We’ve planned today’s post all week and are going ahead, but we cannot go forward without a mention of what’s happened in Japan today. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected and we send you strength and love. If you are concerned about someone in Japan who you haven’t yet heard is okay, Google has provided this Person Finder page that may help. This page has a roundup of places where you can help financially.
This wraps up the week of LooooVE, celebrating the release of Rachael Herron’s new book. We’ve never done this before, and we’ve had a blast. We hope you’ve had fun too!
Business first: The lucky winner of yesterday’s “Name your fictional heroine’s job” contest, chosen by Rachael and Amy, because this one was too hard to judge alone: Brenna, who wrote, “Elementary school teacher by day, professional roller derby star by night. Her roller derby name can be Miss Take, because every good teacher loves word puns, and every woman over 40 probably would feel roller derby is a Miss Take after the first injury.” Congrats, Brenna — you’ll be receiving a copy of Rachael’s brand-new book, HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME!
Although there are no prizes to go with them, Honorable Mentions go to these three entries:
Katy Rose: My fictional heroine is a medical librarian; sometimes she runs across journal articles detailing a brain injury due to knitting needle puncture, but that’s not enough to deter her from her hobby. 746.1! (that’s Dewey Decimal for “Yarn preparation and weavingâ€)
Anne: My heroine would get to do all the wild stuff I haven’t done. She worked with a vet at the zoo, and as a tight-rope walker at a small traveling circus, and as a fire dancer at a RenFaire. When the book I’ve been thinking about writing starts, she is actually desperate to find a position as far from her family’s occult store as possible, and waitresses at a roadhouse in a podunk Southern town, and sings karaoke in her spare time.
So we promised you two things today: a present for everyone and the biggest contest yet. Ready?
From Rachael’s own needles, a brand-new pattern inspired by her new novel: Heart Back Home fingerless mittens!
A simple, fun knit that avoids traditional colorwork by using duplicate stitch. I personally am a big fan of duplicate stitch. [I’m a fan of anything that looks like it was harder to do than it is.]
Where is the pattern? Guess. Yup, it’s in the magazine, and you’ll find it right here!
And now, it’s time for the final contest of the week, and we think you’ll like it.
Remember this sweater —> ?
It’s the pattern included with her new book, and we’re giving away a kit so you can knit one for yourself. Of course, you’ll get the book, too!
How do you win this time? Leave a comment to this post and tell us this:Â What’s your most favorite recent book to give to a friend? Entries close Saturday, March 12 at midnight eastern time.
One lucky winner will receive a copy of HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME and a sweater’s worth of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted so they can make Ruby’s Bookstore Sweater. Value of yarn: $114.00. Our sincere thanks to Lorna’s Laces and to Rachael’s publisher, Avon, for the prizes this week!
If they’re as into knitting as I am, anything to do with knitting is good. If not, According to Jane by Marilyn Brant is a fun book.
I have a hard time giving books. If it is something that I love, I am afraid that the recipient will not love it as I do. However, I did recently give my husband Assault in Norway by Thomas Gallagher. We are WWII espionage nuts.
I would give my writing friends a copy of the 2010 Best American Science Writing.
Favorite recent book of any kind to gift to a friend is What Would Madame Defarge Knit? (in pre-orders now!). Semi-recent novel gifted to grown-ups is Casting Off by Nicole Dickson. As a mom of two, however, most of my book gift-giving is to my daughters’ friends. In that case, our recent favorite books to give are The Red Pyramid and The Lost Hero, both by Rick Riordan.
The commemorative edition of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac.
My most favorite recent book to give to a friend is Patrick Rothfuss’s Name of the Wind (OK, it’s a couple years old, but it’s good!). Really engrossing epic fantasy with lots of magic, music, dragons, mysterious beauties, and other cool stuff.
I love giving books. I’d like to give Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel, to my MIL because she loves Tudor England even more than I do! For Christmas, we gave graphic novels (Stephen King’s The Stand) to my SILs. And I think every kid I know is getting a copy of Little Pea by Amy Rosenthal this year!
My last couple of Book gifts were “A Knits End” by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (Yarn Harlot).
Both of these gals were new knitters and having some struggles. The book offered inspiration and great knitting.
This one is kind of tough, as I like to keep all the books for myself (my precious…!!). I can truthfully say though, that the last book I actually gave away was “How to Knit a Love Song” – after I read it, I bought another copy & sent it to my mom, who really liked it.
Books are the favourite gift amongst us here. All the people we know read. My friends became a first time Mom not too long ago and I got her a book – Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman. Which I think should be part of any maternity gift, along with bibs, tiny knitted baby boots, blankets and soakers 🙂
It’s not a recent book, but it’s not ancient history either. Mama Day by Gloria Naylor my second favorite book of all time
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Book of Negros by Lawrence Hill
Those are recent titles that I’ve shared/given to friends… there are just so many good books!
My husband and I both hand out our copies of Time Traveler’s Wife and American Gods on a regular basis because they are AWESOME!!!
I have given out 6 copies of ‘Mama Gena’s Guide to the Womanly Arts’ in the last few years. Every woman benefits from being reminded that living in pleasure makes the world a better place. If the person be wee, ‘That’s NOT My Penguin’ is an absolute gem. As fun to read as to gift.
I recently gave a copy of Robert Munsch’s book “Love You Forever” to my new granddaughter. This is the story of a mother singing a song of love to her child as a baby and throughout various times in his life, even after he has grown up and moved away. At the end, he comes back when she is old and ill and sings it to her. Enduring love is the theme. Doesn’t get much better or basic than that.
Oh, another genre: mystery, specifically, the Flavia de Luce series. Alan Bradley is as far removed from an 11-year old girl as you can get, and still, the mysteries are spectacular. So get started – go pick up The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It’s an amazing story that touches on an amazing love in a dark time and it’s so hopeful and soul stirring.
Ariana Franklin’s ‘A Murderous Procession’ – it’s the fourth in the series all about a female doctor in the time of Henry the Second and all of her various adventures… Fantastic books – the first one was ‘Mistress of the Art of Death’. Sadly the author (who’s name was actually Diana Norman) passed away recently, I’m really going to miss having any more of her books to read…
Bridget Jones’s Diary
How sad is it that I could only think of one somewhat interesting title?
The Hunger Games from Suzanne Collins is so intense and wonderful. It’s a three book series and I cried at the end of the third book. It’s about Kat, a young woman who has to fight for her life and the lives of everyone in her district against a dictator. An unexpected love in the arena and a completely unexpected ending. So so good!
At Knit’s End isn’t exactly “recent” but it’s a winner. But my favorite for new parents – Owen by Kevin Henkes. Hilarious! oooh – or Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. Man, is that one lovely. The Henkes book is the only one that can be finished fast enough to get any knitting time in, though.
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day..
Lots of things say “love”
A hug..yummy yarn made into something that will wrap the receiver with warmth.. home made bread.. fresh from the oven.
For my friends who cannot knit.. I love giving them the Artisan Bread book.. so they can make themselves some love too..
My favorite books to give away right now are two by Alan Alda. Simply phenomenal. They are Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and the follow up book called Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself. I have always admired Mr. Alda. I grew up watching him, but never realized what an amazing individual he was beyond the camera. Treat yourself to his comedial insights and reflections on life. I’m sure you’ll love the books as much as I do. I have literally gifted at least 30 pairs of these books, that’s how highly I think of them and him.
The Birth House. Hands down. I’ve recommended it to anyone who’ll listen and have given away more copies than I can count.
