Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with books and gifts

The perfect novel?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:28:34 -0800

Help me find that perfect novel for a Christmas present. Sorry to post this anonymously, but someone close to the recipient is one my contacts!

Now, I spent a good part of yesterday perusing book stores, eventually walking away empty handed.

The person receiving this book is a mid-fifties male who is an avid reader of good popular fiction. E.g. really likes Frank McCourt; really dislikes Dan Brown.

I considered Netherland by O'Neill but decided against it because I haven't read it and thought it might be too political. (Is it?) So if you need a gage to go by then it'd be McCourt.

The suggestion needn't be a heavy story, for well-written, humorous, insightful prose works just as well. What I want is a story that will stick with this person for time to come.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

What's the best book about indie music?

bibliophibianj — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:21:18 -0800

Calling all music Mefites: Can you recommend any good books about indie music or musicians? My boyfriend loves music and enjoys reading about it and the people who create it. I know indie is a vague genre, but that's how I'd describe his taste in music. He likes a pretty broad range of artists, but favorites include The Fall, The Manic Street Preachers, Kate Bush, The Long Blondes, and Joy Division (He already owns Touching From a Distance, though.). He also likes festivals, so a history of festivals (especially in the UK) might work, too. Any ideas for books that might appeal to him? Thank you for your ideas.

Oh, I'm not sure it's relevant, but this is for a 6-month anniversary gift. We've been to lots of concerts together & met at a bookshop, so a music book seems appropriate. But I've never given an anniversary gift before, so if you think this is a bad gift idea, let me know before I cause a disaster!

Sudoku masters, what are your favorite challenging sudoku books?

macguffin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:00:44 -0800

PuzzleFilter: What books would you recommend for a sudoku addict who's already worked through a "fiendish"/"super fiendish" sudoku collection and would like to try more challenging puzzles? There seem to be a zillion sudoku books that are available. Please help me narrow down the selection, based on a few other things I'm looking for... I'd like to give someone a book of sudoku puzzles, but would appreciate help from sudoku experts since I'm not a sudoku fan myself. Some quick background:

She's mentioned that she enjoys really difficult puzzles, and I know she's finished "New York Post Fiendish Su Doku" by Wayne Gould -- the puzzles in there are labeled "fiendish" or "super fiendish."
She also has "Let's Play Sudoku: Over the Edge" by Will Shortz -- the puzzles in there range from "difficult" to "beware: very challenging" and she's said they're about the same level of difficulty as the other book.
She has tried the difficult-level puzzles from free online sudoku generators and websites, but apparently they are not as hard as the books she has.

I was thinking of getting a book that includes a few puzzles in the "super fiendish"/"beware: very challenging" difficulty range and a lot of harder puzzles that she could really dig into.

Some additional criteria for an ideal book, based on what I remember about her preferences:

Doesn't have tiny print and has room inside the puzzle grid boxes for pencil marks.
Has relatively decent paper quality that can withstand pencil marks and erasures with a plastic eraser without becoming messy. e.g. the Will Shortz "Over the Edge" paperback has fairly rough paper that isn't too suitable for this sort of thing, while the "New York Post Fiendish" book has paper that's thin but has a smoother surface.
Puzzles are logical and don't require guessing.
Only contains difficult puzzles (i.e. not a mix of easy, medium, hard).
Doesn't have to be super lightweight and portable, but ideally it shouldn't be something you have to lug around (not heavy, and not too big).

I noticed the "Mensa Absolutely Nasty Sudoku" series (ranging from levels 1 through 4) by Frank Longo, and "Second-Degree Black Belt Sudoku" also by Longo. Based on the reviews I've read, it sounds like the level 3 and 4 books are maybe the toughest books out there -- would you agree? Still, I'm not sure which of the four levels would be most appropriate. It would be really helpful to know where all of these Longo books (or any other books you can recommend) fall on the general difficulty scale when compared to Gould's "super fiendish" or Shortz' "beware: very challenging" puzzles.

