somewhere in a box in my parents' basement."
So, ummm ... yeah. To be fair, there were a few stories that left me wanting to know a lot more about the book, the giver, the receiver ... everything. Very few. If only these could have been 10 times longer and the filler eliminated. Oh well.
So, ummm ... yeah. To be fair, there were a few stories that left me wanting to know a lot more about the book, the giver, the receiver ... everything. Very few. If only these could have been 10 times longer and the filler eliminated. Oh well.
September 20, 2022
I totally enjoyed this little book. Books are important to me and fill a large part of my life. I have gifted books to others and received many as well. There are no chapters or long passages here, just short little anecdotes about a special book received from a friend, family or lover. They are sometimes quirky, sometimes sad, but always interesting. As an added bonus, I took notes on books that were well received and cherished and have added these to my want to read list.
July 9, 2017
I found this book at a library and bought it for $1. I wish I could have my dollar back. The premise of this book is great. Many of the stories were just not for me. I appreciated seeing many new books that I may want to read but on further research there is not a one that I would read. Too many of the stories had to do with break-ups. Just didn't seem real to me.
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