Not even fiction, but the book I’ve been wanting to give to everyone lately is “The Matchbox That Ate a Forty-Ton Truck” by Marcus Chown. He talks about physics, going from simple everyday stuff you’re familiar with, like seeing your reflection in a window, and explains what that tells us about quantum physics. It is fun and easy to read (which isn’t something you can say about most physics books) and leaves you feeling a little more in touch with the mysteries of the universe.
this contest reminded me that I have neither read any recent books nor given any books to any friends lately! 🙁 How to Knit a Heart Back Home sounds like it would be a good one to read and share, though!
Not really knitting related (although there might be a reference in there, if I am not imagining it…) but I LOVE the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. That is the last book I read and I could not put it down – it is beautiful, strange, and like the best books based on fantastic and impossible things, it is deeply real. Have already given it as a gift once and would do it again!
[Still Alice by Lisa Genova](http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Still-Alice-Lisa-Genova/9781439102817-item.html?ref=Gift+Ideas%3aHome%3aheathers-picks%3aheatherspicks%3a10) was one of my fav books. I just had to lend it out to my sister in law who is also a good friend. It’s compelling and lures you in with Alice’s stuggles with the onset of Alzheimer’s. It was a great read. I have definalty read it again.
For babies: “The Baby Catalogue” by Janet and Allen Ahlberg (the original British version thank you very much). For grownups: “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak (the character, Death, is one of the most interesting I’ve met in literature).
My favourite 2 right now for giving away are Julia’s Chocolates and The Birth House – both are amazing and I love sharing a good book with others
I’d love to give ‘My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me’ (edited by Kate Bernheimer) to a fiction reader, or ‘more last minute knitted gifts’ (along with a last minute knitted gift) to a new knitter.
‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ by Johnathan Safran Foer. Not only is it the one book I’ve been able to read that deals with 9/11 (I lived in NYC at the time and all the other books I tried were too close, scary or pedantic), but it is one of the most beautiful, magical and playful stories I’ve read about anything. A stunning exploration of family, love, memory and home. I wish he’d write more! 3 books is not enough!
Currently I’m recommending The Hunger Games to everyone I know, but I’m more of a library person.
As a librarian, I tend to just direct friends to the library for books I recommend. However, I am about to give away two copies of Sarah Pekkanen’s Skipping a Beat. It is wonderful, but I might have to give away a box of tissues with each copy!
(It’s only drawback: no knitting!)
My most favorite recent books have been from the Lumby Lines series by Gail Fraser. Although they are very easy to read, a bit quirky and lots of fun, they also deal with many of the same problems that many of us do. I always feel good when I finish one of them.
I gave a friend all of my Southern Living cook books, she is from another country and had no idea how to cook southern food, now she does!
My favorite right now is The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It’s kind of a grown-up coming of age story, where magic happens to be real. Very well written and engaging.
Would you believe the Readers Digest? yeah- I’m old but DANG! thats a good light reading to hand out.
Wow! What an exciting giveaway!!!
The most recent really great reading material that I’ve given to a friend was actually a magazine – Interweave Knits. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my knitting time has taken the place of my book reading time.
At Christmas, we always do a white elephant gift exchange. Since I had an extra copy of Half the Sky (Kristof and WuDunn), I decided to have that be my contribution. The guys drew a blank when they saw it, but the women fought over it. Great book, but too sad to read in one sitting.
My favorite book to pass on to a friend is “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption”. It’s an amazing story about an Olympic runner on track (ha ha) to break the 4-minute mile, his enrollment in the Army, his survival on the Pacific in a life raft, and his time spent as a Japanese POW. It never fails to make me weep at the horrors man inflicts on his fellow man, and yet it’s uplifting to read how Louis Zamperini was able to overcome torture, starvation, disease and near-death to return to the States and eventually find happiness and peace in his life.
Three Cups of Tea – about bulding schools for girls in Afghanistan for my son. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who wants an uplifting story.
What a fun week it’s been! The book I am recommending and giving away most recently, and will likely do for a long time to come, is Mark Nepo’s “The Book of Awakening.” It’s a beautiful daybook of wisdom, and I find that reading each day’s passage points me in the right direction in order to fully appreciate all things.
My favorite most recent book to give to a friend was “The Help”. A terrific story of friendship and loyalty. Love the sweater! Crossing my fingers!
It would either be Steinbeck’s East of Eden or Austen’s Persuasion. Love, love, love them both!
I’ve given away tons of copies of the book Deerskin by Robin McKinley (click on my name for a link). It’s gotten me through some of the worst depression of my life and I hope it’s done the same for them.
I guess this counts – I always give my friends scrapbooks of our times together. Knitting circles, park outings and parties… I am forever with a camera in my hands so I thought it would be cool to make little random scrapbooks and surprise my friends throughout the year with them.
Nothing is better than something homemade with love.
My favorite book to give away to friends lately has been “Feed”.
I’ll have to go with One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.
I just recently gave a good friend of mine (who I taught how to knit), Vogue Knitting Knitopedia.
Just what every good friend needs!
I’m currently reading “The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel” by Jasper Fforde. It’s a quirky, fun, and easy read. I love classic literature and to imagine an entire country where literature is prized more than anything just makes me feel all warm and squishy. Yum. Any avid reader would love this book. And there are no better pastimes than knitting and reading!
The book I’ve given away is “Room”. It’s an incredible story that left me looking at life with a feeling of joy and appreciation.
I’m nervous of this one, but everyone loves it! Moving higher on my queue…. 🙂
I hope this counts as recent enough (2005 for the English edition), since I don’t read many modern authors, but I have given “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami, since that is my favorite book that he’s written.
I’m constantly giving people copies of China Mieville’s books. His latest, Kraken, is sort of a sci-fi political comedy… hard to explain, but if you love cities, adventure, labor unions or giant squid, this is the book for you.
I adore Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People By Amy Sedaris! It is HILARIOUS!! All of her books are, and HEY, who doesn’t need a laugh these days!!
Wow that is a hard one. I guess I would have to say Knitted Flowers by Nicky Epstein because everyone could use flowers in their life.
I have pushed _The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao_ on more people than I can count.
I give or recommend to everyone I can Jacqueline Carey’s “Kushiel’s Dart”. It’s a sort of medieval fantasy, but definitely the best thing I’ve read in the last five years. If you have any liking of fantasy at all, go get it now. Or even if you don’t, give it a shot.
“Lobster Man” is a children’s book about lobstering off the coast of New England. I gave it to my brother’s neighbor, Benny, when he became a big brother (of twin boys – each with some challenges). I included a pair of lobster mittens for Benny and his mom reported that he wore them all day – even to brush his teeth!
I just finished reading “Marriage and other acts of charity” I highly recommend it to anyone who is married or even thinking about getting married! Lots of good info!
Book is Canada Reads winner: The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis. Great Canadian political comedy. And Terry’s a good hockey citizen on our Ball Hockey League!
Love the mittens and I can’t wait to read the book!
I gave my friend the first five books of the Belgariad series by David Eddings for her birthday. Along, of course, with a bunch of yarn, because I managed to suck her back into crochet after she spent years away. Muahahahaha!
My most recent favorite to share is ‘The Society of S’ by Susan Hubbard.
Not terribly recent, but …A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. To get them as excited about the upcoming TV series as I am.
I would give a friend The Element by Ken Robinson. It is about finding your own passion and how that passion changes your life.