(The "Mensa Absolutely Nasty Sudoku" books also sound pretty nice in quality, with more puzzles than a typical paperback, plus spiral binding and slightly larger pages, albeit with two puzzles per page instead of one. However, my local bookstore didn't have the Longo books so I couldn't tell if the puzzle boxes were smaller than the Gould book.)

I'd really like to avoid giving a book that might be too easy or too hard and have it turn out to be something that she won't enjoy. Also, it would be nice to know about the really tough books for future gifts. Thanks for your help!

A book for a guy who has a picture of the Pope in his office.

joyceanmachine — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:51:02 -0800

A boss-type who has very kind to me at the workplace is leaving. I'd like to give him a book as a token of my appreciation. Suggestions? He is a conservative Catholic Italian-American and a huge, huge language geek. In fact, we bonded over Oxford commas. No, really. And a lot of the work that I do for him involves proofreading.

Consequently, I've been thinking about Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time by William Safire, but I don't know if he already owns a copy. I also considered Safire's Political Dictionary, which was new last year and which he is therefore less likely to have. However, the size makes me pause. The guy is far, far senior to me, so I don't want to give him a big gift or an expensive one or anything that looks like a textbook or self-help or instruction manual. The gift needs to be clearly in the small, thank-you-so-much-for-your-kindness variety.

As an example of the note that I'm trying to hit, a year ago, another boss-type who had also been a mentor to me was leaving. He'd mentioned that one of the reasons he was looking forward to retiring was that he could finally get caught up on his reading, so I bought a copy of The Uncommon Reader. Small! Light-hearted! Surprise ending that was wonderfully appropriate! It was a huge hit.

Additional points if it's related to law, particularly legal language geekery.

grandma reads books

slograffiti — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:15:36 -0800

christmas present filter: help me pick out a book for my grandmother! I need/want to get my 77 y/o grandmother a book and/or several books.

Things i know she reads a lot of: James Patterson, Stephen King.

What I would like to get her: a murder mystery type book that is, well, not of the James Patterson type. You know, more... literary, classic even... but something she would still enjoy that is a fairly easy read. Length is not an issue, as I have seen her HOUSE a 500 page book fairly easily. Mostly it needs to be something that will keep her not-very-bright (sorry, Gram!) mind interested.

I have a degree in English Lit, and I refuse to buy a James Patterson (or similar) book. Seriously, it will cause me a great deal of pain if I have to.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.
I am in NYC so I have a lot of shops at hand.
I also need this by Wednesday.
I also need it to be under 20 dollars (I didn't get my bailout yet!)

Book-Hungry Mother

Weebot — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:23:23 -0800

[Xmas Filter] I'm doing my Christmas shopping, and I'm a bit stuck on what I need to get my mother. She likes culinary-cultural history books, preferably with recipes. Suggestions? She's been really into these books for a while now, and I was hoping to get some suggestions. She's gone through Salt, Cod, and all the other Mark Kurlansky books, as well as Lizzy Collingham's Curry and David Kamp's The United States of Argula.

She has also been a fan of food memoirs like Tender at the Bone as well as travel books with a strong culinary bent. You get the idea. So, any suggestions?

Gifts for new NYC-er and future journalist

greta simone — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:22:24 -0800

Care package ideas for a new journalism grad student and New Yorker- A good friend of mine is starting the Journalism graduate program at NYU this fall and has just moved to Astoria, Queens. I was hoping to send him some fun items to ease his transition, but mostly just for fun. He's not a candy or gadgets kind of guy, and I don't have a lot of money to spend, so I was thinking more along the lines of things he can use and/or read to enhance this new leg of his life.

The only thing I know I am going to get is one of those city-specific Moleskins for New York. He's been reading up on the history of the city (mostly via internet research) and reading some book of interviews of prominent journalists (not sure what it's called). I would like to try to find a book or two in the same vein of these topics to send- any recommendations? He's really interested in learning about his new neighborhood as well.

Lastly, any other suggestions of the non-book variety are welcome. Thanks!

Suggestions of memoirs as gifts for my wife

mojohand — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:28:10 -0800

Seeking recommendations for memoirs published in the past two years. My wife's birthday is coming up, and her favorite genre is memoirs (but not biographies.) In the past, she's liked ones by authors working in travel and food, but please don't let that limit you. (and yes, the Fisher, Mayle, Pepin, Reichl, and David lodes were completely mined out as of 2007, and Bourdain is not to her taste.)

Read any you recommend?

BTW, I've asked for your help in years past:
2006
and
2004

Thanks

What would you give someone in a juvenile correctional facility?

brinkzilla — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:49:59 -0800

What would you give someone in a juvenile correctional facility? My aunt has just emailed the family to send letters and care packages to her 16 year old son (my youngest cousin) who is in a juvenile detention center. He has been sentenced for a minimum of 1 year, but that may have just been extended. I don't know him very well, the family lives in Colorado, but he seemed like an angry, troubled kid. His parents are going through a bitter divorce, they both are arguing over who gets the kids. Either parent wants them because of their shenanagans. Sad I know. So he is obviously acting out as much as possible to get their attention. Robbery did the trick.

To let you in on his personality, he was dissapointed that he was put in with the soft kids and not the rough, higher risk kids. This email that just got sent out by the aunt just mentioned that he got moved to the higher security facility. I guess he hasn't been doing to well in there.

So, the aunt has tasked us, the family, to reach out to him, send him a letter, a care package. What would you send a kid that might make a difference, might make him think, or just pass the time?

If I could think of a witty title, I wouldn't have to be wasting a question.

thebrokedown — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:11:26 -0800

I need a cute catchphrase for a gift I'm giving. I am going to a baby shower with some Seuss books wrapped in maps. I need a cute catchphrase for the tag (an airplane trailing a banner). All I have come up with have been lame:
"Reading can transport you"
"Books are maps to your world," etc.

Any good ideas out there?

Gift-worthy history books?

Metroid Baby — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:06:35 -0800

My dad has mentioned that he would like a history book for Christmas. Help me find one that will really knock his socks off! I asked my dad what he'd like for a Christmas gift, and he mentioned that he'd be into a history book. He particularly expressed interest in ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt, and I know he's a fan of US history, particularly the Civil War. I'm keeping those subjects in mind, but I'd really like to find something a little more unusual - the kind of topics that someone might not know much about, but would find fascinating. Basically, the history-themed version of that elusive perfect "I would have always wanted this but never knew it existed" gift. I'm the last thing from a history buff, so of course I've no idea where to begin.

Besides having a riveting subject matter, my ideal gift book would be accessible to the layperson, but respected by experts, and I'd rather err on the side of a photos-galore coffee-table book than a dry academic text - though pictures are certainly not a requirement. It doesn't have to be a book, either; if there's a DVD set, magazine subscription, or other gift he's likely to enjoy, I'm open to suggestions.

Though he loves the Civil War, I'm hesitant to get him anything Civil War-related unless I'm sure it's something he wouldn't have already come across.

A few bits of info about Metroid Dad that may or may not be helpful: he enjoys sports, especially college football, he's into genealogy (but probably knows all about it already), he has an offbeat and sometimes awesomely twisted sense of humor that I love, and he owns decades and decades of National Geographic. He's also the only Republican in the nuclear family, so I'd like to avoid giving anything that might be perceived as having a liberal bias; I'm not sure if that's anything I should even worry about in this situation, but obviously "A History of Hippies" is out.

Thanks in advance; I'm anticipating some awesome suggestions that Dad and I am sure to love!

Mark CF, I love you, but go away :P

divabat — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:58:43 -0800

What are some good (preferably experience-based) birthday gifts for a 21-year-old Australian programming geek who thinks he's Danish? My boyfriend's (whom you all so nicely wished Happy Birthday to in code) 21st birthday is coming up in February. It's going to be a big birthday for him so I want to make it special.

One thing he loves about me is that I'm always doing interesting things and that I often involve him in them - I've dragged him to the Gold Coast to help me stage manage a show, and I've brought him to damn near every multicultural festival that exists in Brisbane. We spent a weekend away in Redcliffe a few months ago and it was awesome. I would like to gift him with another awesome experience-style gift, but I'm at a loss for what to get him.