Though it’s not a super high-brow novel, lately I’ve given friends The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. It’s a really fun faery series with a fantastic modern twist and a great love triangle. A quick, easy read. 🙂
I just passed on Diana Gabaldon’s latest in the ‘Outlander’ series to my sister. Good rolicking historical romance – and got it used for 1/2 price!
I love giving “All About Me” to my friends. It’s kind of a guided journal that allows you to record all kinds of information about yourself, leading to greater self-awareness and introspection, as well as providing snapshot of who you are. I had a version of this book as a child, and it’s fascinating to read about my younger self in my own words.
Ines of My Soul: A Novel by Isabel Allende is my newest favorite to share.
I have four:
How to Knit a Heart Back Home by Rachael Herron (Yes, really; I’m not just saying that)
Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford
Spun by Sorcery by Barbara Bretton
Twilight’s Dawn by Anne Bishop
You are a darling. That is all. xo
Gah! Just one?
I’ve been pointing everyone at John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War, which I just discovered – really really good scifi.
Not a recent book, but one of my favorite that I’ve shared is “Ahab’s Wife” by Sena Jeter Naslund. I couldn’t put it down.
Aside from giving away copies of How to Knit a Love Song . . .
Montana 1948 by Lawrence Watson
This was a fun week of posts and contests. Thanks!
Looking over my Amazon history for the last couple of years, I can see that I’ve bought Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book no less than 5 different times, for myself, nephews and neices, and for friends.
I also tend to buy multiple copies of classics at secondhand bookshops to take with me on trips and to give away. Favorites include Dorothy Sayer’s Peter Wimsey series, Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, and anything by Terry Pratchett.
I have 2 current favorite books to give.
For adults: Maya Angelou’s Phenomenal Woman, in picture book form, with paintings by Paul Gauguin.
For children: Richard Bach’s There’s No Such Place as Far Away.
The last book I gave to a friend was Bury Your Dead: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny. I learned a lot about Quebec City where my friend has lived and he said he was shocked about how well the book represented the places in Quebec City.
The book I’m giving to everybody is Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald. She is one of my friends who also has recently been published (Soul Hunt is her third book, Spiral Hunt is book 1). I love being able to introduce people to local authors and I think it is fabulous that one of my friends has been able to make her dreams a reality!
We keep giving out more copies of FEED by Mira Grant. Zombies, politics, and blogging; what’s not to love?
Well, other than Rachael’s books, I recently read The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A very compelling story indeed.
I don’t give one specific book title but, I do tend to give Neil Gaiman books whenever I give a book as a gift. No matter which book it is, he tends to gain a new fan each time I give out one of his books!
County, kind of a love story by Rebecca Wurtz
a novel in sonnets about a doctor and her HIV + patients, her collegues and the system
I have lent out many of my books to friends. One that is a great book to give to a friend is The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It is written for teens, but the story is cleverly done, easy to get into, and serious enough that you feel as if it was worth reading when you finish it.
I am usually sending books to my teenaged niece and nephew, so I’ve pushed Sarah Rees Brennan’s Demon’s Lexicon, Garth Nix’s Keys to the Kingdom and Derek Landy’s Skullduggery Pleasant series lately. They are all excellent teen reads!
“Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card has been on my lips and reading lists a lot lately. Next recipient: my 14 year old nephew!
Not brand new… but I recently read “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and loved it… and have recommended it many times already. A wonderful story, told through letters, about WWII and post-war Guernsey Island. Sweet relationships, even through hard times.
“The Forgotten Garden” by Kate Morton – it had a lot of intrigue and twists and turns and since it occurred across about 3 generations it really kept you on your toes!
Even though it may not be recent, I’d gift a friend with Crazy Aunt Purl’s Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair =)
The most recent book I gave away was The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For. It is a collection of comics that my friend read for a class and then gave to me. I returned the favor by giving it to someone else who I thought would appreciate it.
I don’t know if it’s okay to enter again, but I wanted to share anyway. I like to lend out novels by Diana Wynne Jones. They appeal to almost everyone, regardless of their mood. Her latest book, Enchanted Glass, is one of my favorites. Who could turn down a book that involves revenge by giant vegetables?
I recently gave a friend a copy of Brave New Knits. She is a blog reader and a knitter so, she loved it!!
This is not a new book, but I ask people I want to give books to if they have read East of Eden, and if the answer is yes, back in high school or no. I get the book for them. This book is the best book that has good and evil and a wonderful story.
The most recent Maggie Sefton knitting mystery. I love the series!
I’ll be checking out my library for Rachael’s books, too!
I’ve recently given a couple people a copy of the “The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell’s Secret”. I’m a scientist and so sometimes like to read geeky non-fiction, but this book is great, since it’s all true, but reads like a detective story. It’s about how the author discovered historical evidence that Alexander Graham Bell actually stole the idea for the telephone, and it’s fascinating!
I loved sharing “The Alchemist” it is such a mind opening book. I also have enjoyed receiving Patricia Briggs books – they are awesome mind candy!
My favorite book to give away is Eat, Pray, Love, the audio version, read by the author. I avoided this book like a monsoon; it was everywhere and of course that meant it was sweet enough to send me into dialysis. I watched the movie and thought, eh. When I saw it was available via my library audiobooks I condescended to download it, thinking I might listen to it someday. To my complete surprise, I love it. Knowing that it is the author who is reading it, is like getting a glimpse into her personal diary as she writes it and travelling with her on her journey. I listen while I spin and both the book and the spinning are a meditative experience. This from me, a certified geek/nerd who doesn’t know touchy feely from rocks.
Lately I’ve been passing around “The Good Good Pig”, about a couple who decide to let their pig become a pet and live out it’s natural life, and all the people who love him and are comforted by him.
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: it has interesting characters and a love story. The audiobook is excellent too.
I recently loaned a friend Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I completely lose myself in her books, and I hoped the same would happen for my friend (she hasn’t started it yet).
“Ella Minnow Pea” by Mark Dunn is an amazing book. His creative use of the English language is inspiring.
Not even kidding, I just gave my friend Rachael’s first book! She’s going on vacation and needed something for the plane. SO perfect!
The Gil McNeil books ‘the beach street knitting society and yarn club’ and ‘needles and pearls’. After reading these several times, I finally decided it really was OK not to be or do everything perfectly and everyone can do things their own way.
I’ve had those on my list of To Be Read for a while — must bump them up the queue…. 🙂
The book would be “From a Name to a Number,” the autobiography of a Holocaust survivor. I’ve heard him speak twice in person, and they were both powerful experiences. To all those who can’t hear him, I would give Alter Wiener’s book.
I loved reading the YA book “Graceling” by Kristin Cashore–it’s fantasy, love story, and political allegory all rolled up in one. My friend who got it after me insisted she didn’t really like fantasy…she then told me she finished it in a matter of days and “maybe I like fantasy after all.” LOL.
My other favorite (grown-up, non-fiction) book is Good, Good Pig by Sy Montgomery. It’s wonderful–a journey of self and a heartwarming story of a piglet who survives against all odds & brings joy to a community.
I am currently listening to the audio book version of “woman in white”. I don’t know what’s that thing with me & victorian literature, but I am enjoying it much!
Greets,
Steffi from Germany
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson – a gentle book about an unlikely romance between a retired very British gentleman and a widowed Pakistani lady. Really charming but also wry.
I actually don’t get to read a lot of recent fiction, unless my library gets something in, but last year for Christmas I gave my best friend a copy of “Sushi for One?” by Camy Tang (2007). I have the whole trilogy myself, and plan to give my BFF the next in the series this Christmas! Hysterical chick lit is my favorite genre (and that includes HTKAL. ;P).