Some facts about him:

* White Australian male; I'm the most exotic thing about him
* favourite motto is "You can't be young forever but you can be immature indefinitely!" (to him it means he doesn't have to be boring and serious all the time)
* Obsessed with Magic: The Gathering
* Studying IT (Web Services) in uni; currently in 1-year work experience with a performing arts company managing their Web stuff. Often programs stuff in Javascript as a hobby.
* Went to Denmark for a year on exchange and now thinks he's half-Danish. Can speak Danish reasonably fluently. He yearns for opportunities to speak with Danish people and re-experience Denmark. I think he's saving up for a trip to Denmark in a year or so.
* Likes pandas a lot and has assorted panda paraphernalia. (I tried adopting a panda from WWF for him but their web form broke.)
* Enjoys cycling a lot. Also somewhat sporty, but he often needs an excuse (like a school sports team) to play
* Introverted and shy, but quite open and friendly to people he's familiar with
* Says he misses going out drinking; hasn't been to a bar in about a year or so. Doesn't drink much however.
* Likes Indian food; sometimes is more Asian than I am
* Likes to read, especially crime thrillers; Harry Potter fan

I've looked at sites like RedBalloon but nothing there seems to fit. While he is techy, I don't want to get him an iPod or other presents of that nature because I think other relatives will cover that for him. He knows I'm coming so I can't surprise him like I did this year!

I also don't have a lot of money (otherwise I would have bought him a plane ticket) but I could try talking to his mum (whom I'm close to) to see if we can work together on something.

Thanks folks!

Books for a boy

chickaboo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:40:20 -0800

Help me come up with a set of books suitable for a 4 year old boy that are classic (even new "classics" are welcome), offer a good narrative, and will be a nice counterpoint to his shelf of truck related books. I'm drawing a blank, all I can think of are the Berenstain Bears and Frog and Toad. This would be a birthday gift for my godson. He's drowning in toys so I only want to get him books.

Does anyone know the kind of book I'm aiming for?

Ash3000 — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:03:52 -0800

Are there any books you think a smart, grieving preteen would find comforting or of use? More details inside. I'll try to get what the situation is with as few details as possible, unless further information is really needed.

I have a relative, who is 13 years old to my 22. We'll call him Bobby. Bobby is a smart, shy and sweet kid, who loves all sorts of standard 12-year-old-things (e.g. the red sox and the star wars prequel trilogy) and is very quietly perceptive of people around him. He's a great kid, and the oldest of three.

I was planning, for this holiday season (the end of chanukah, specifically, when I get back home from college) to give everyone a book as a gift this year - nothing too bank-breaking as I'm a starving student, but something I thought each person would genuinely enjoy and perhaps find thought-provoking, suited to their interests. Thinking of the books I might have wished someone handed me in the 10-13-year-old area, I was originally going to go with either
Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman!, Culture Jam, or Good Omens.

In the past three weeks, his grandmother, whom he is close to (and who is way too young for this) has gotten very sick, very quickly, and is likely to pass this week. All of a sudden, my suggested books seem a little lacking somehow - each is either flippant or political, a little empty under the circumstances.

I don't want to give him a book which is blatantly like, "So you're a grieving preteen, eh?" or anything transparently about a grandparent's death, etc etc. Nothing pat and tacky and thoughtless. But maybe something which, though it's not on the surface "about death," can provide some measure of comfort to a person in this situation. I guess it's more a feeling than a theme I'm thinking about. I have come up with three that seem somewhat what I'm aiming for:

Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary,
Danny The Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl, and
The Little Prince, by Antoine St.-Exupery

I guess the best way to put it is a book which has both wonderfulness and melancholy, though the former ultimately triumphs; a book that as a smart pre-teen makes you both grin and cry but ultimately finish feeling like the world is an okay place. Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter, or even know what I'm trying to get at? This might just be a stupid idea, I'm in the middle of grieving myself.