Oooh, I’ve never heard of SUSHI FOR ONE — I’ll have to check it out! And thanks!
My favourite children’s book to gift is “Tiddler” by Julia Donaldson. It’s just perfect – they all love it 🙂 it’s the most recent one I bought 🙂
Guernsey Literary & Potato-peel Pie Society
Lately I’ve been recommending the Sookie Stackhouse books (Dead to the World, Dead and Gone, etc). They’re just so much fun!
What a pretty sweater. I’d love to make it!
Sara Gruen’s _Water for Elephants_ — I’ve given it to three friends, and each has loved it as much as I did. Also, I’m currently reading Wally Lamb’s _The Hour I First Believed_. If I love it as much when I finish it as I love it halfway through, it’ll be my next give-this-to-everybody book! Colum McCann’s _Let The Great World Spin_ currently occupies my give-this-as-a-gift-in-2011 spot and is the book potentially unseated by _The Hour I First Believed_. Thanks for a lovely blog this week — what with Libya and now Japan and the turmoil in Wisconsin, I’ve been grateful to turn to knitting and knitters for comfort over the past few days!
You have great taste! I love all those books. (I love the ending of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS soooo much.) Thanks for being here! 🙂
I’m really not trying to suck up, but… Just yesterday I sent my cousin a copy of How To Knit a Heart Back Home. Her birthday is tomorrow 🙂
it itches
by
franklin habit
I give my daughter the new knitting book Newengland knits for chirstmas.
Right now I’m reading “Black Heels and Tractor Wheels” by Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman). It’s on my list of books I’d give a few people I know.
I recently read “In the Woods”, by Tana French. I would send that to a friend.
Phoebe’s Sweater by Joanna Johnson – http://www.amazon.com/Phoebes-Sweater-Joanna-Johnson/dp/0578046970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299878447&sr=8-1 – This was a birthday gift to one of my 6 yr olds. She was so excited that she immediately read it and then told me what color sweater she wanted, blue 🙂
My favorite grown up book to give away is Bright Flows the River by Taylor Caldwell. (My very favorite book about life and love ever – I’ve read it 5 times so far!). It’s been out of print for years, so I usually wind up giving away my copy and then go dig up another on on eBay. I think I’m on my 10th copy.
Favorite kids book to give: Everybody Poops
My favorite books are the Gil McNeil books as well. I love “The Beach Street Knitting Club & Yarn Society” and also “Needles & Purls” especially for new moms who knit.
If the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho still counts are recent, that that is what I will say.
Everyone needs to remember to follow their dreams.
My favorite book to give to new or expecting parents is “But No Elephants” by Jerry Smath. Such a great little story with wonderful illustrations.
It’s not a really recent book (2009), but I’ve been recommending “Wicked Plants” by Amy Stewart to my friends and family.
I bought the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins for nearly everyone in my family for Christmas – they are YA books but SO good. My husband actually spent much of our honeymoon (in January) reading them.
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo series….
I just gave a friend a copy of the Loom Knitting Pattern Book by Isela Phelps. My friend has vision problems and struggles with knitting on needles but can manage making things on her knitting boards and looms. Now she can socialize with my knitting group and not feel left out.
my most favorite book to give recently was Repunzel’s Revenge. It is a graphic novel about a girl who overcomes a wicked witch, finds her mother and true love all while becoming more and more self-assured. While I like real books without pictures, this one is so much fun.
I would probably gift a new knitter, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s “Knitting Rules”. It contains good advice along with a good dose of humor I think is essential for beginners but also all knitters. I used to read this to the hubs before we went to bed(before he left to go play soldier again). He enjoyed the book just as much as I did.
“Like Water for Elephants” — It just swept me away, and the ending is simply perfect!
I have recently starting ready the “Friday Night Knitting Club” books and enjoyed them. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Lately I’m kinda obsessed w/ Jack Reacher books by Lee Child.So a few of these and “Respect the spindle” by Abby Franquemont. She needs them for the nights she can’t sleep since the messy divorce she is going thru.
I like giving cookbooks to people. Currently, it’s “Appetite for Reduction.” I also love giving children’s books…especially “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and Jacqueline Chwast.
I haven’t found time to read a book in what seems like ages!! I have about half dozen books started on my bedstand. I do, however, gift books often, usually quilt pattern books to my sisters!
The next book I’ll probably be giving to someone else is Grimspace by Ann Aguire, it looks like a book my husband wouldn’t mind reading and unless the last 50 pages change that he will be getting it.
Been going to a lot of showers and 1st birthdays…. The grouchy ladybug! Great artwork and paper cuts… and how many children’d books how the word aphids!
My favorite book to give as a gift is “West with the Night” by Beryl Markham. It is an Autobiography about a woman flyer in Africa.
I like it so much that I accidentally gave it to a friend two birthdays in a row. LOL.
Yes, I do have blond hair.
I love Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. They’re a modern fantasy that several friends turned me onto, and now I’m passing it on to my boyfriend through books on tape on long car trips. The end of first book had him riveted!
I’ve recently passed along “Three Cups of Tea” – it’s a wonderful book!
Water for Elephants. It’s an amazing book that brings you into a world most of us never get to enter. Plus its a book men and woman can both enjoy.
The Power of a Praying Wife and the Power of a Praying Parent.
Water for Elephants was a romantic love story. I love the elephants too.
My favorite book that I’ve given to several friends is Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin. It is both a memoir and a cookbook, and a celebration of the little things that make life worth living: children’s tea parties with home-baked gingerbread, memorable dinners with friends, and the best brownie recipe ever. Colwin was a novelist and Gourmet columnist who died too young, which just makes her work all the more poignant and memorable.
Oh! I love Colwin’s fiction, and I didn’t know about this — love a good memoir. Thank you! 🙂
I like to give the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon to my friends who have not read it. It’s a wonderful historical fiction/romance series and they almost always become fans.
I’m notorious for giving away my books! I’ve bought “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver at least four times and I still don’t have a copy! 🙂 As far as recent books go, I just gave away Wally Lamb’s “The Hour I First Believed” to a friend in my writing class. 🙂
I LOVE that Kingsolver. One of her very best. 🙂
My favourite book to give to another knitter is ‘Knitting Through It: Inspiring Stories for Times of Trouble (Inspiring Stories for Troubled Times)’ by Lela Nargi. I was going through a rough break-up when I came upon this book at the library. It was exactly the book I needed at that time. It definitely helps you realize that you’re not the only person who is having trouble, and that things do get better. A great little read!
I am currently recommending “Wet Desert” by Gary Hanson. It is a riveting book about eco-terrorism on the Colorado River – blowing up dams. Very exciting and thought-provoking, and an easy read.
The last book that I read, that really moved me was Eat, Pray, Love. (Yes, I know the rest of the world read it along time ago, but I read it after the movie came out.) I couldn’t wait to finish it, so I could pass it on to my daughter-in-law.
Not only did I feel like I had been to all 3 countries, but it affected me deep inside. Made me stop and re-evaluate my values in my life. Where I’ve been and where I’m going. Loved it! And I thought Julia Roberts did a really good job!!!
Dana in TX
I just offered to loan Like Water for Elephants…bet the movie will be good too
My favorite recent book to give, although it is not all that recent, would be “The Time Traveler’s Wife”
My niece just asked for Fuyumi Ono’s The Twelve Kingdoms Series…
I recently gave away two copies of _A Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer_. Once you look past the shiny nanotech, interesting geo-political restructuring, and eternal human questions, I love thinking about its subversiveness. How does one bring up a child to lead an interesting, full life as opposed to the bland, yet safe “normal” life. I link it to all of the handmade arts: it is abnormal to spend tens to hundreds of dollars and hours to make a sweater, even a custom one, yet we do it. The number of reasons why almost equal the methods “how”.
Thanks for your time.
favorite book to share has been The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson it is the first in what is supposed to be a ten part epic fantasy. It includes mysteries and twists and of course magic, actually about five different types of magic. This book is written by an amazing author and with nine books to follow plenty of entertainment to be had.
The best book I have passed on lately is “Inside of a Dog” by Alexandra Horowitz. Not only did I love reading it and thinking about my own dogs, but I passed it on to a friend who had to send 2 dogs over the bridge last year and has recently gotten a puppy. There was much for her to reflect upon with her old dogs and for her to think about with her new puppy.
For youth (well anyone really) it is the The Mysterious Benedict Society and for the more grown up among us I recommend Kyo Maclear’s The Letter Opener – it is a beautiful book, well written and based in Toronto so the setting is familiar.
I just recently gave Evanovich’s The Rocky Road to Romance to a great friend. It had me laughing out loud all through it and she needs a laugh. Otherwise I share any book I own especially Terry Pratchett and Lois McMaster Bujold
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett. Female heroine finds herself in a nasty pickle and stoutly deals with it. She makes mistakes, learns from them, and keeps trying until she succeeds. It’s a great lesson wrapped in a very funny book.
My favorite lately is “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. I just loved the story.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Narrated by a dog named Enzo, this book teaches many lessons, among them “sometimes we simply have to believe” and “that which you manifest is before you.”
I gave a friend from Tennessee the book “Southern Women Aging Gracefully.” She had just lost her mother, a true Southerner, and needed laugh.
I’m not sure how recent you want, but my favorite is The Thirteenth Tale. It’s not knitting related, but is a wonderful story about an author writing a book about another author with a mysterious past.
I shared with my daughter Anne Rivers Siddons “Islands”, and as soon as my best friend gets back from visiting her two brothers on the West Coast (California and Washington), I’m sharing it with her, too.
Ooooh, I love ISLANDS. One of my favorites. Maybe I’ll reread it soon… 🙂
My favorite recently was Still Alice. Heartbreaking and yet beautiful and oddly hopeful. Loved it.
_Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand_. A quiet understated book about romance between a Pakistani widow and a British widower and the pressures and prejudices of small town life in England. But really a lot of fun!
My favorite book to share was one I finished recently called Titus Groan, which is Book One of the Gormenghast trilogies. It’s rich and dark and funny, and it was actually a book that a friend shared with me, so I think I’m doing good by passing it along. It’s the only piece of literature that was able to stay my knitting hands in favor of reading, so you know it’s good!
I think right now it might be “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins (dystopian YA, 3 book series).
Otherwise, almost anything by Lois M Bujold or Terry Pratchett.
For Christmas one year, I gave a dear friend a copy of the book ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho, a beautiful book about passionately following your dreams. Incredibly, there under the tree, she had the very same book to give me. Perhaps it was something we both needed to read at the time!
I am surrounded by kids all day, so I read a ton of kid books. But I think any Winnie the Pooh book transcends age and reminds us of the innocence of youth. I’d give the collection to anyone.
One favorite is The Help by Stockett.
I always give everyone a copy of “I Capture the Castle.” It’s the most perfect book ever written.
My favourite book to gift is The Very Hungry Caterpiller, by Eric Caryle. I tend to give more books to kids, and since this was one of my personal faves as a kid, I just have to share with every munchkin I can! Not only are the pictures beautiful, but it’s educational (so the parents like it, too). I especially love the sad little ‘my tummy hurts’ look on the caterpiller’s face when he’s overindulged.
I love that too!
Any of Janet Evanovich’s mysteries I give to my sister. The latest is Smokin Seventeen.
Always great fun. I like escapist fiction.
I love a good fantasy romance and my most recent book that I shared with my mother was Sharon Shinn’s Archangel. She decided she was still more a mystery sort of reader but I love all of Shinn’s books.
Oooh, this is a tough one. I haven’t read anything recently that I’ve later given away to anyone. But really, any of Asimov’s books would do, especially the Foundation trilogy.
Or anything my daughter has read, including the Karen Katz books–my daughter loves flipping through the flaps!
My favorite book that I shared with my dearest girlfriend is “The gentle art of domesticity, stitching, baking, nature, art & the comforts of home” by Jane Brocket.
Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts – lots of truth and beauty.
I love to share Peace like a River. It is such a hauntingly beautiful story. I could read it a thousand times… If it wouldn’t take too much from my knitting. I also love to share the Girl With the Dragon Tatoo… Whole series. I love the strength and power of that girl! Last I like sharing Monica Ferris’ fun mysteries… Just like candy, they are fun, quick, and easy to share.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Oh, rubbish, I missed the ‘recent’ part. Assuming that includes the last ten years, then I’d have to go with Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. It’s a unique what-if look at how things might be if technology, media, and other modern deities went up against the old guard of Odin, Anansi, and Czernobog. The insane trip through House on the Rock doesn’t hurt, either.
I love Stephanie Pearl McPhee’s “Everything I learned from Knitting Whether I Wanted to or Not!” Fun, inspiring and sassy. I pass around to my knitting pals, from one of whom I received it myself!
I just finished reading “The Silence of Trees” by Valya Dudycz Lupescu. It’s a beautiful story filled with rich history and strong female characters.
This one is hard!!!
I think “The Idiot Girl’s Action Adventure Guide” by Laurie Notaro. It’s pee in your pants funny, and most of us have been in her shoes at least once!
Recent as in I’ve recently recommended it would be The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh. Recent as in recently published would be Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Both are absolutely wonderful and completely different. 🙂
The latest book that I’ve passed on is The Overton Window by Glenn Beck. Very fast and kind of scary! Debbie in Alaska
I usually share my books, but the last book I actually bought for a friend was “Marley & Me” for my sister. She has no children, and her dogs are her kids. She had just had her old boy pass on, and I knew the book would be cathartic for her.
Hands down, the “Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon!!! Romance meets scifi, a woman accidentally time travels back 200 years to historic Scotland where she meets her soul mate a true Scottish highlander! Ahhh… Action packed, and drama filled, historically fascinating and true to date, it’s a series of books you won’t be able to put down and one you will pick up over again!!! (the unabridged audio with davina porter is awesome to knit by!!! Love audible!).
Rather unexpectedly, because it’s not really my kind of book, I loved The Help, by Katherine Stockett.
I like to pass along the Louise Penny mystery series – great reads!
It’s a tie. I love a good witty mystery, and to any friend whose taste I admire, I constantly recommend
The Eyre Affair (And anything else by Jasper Fforde)
and
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. Because who doesn’t love an eleven-year-old detective who contemplates poisoning her sisters?
Niel Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book for my daughter. We loved it!
I love to give people The Alchemist!
I’ve been recomending “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” to my friends, but I just sent “My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey” to a friend.
I love children’s books and one of my favorite’s to give away is Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willem. It’s a classic for anyone who has ever loved a stuffie and anyone with a child who does!
My favorite book to share with a friend lately is “Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously” by Adrienne Martini. It’s about so much more than the sweater. I read it straight through in 2 days while I was sick and think about it often.