Much to do before Christmas

godawful — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:27:23 -0800

Who prints the nicest editions of individual Shakespeare plays? I want to get my ex (with whom I am good friends, miraculously) a copy of "Much Ado About Nothing" for Christmas - she *is* Beatrice.

Where might I find a really nice edition?

Additionally, any suggestions for further, tied-in gifts?

Thanks very much.

Book recommendations for Christmas

fire&wings — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 08:02:11 -0800

GiftFilter: Looking for books about either the Mexican day of the dead (think Under the Volcano) or plantation life in the West Indies (think Wide Sargasso sea.) Fiction preferred, but any book recommendations on those subjects (and all manner of related topics) appreciated.

New books suitable for elderly aunt

clarkstonian — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:58:06 -0800

What are some good books for my elderly old maid aunt? My aunt is 83. She's in assisted living and has access to nothing - not a library, not a book store. She loves to read. However, she's a bit of a prude. I'm looking for books that are: recent (last year or two, so there is no possibility she has read them); fiction; no more racy than old MASH episodes (clean language, mildly suggestive); not too preachy.

For example - with a little less sex, she'd probably like Time Traveler's Wife. Have any MeFites actually read a book like that?

book award award for two outstanding 8th grade grads?

tomadelic — Thu, 04 May 2006 06:47:25 -0800

What book should I get as an award for two outstanding 8th grade grads? I'm their faculty advisor. They've each won an end-of-year award, and I'm tasked with finding them a suitable book to mark the occasion. I want to find something more than a dry dictionary or reference book, and I'd love to inspire them to continue their great work without being too sappy or preachy. My range is $15 - $20. Any suggestions?

What are some interesting medical texts or anatomy prints

Airhen — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 16:11:53 -0800

What would be a cool/interesting medical book to have a first edition of, besides "Gray's Anatomy"? I'm asking for a friend whose brother is graduating medical school next month and starting a residency in surgery. She wants some suggestions on texts (or some anatomy prints she could frame) that she should look for as a graduation gift.

So, health care professionals, what would you want?

USDA Prime Brain Food

thejoshu — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 09:39:43 -0800

The boy really liked McSweeney's Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things.... He's in sixth grade, and is very sharp. Though he's recently really enjoyed some larger tomes, like the entire Narnia and Hitchhiker collections, he seemed to be entranced by this volume and I want to find him something similar. My apologies if some of this has been covered before, but can you think of anything that might please him as much as the Noisy Outlaws collection has?

What to get to cheer up a friend?

echolex — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 20:02:15 -0800

Cheer-up-a-friend-fliter: My friend was just let go from her job because hiring someone new would be cheaper on her employer's budget. What would be a great book to give to her that says, "F*ck work!" ? Anything uplifting whether it is a feel good book or gift would be helpful.

I just feel so awful that they did this to her just before X-Mas!

Help me be the cool Uncle!

BigLankyBastard — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 12:52:30 -0800

I'm looking for an ACTUAL book-of-the-month club, for children younger than ten, which serves the UK.... I want to be able to pre-select a number of books, prepay the whole shebang, and have them sent to my sister's children in London at intervals, like a subscription. My google skills have failed me here, as most book clubs I've found apparently will send a bunch at once, then hit you up to choose more later. This does not please me.

What to get for a samurai movie fan/middle school teacher?

nakedcodemonkey — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 20:39:41 -0800

What to get for a samurai movie fan/middle school teacher? He loves classic samurai movies, and has probably seen every one that Netflix and Blockbuster have in stock. Any recommendations for a DVD he'd love but might not have seen yet? (If it helps to know, his reading tastes tend toward philosophy and early 20th century literature.) He teaches middle schoolers in a district that's predominantly Hispanic, mostly working poor. So things for the classroom also are a gift possibility. Budget unfortunately is very limited ($10-20), but this is a really good guy who's had kind of a tough year. He deserves a gift that brings much joy. What can you recommend?

Best dead-tree atlas?

selfnoise — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 11:47:23 -0800

What's the best dead-tree world atlas you can buy? My wife wants one for her birthday. There seem to be a fair number for the taking. Any recommendations or personal favorites?