I’ve given copies of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand (Helen Simonson) to my mother, sister and sisters-in-law…. a beautiful book of growth, bucking tradition and love, with a most unexpected cast! Run to your favorite bookstore or library….
“The Unlikely Spy” by Daniel Silva. My Dad and I both have a love for WWII spy thrillers.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Cutting For Stone – This is an amazing novel about twin brothers born in Ethiopia. Wonderful images of a world I know little aobut, and a story that had me reading until late at night.
Knitting Rules if said friend is a new knitter. To other I love to recommend Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair.
A book that I would give (and have given) would be the classic, “Anne of Green Gables.” I’ve never read the books before and I grew up watching the movies, so I thought I wouldn’t have the same love for the books. Quite the contrary! I love the first book so far and can’t wait to read the whole series. Plus, there’s more mention of knitting in the books than there ever was in the movies!
My favourite pass-along book of the moment is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. A little more happiness is something we all can use, especially if we can find it within…or in wool!
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
His Majesty’s Dragon . . . to a history buff who hates sci fi . . . my 76 year old dad. He didn’t like reading it, but he *loved* to have it read to him.
Not so very recent, but The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker. It is an entertaining educational book on how we learn language. It makes for good conversations.
The Russian Debutante’s Handbook– gave it to my dad, with whom I share my weird sense of humor. I started reading it and knew he had to read it too!
“The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi” by Elif Shafak. An inspirational historical novel set in both present day Massachusetts and the 13th century. Really challenges you to look closely at yourself, your faith, your relationships and your priorities.
I adore The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I was intrigued by the title alone and was not disappointed. SO good.
I have several (the perils of being an English teacher):
“The Blessings of a skinned knee” to new parents
“The Phantom Tollbooth” to pre teens and young teens
“The Catcher in the Rye” or “To Kill a Mockingbird” to older teens
“The Mists of Avalon” to my lady friends
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” to my guy friends.
“The Raw Shark Texts”…it’s amazing.
Room by Emma Donague. Fabulous book that I listened to while knitting. I got a lot of knitting finished in a short amount of time because the book was so good that I wanted to keep listening. A great psychological drama that makes you think long after you have finished reading the book. I love stories that stay with the reader afterwards. Thanks for the chance to win the book and sweater supplies. 🙂
Peter Walsh’s “It’s All Too Much.”
The book I read most recently that I would love to give to a friend is “The Secret Lives of Dresses”, by Erin McKean. It was a lovely read, and the idea of all these vintage clothing items carrying the stories of the people that have worn them and will wear them resonates with me as a knitter and spinner. I always think that I am placing a piece of myself into whatever I knit and spin; a well-loved piece of clothing takes on character as well.
“One for the Money” by Janet Evanovich. I work as an RN at a large hospital and I have given out several copies of this book to patients and/or their caregiver. I recently saw someone I gave a copy to a few years ago and her entire family read them during her time in the ICU and recovering from her lung transplant. I have also taught several patients to knit as a way of spending time and helping with stress. The kniting isn’t always for everyone- but some really enjoy learning a craft while passing the hours at the bedside.
The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman — And I’d recommend it for all of you, too!
Treachery in Death by JD Robb – love Nora Roberts!
I am reading “The Greatest Knight” by Elizabeth Chadwick and have recommended it to several friends. If you like historical fiction, it’s well worth the 564 pages!
It isn’t recent, but I’d give the first book of the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. Here in Australia it is called Cross Stitch. I think everybody needs to have a bit of Jamie in their lives, it is compulsory reading. I can’t wait for the next book!
The most recent book I loaned was Margaret Stove’s book on spinning superfine merino… and my friend was quite excited to get it!
I just recently finished “Kitty Norville: Kitty Goes to Washington” by Carrie Vaughn, and “The Chronicles of Elantra: Cast in Chaos” by Michelle Sagara.
Non-knitter: Notes from an exhibition by Patrick Gale – beautiful, yet sad, story of art and family, set in Cornwall .
Knitter – Yarn Harlot.
Actually, if they were a good friend, yet non-knitter, I might give them Yarn Harlot anyway, so they stood a chance of understanding my world.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks — what an amazing book. And its author, Rebecca Skloot, is a knitter!
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin- lovely inspiring book for everyone who would like a few tips to be happier on a daily basis.
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. This novel about competition between two Florida swamp theme parks, a girl’s coming of age, an invented family mythology and so much more must be read to be believed — and enjoyed.
A sweet love story, “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson is charming and delightful. I’ve gifted it to several friends.
The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. It was given to me by a dear friend and I read it in only a few days, just wanting to know how it ends. It is a story about a young (30!) woman who finds some old letters in the house where she grew up and is determined to find out who this writer of the letters was. She unravels a very complex part of her family history…
I am thinking about giving it to another friend who also might enjoy it.
Casting Spells, by Barbara Bretton, because it mixes fantasy with a Knitting Shop and in a fictional Vermont that sounds very real! Lots of fun, and the first in a trilogy.
I love to give my friends ‘mason dixon knitting’. it’s a fun read and great instructions for beginning projects 🙂
I might be a little liberal with the recent-bit, but “Movies In Fifteen Minutes: The Ten Biggest Movies Ever For People Who Can’t Be Bothered” by Cleolinda Jones is a fun book to read and then pass along!
I gave my copy away and my friend was so chuffed, she had to double-check that I was giving it to her and not lending it to her!! 😀
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede to my friend Beth. It was really such an adorable read.
I just gave my friend the book titled The Drowning Tree by Carol Goodman. This book was a well written mystery, involving greek mythology, classic literature and art. My friend loved it! ( I did too, of course.) Would highly recommend.
Molokai by Alan Brenert, a fictional story about the life of a woman who was sent to a leper colony as a young girl. As a nurse, I found this highly interesting.
Well… I do a lot of book recommendations (hazard of being a librarian). And I try to match books to interests. To you my knitting reading friends I’d recommend the Seaside Knitting mysteries–starts with Death by Cashmere.
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
because all of us suffer from loss or despair at some point.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett … so good, so thought-provoking.
My favorite recent book was The Passage by Justin Cronin. An epic vampire tale flash backs, plot twists, flash backs, and a cliffhanger ending. I can’t wait for his next book and everything I’ve read since pales.
Not a favourite, but I would give ‘The Historian’ to a friend so thay can read the rest of it for me and tell me what happens without me having to waste time reading it myself – I found it boring but, weirdly, I want to know what happens!
‘Knit’ A personal handbook which is a Melanie Falick book. I rec’d one for my b/day from a dear friend and would love to gift the same to all my knitting friends!
28: Stories Of Aids In Africa by Stephanie Nolen. womens stories as reported by a female foreign reporter who travels where few people dare, to give a voice to those who most need it. her latest visit was to war torn Congo
The last book I gave as a gift was Gridlinked by Neal Asher. Love that book.
so many books, so little time; mostly been reading and giving young adult including Shannon Hale’s Goose Girl series and the fairy tale rewrites she has been doing including knitting patterns 😉
I am a knitting teacher and I give all my students At Knits End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. I need the beginners to know that it just isn’t that serious and any mistake they can make can be fixed!
God Never Blinks by Regina Brett. A collection of thoughts and stories about life and how you perceive it. She is a local Cleveland author who writes a column Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Where the wild things are or Oh the Places you’ll go. While both are “kids” books they really do reach out to adults. I received both at various points of my adulthood. My 3 year old loves when I read them, but so do I!
My favorite book is the Book of Nigroes. But I have recently got hooked on Wilbur Smith’s Courtney of Africa series I would give copies of both of these to friends
I give Pat the Bunny to nearly every new baby who needs something special. Because it really is fun to pat the bunny.
Julia Child’s My Life in France, is so nicely written and makes those of us who are still trying to figure out our lives in our mid-30s feel ever so much more hopeful!
“The Book of Lost Things” by John Connolly for the fairytale-loving guys in my life, and “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert for the women in my life I love.
Call me a brown noser, but when my friend was having a bit of family trouble, and then came down really sick to the point of missing work, I gave her How To Knit A Heart Back Home while she was layed up in bed. She loved it, and is looking forward (like me) to the next book.
Room by Emma Donoghue. This was so different and so gentle, surprisingly so when the story is based around an abductee. Well worth the read. I gave this to my BF who doesn’t like anything “nasty” to read.
My favorite book to give is Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. It is a great book to read. It is a wonderful story and you feel as though the people in the book are your dear friends. The other book I like to give is Pierced by the Word by John Piper. This book of short devotions or meditations is also a great read.
‘A Dog’s Purpose’. I bawled like a baby on the plane to Mexico when reading it on my Kindle. My husband was mortified. The really nice flight attendant man was mortified. I didn’t want the book to end. It was, without a doubt, the best book I’ve ever read. I recommend it to everyone.
I just finished reading “The Thief”, “The Queen of Attolia”, and the “King of Attolia” for at least the third time, and have just passed on the love to a new friend! (the books are by Megan Whalen Turner)
My favorite book of all time to give someone is Outlander. It’s a journey of love to read all those books and well worth it. My favorite recent book to give someone is Room. It says so much about perserverance and faith that inspires me.
I gave “The Happiness Project” to a dear friend of mine that was undergoing double mastectomies after a 2nd cancer recurrence. I loved it and knew she would love it too.
I love to read books and pass them on to friends. I recently finished Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand and have passed it on to a friend. Another friend has a birthday this coming week, and I am giving her Cardigans by Louisa Harding.
Everyone seems to love that M.P.’s Last Stand — must put it in my queue. Thanks! 🙂
My favorite book of all time to give someone is Beach Music by Pat Conroy. Beautiful story, and the author is a true master of language- it almost reads like poetry!
I am not just saying this because the book just came out, but I finished “How To Knit A Heart Back Home” the day I got it signed and I loved it! I returned to the bookstore in West Portal, bought two more copies (cause I sure as heck would not risk lending my signed copy to anyone) and gave them to my two favorite knitters! Love it and can’t wait for the next Cypress Hollow book to come out. Is that asking too much?
AWWWWWWW. That does my heart good. Thank you for saying this. xo
I would love to knit some people’s heaerts home…
A book that came out recently that I loved is called Seraphic Singles – it’s about learning how to be happy being single, even if you long for someone to share your life with. I’ve loved sharing it with my wonderful single friends!
My favorite book to give people is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It was assigned reading in my junior AP English class, and Owen was real to all of us in the class. He was our invisible classmate all year long. After all these years, he still feels real to me. I also like to give Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Without Tears to knew knitters. After a run in with a group of very snobbish, elitists knitters, I almost gave up knitting. Then I read EZ’s words of wisdom and confidently picked up my needles again.
I like giving “The Name of the Wind” to people. It’s a local fantasy author’s debut novel, it’s extremely well-crafted, and even people who generally scoff at fantasy tend to enjoy it.
The book that my friends and I have been waiting for is River Marked by Patricia Briggs. The fictional story takes place where we live so we all get together and listen to it while we knit. The last book I read isn’t a recent book but I did just pass it on, Knit Two – The Friday Night Knitting Club.
I recently gave “Love in the Time of Cholera” to a friend who is having difficulty in her marriage. This beautiful novel is an escape that also makes the reader consider what is truly valuable in a relationship. Can’t wait to read Rachael’s book; it’s next on my list!
I should reread that one — I remember LOVING it, but can barely remember it. 🙂
i read anything I can get my hands on!
I am pretty geeky, as are my friends.
So I would want to give my friends either the World of Warcraft books, for example my favorite one was Cataclysm.
Or if I can give them Manga, is AOI House 1 & 2. I gave these books to the boyfriend, I hope he reads them.
WoW books to feed our gaming habits and add to the lore of the game and AOI House for the Anime geeks and con loving references!
I just gave a friend Laura Anne Gilman’s _Hard Magic_, book one of what is basically paranormal CSI with magic, only way awesomer.
(The rest of LAG’s books she will have to buy herself, once she’s hooked, which she seems to be. Mwahaha.)
I read lots of fascinating books, both fiction and nonfiction. The first book that popped into my head when I read the question was this one:
One square inch of silence : one man’s search for natural silence in a noisy world / Gordon Hempton and John Grossman
It is an amazing book about how noisy our world is getting, and how one man is monitoring these changes by visiting a place he has determined is the quietest place in the US. I have shared it with other concerned friends and everyone has loved it.
Best book I’ve read this year is Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. It was longlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize. Murray is a beautiful writer!
Let’s see…that would probably be “Sunshine” by Robin McKinley. McKinley has this way of creating a world that feels very real, and making characters who seem like people you might actually meet. Plus the main character in “Sunshine” is a baker, and she makes amazing things like “cinnamon rolls as big as your head” and something called “Bitter Chocolate Death.”
This has been such a fun week! I’ve enjoyed this theme and the fab Q&A so much, I hope you’ll do it again.
My absolute favorite book to recommend is “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.” So moving, so well-written, and such staying power!
A book to share: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. The amazing journey of a 9 year old boy in New York…
Or if you prefer something a little more off kilter, try The Windup Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Both books have been gifted to me, and then re-gifted to other friends!
This may be cheating a little, but I gave my mom a Nook a few weeks ago and she LOVED it. I’m thinking it may be my favorite “Go-to Book” gift for a while.
David Copperfield. I read it about once a year, and love giving it. I’ve got it on my required reading list for when my kids reach the marrying age – great insights into relationships.
My favorite most recent knitting book to give to friends would be 100 Flowers to knit/crochet, it has great patterns to add pizazz to finished projects… and my favorite books to give to just read would be Moo by Jane Smiley!
I love the book The Time Traveller’s Wife…so romantic with that bit of science fiction thrown in. Great read!
Lately I’ve been recommending Peter Cline’s Ex-Heroes to all and sundry. It’s about superheroes and how they cope during a zombie attack…how they help and how they can’t.
Most of my friends are comics nerds so it satisfies that impulse. But there is a deep love story at the heart of this novel, and not the one you think it is at first, either!
I love the book:
Travelers Along the Way by Benedict Groeschel. It is good to remember those who have contributed to our lifes journey.
My favorite recent book to give to a friend (and I have) is the reprint of “Aran Knitting” by Alice Starmore. It was coveted, but unavailable, for so many years by so many knitters. It’s a little bit of history, thought provoking tips on creating your own cable patterns and sweaters, and lots of fabulous classic patterns. In fact, the reprint is even better than the original with the addition of new patterns joining the originals.
I love the reprint! Isn’t it fun? I actually started Irish Moss, but I’ve only got one sleeve done so far…. 🙂
Having relatives in Australia means that from time to time I receive a book that isn’t available in the US yet. At Christmas I was given a copy of Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey to read, and have leant it out to a couple of friends to read. They have loved it also. It is a coming of age story set in a rural Western Australian town. It covers topics such as first love, family honor, racism, persecution, family secrets, adultery and suicide. Despite all the difficult themes and topics it is a very uplifting story; a book that is hard to put down.
My latest fav book toot give to a friend is The Lace Reader…the title alone is why I borrow the book from the library–I totally enjoyed the story!
Parrot and Olivier in America
I’m still giving everyone I know “Natural History of the Senses.”
I recently gave two friends (ages 3.5) each a
book by Jamie Lee Curtis :
today I feel silly (and other moods)
and
I’m gonna like me
their mom loved the books. I have copies for my little one, too
Oh, how to choose just one…
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. An excellent read!
I recently read and then recommended American Gods, my Neil Gaiman, to a friend of mine. We both absolutely adored it.
The most recent book I gave a friend was “1022 Evergreen Place” by Debbie Macomber.
Hyperactivitypography from A to Z.
This book is a super fun gift (and not just for writers/designers)!
Definitely “The Last Hot Time”. It’s John M. Ford’s timeless tale of post apocalyptic elves with uzis.
One of my favorite books to foist on people is “The Curse of Chalion” by Lois McMaster Bujold. I actually also highly recommend her ongoing Miles Vorkosigan series. The first is straight-up fantasy, the second space opera, but both are literately and hilariously written, with deeper themes about life, societal expectations, and identity. Wonderful author.
It depends on the friend, but one book that I shared with a friend recently is The Price of a Bargain by Gordon Laird.
My favorite book to give to a friend would be Joseph Goldstein’s book “The Experience of Insight”.
My most favorite recent book to give to a friend is The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake because my friends have such interesting reactions to it.
I actually love the book Ravens in the Library and would recommend it to all my friends. It is a compilation of works by many authors. Compiled by Phil Brucato and Sandra Buskirk. It was put together at a time when a local musician was facing some emergency medical work and the bills that followed.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite book – I love books! My fried recently loaned me “Oceans Apart” by Karen Kingsbury. I like that it is realistic in that people make mistakes and sometimes they come back to haunt you, but the book ends on a happy note.
I would gift the book I just finished… “Invisible” – it’s a cute little cozy mystery book with a wonderful heroine and plot, and without a lot of sexually explicit content or nasty language. It makes for some great, guilt-free reading.
I love to read! And it’s so hard to think of which book I would gift… there are so many good ones, and every one is different. I have very much loved Enchantment (Orson Scott Card), anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, Chalice (or anything else by Robin McKinley), Gerald Morris’ Arthurian re-tellings, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, anything by Charlaine Harris (especially her Lily Bard series)… and of course, my very favourite book ever – Pride and Prejudice 🙂
Gifting books depends so much on the recipient, too. I feel horrible when I recommend a book that I’ve loved to a friend, and they end up hating it.
I would have to say my favorite book to read and pass on is Sunshine By Robin McKinley. Wonderful book that happens to be about a baker and a vampire, plus every book she writes is different so you can’t wait for the next one.
I guess technically it would be American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which I gave my boyfriend for his birthday just past and am now reading aloud to him–in general I tend to hang out with the sorts of people that really ought to read American Gods if they haven’t.
Hmm…over the past few years there are 3 books that I have tended to give to people. I’ll post the most recent one…
Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking by Julia Child
It is a small, manageable book that I have given to several people because everyone should have a bit of Julia Child. It is a thrill to make a vinaigrette or simple cucumber salad and know that one used a Julia Child recipe.
I love giving copies of Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook to friends who say they could never bake but wish they could. It’s able to turn the most timid of bakers around.
My friend just gave me a copy of Room so right now that is on my mind.
Oh, The Places You Will Go, by Dr. Seuss. The perfect parting gift.
I really loved Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde, and convinced a friend of mine to read it too.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett is short and oh so sweet. The perfect book-gift for a reader from a reader. Absolutely charming!
Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Mary Pope.
My favorite books to give are those by Jane Austen, but I guess they don’t count as recent. Most of the newer books I give tend to go to mystery lovers, and two series I recommend are the Armand Gamache mysteries by Louise Penny and the Mary Russell novels by Laurie King.
No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith. Such lovely books! To me, the words are lush and full of imagination and hope and humor.
My most recent book I gave a friend is Songs of Love and Death, a new collection of romantic science fiction stories by masters of both genres. doesn’t seem like then two genres go together, but it’s fascinating reading when they do….
The last book I gave to a friend (not just trying to kiss up here) was actually How to Knit a Love Song. Loved it too much to keep it to myself!
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, by Eva Rice and the Smithsonian Earthquakes book by Seymour Simon. Different recipients, of course.
The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer by Emily Martin! This book is such a treat to receive, and the adults and kids I’ve given it to have loved it alike. It’s like being handed a box of all your best things, no matter what your best things are. So good!
I don’t have one particular favorite book that I give to friends, as different books make me think of people (and vice versa). The last one I gave as a gift was “Full Dark, No Stars” by Stephen King, although I haven’t read it yet, because the newest King is my traditional birthday gift to my mom.
The last book I shared from my own collection of keepers was “Horns” by Joe Hill. (Fingers crossed I get that one back!)
I recently finished the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris (the show True Blood is based on them), and I can’t wait to share them with my friends who haven’t read them to get them hooked as well!
I would love to win this! Thank you for running these contests!
It’s a Book by Lane Smith. A great tongue in cheek look at technology. Love the sweater!
Lady MacBeth by ???. AAUUGGHH!!! I can’t remember her name. Wait…I remember…Susan Fraiser King! It is a fabulous historical fiction. A must read if you like this sort of stuff!
My favourate book to give away (not only to friends) at the momment is Johnathan Livingston Seagull. I have even put 3 copies out as “left behinds” where you leave it in a public place with a not inside the cover to read it, enjoy it, then leave it behind again for anothre person to find.
I give people ‘the shadowy horses’ by Susanna Kearsley. Lovely romance with history.
It’s Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern. I actually bought it to give to a friend who’s recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, then started reading it and trying out the recipes and it’s still with me. Guess I’ll have to buy a second copy… thank you for the giveaway!
I love giving books. One that I gave a lot last year was Eat Pray Love. I’ve also given the book “The Art of Racing In the Rain” – a story that animal lovers really like (I seem to have a lot of animal lovers in my life).
The time traveller’s wife by Audrey Niffenegger. My friend loved it!
All the best, Rachel. I am looking forward to reading your book!
ugh, sorry I spelled your name wrong Rachael!
my favorite recent book to give to friends would have to be one of the kay scarpetta novels by patricia cornwell, sometimes all you need is a good mystery to relax with 🙂
It sounds horrible, but the last book I gave a friend was “This is Why You’re Fat.” It was given in the spirit of love…my friend struggles with her weight and I thought maybe this would give her a new perspective on why she has such difficulty in losing weight. I know it helped me!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – I love how this book is written and I love the plot.
The last books I actually lent to a friend in my knitting group and guild were Seanan McGuire’s October Daye books. At our last meeting at the local bookstore, I found there’s a new book out as well, which is exciting!
I’m a librarian so I’m never short of book recommendations! My favorite to give is The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett which I see someone else recommended, too. That little novelette is a fun and fast read.
I have recommended both Jasper Fforde (starting with Eyre Affair) and Sarah Vowell (esp. Assassination Vacation) numerous times. Not TOO recent, but both of them have new books out this year.
My faveorite new book to give anyone is the sky is everywhere. It is a sweet romance, nothing happens like you expect. I can’t remember who wrote it.