Thursday, November 06, 2008
BTT: Presents
This week's Booking Through Thursday asks us:
With few exceptions, people don't give me books for presents. Maybe it's the 500+ stack that refuses to shrink, no matter how fast I read, that scares them off. Maybe it's that many of those 500+ come from RABCKs -- Random Acts of BookCrossing Kindness. That's when a fellow BookCrosser decides to look up my address and pop a book in the mail to me, just because. As someone who loves to do this, herself, I love getting RABCKs in return.
There's one book that sticks out immediately. That's The Plucker, an illustrated novel by Brom. Yep, one name. Brom. Awkward at first, it takes on a beauty of its own after a bit, doesn't it? Brom.
So does the man's art.
Anyway, the Tour Manager bought me a copy of The Plucker last year for my birthday. Horrible wife that I am, I haven't read it yet. I'm waiting, you see, for a day where I can curl up with something I can get lost inside, where I can lose all the pressures I've been facing lately, trying to get The Demo Tapes done -- along with everything else that my ambition is dictating.
I think, truth be told, I'd rather have a gorgeous new pen (I prefer rollerballs) or an account at Roberta Weissburg's and time to devote to having her make me a gorgeous new dress coat. Or time to play with the washable suede pants I've recently discovered. Or... Yeah, you get the idea. Time and money for this rock and roll writer's rock and roll wardrobe.
Which, of course, explains why I'm wearing a too-big pair of Levi's and a t-shirt from WPTS-FM, the radio station where I had so damn much fun on Sunday afternoons...
What, if any, memorable or special book have you ever gotten as a present? Birthday or otherwise. What made it so notable? The person who gave it? The book itself? The “gift aura?”
With few exceptions, people don't give me books for presents. Maybe it's the 500+ stack that refuses to shrink, no matter how fast I read, that scares them off. Maybe it's that many of those 500+ come from RABCKs -- Random Acts of BookCrossing Kindness. That's when a fellow BookCrosser decides to look up my address and pop a book in the mail to me, just because. As someone who loves to do this, herself, I love getting RABCKs in return.
There's one book that sticks out immediately. That's The Plucker, an illustrated novel by Brom. Yep, one name. Brom. Awkward at first, it takes on a beauty of its own after a bit, doesn't it? Brom.
So does the man's art.
Anyway, the Tour Manager bought me a copy of The Plucker last year for my birthday. Horrible wife that I am, I haven't read it yet. I'm waiting, you see, for a day where I can curl up with something I can get lost inside, where I can lose all the pressures I've been facing lately, trying to get The Demo Tapes done -- along with everything else that my ambition is dictating.
I think, truth be told, I'd rather have a gorgeous new pen (I prefer rollerballs) or an account at Roberta Weissburg's and time to devote to having her make me a gorgeous new dress coat. Or time to play with the washable suede pants I've recently discovered. Or... Yeah, you get the idea. Time and money for this rock and roll writer's rock and roll wardrobe.
Which, of course, explains why I'm wearing a too-big pair of Levi's and a t-shirt from WPTS-FM, the radio station where I had so damn much fun on Sunday afternoons...
Labels: Booking Through Thursday, Brom, Roberta Weissburg
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With so many books staring you in the face (so to speak) it must drive you nuts. I don't think I'd chance giving you a book, either. Happy Booking Through Thursday. I'm giving away a couple of books. See my sidebar if you're interested.
http://bookcritiques.blogspot.com/
http://bookcritiques.blogspot.com/
You know, every year I do an Amazon wish list with cheap books on it as a suggestion to my friends and family. Last year, I received "The Wizard of Oz", and Huffington's "On Becoming Fearless". It was perfect!
# posted by 
: November 06, 2008 10:26 PM
: November 06, 2008 10:26 PM
Ahhhh... so many books, so little time! *grin*
And you've given me another for my wish list: The Plucker.
And you've given me another for my wish list: The Plucker.
I signed up for Book Crossings, but haven't done anything with it yet.
I had to whittle down my TBR pile a while ago. It dropped to less than 50. I felt so underprivileged. It's all ok, now that I've built up to 100 or so. Gotta have variety, you know.
I had to whittle down my TBR pile a while ago. It dropped to less than 50. I felt so underprivileged. It's all ok, now that I've built up to 100 or so. Gotta have variety, you know.
# posted by : November 07, 2008 1:24 PM
: November 07, 2008 1:24 PM
When hubby asked me the other day what I want for my birthday and I said books, he gave me the strangest look. Must be the towering stack of unread books and the new books coming in a few times a week. He thinks it's out of control, but I wouldn't have it any other way! LOL
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
Oh, I have SO been there, Anna...
Alice, come friend me over at BC. And holler if you need help with anything (or want any of my books!).
Alice, come friend me over at BC. And holler if you need help with anything (or want any of my books!).
I prefer reading special books in one, couch-curling session, too.
When I was little, I had an uncle send me Heidi, The Jungle Book, and... another one, I forget. The edges of the pages were gold-leafed, and there were illustrations.
I thought they were magical. The picture pages were all smooth and shiny, too. The gold-leafing (is that what it's called?) was just fascinating to me. So pretty!
When I was little, I had an uncle send me Heidi, The Jungle Book, and... another one, I forget. The edges of the pages were gold-leafed, and there were illustrations.
I thought they were magical. The picture pages were all smooth and shiny, too. The gold-leafing (is that what it's called?) was just fascinating to me. So pretty!
Wow, this brought back a memory from long-ago childhood... My great-grandmother was a "Boston Blueblood" who believed that books were the appropriate gifts for children for Christmas. I never really knew her, as the family was quite fractured, but she did her duty every Christmas and birthday and had one of her minions send us the proper gift.
The book that was the most memorable is also one that I can't remember very well! The title is long gone from memory, but I remember how strange the book was. The part of the story I do remember was a family of bears, living in Switzerland I believe, with a house-building project. The strange part was that they wanted to build the roof first, to keep the rain off while the rest of the house was built.
I can't think of how many times I wish I could remember the title, because I'd love to read it again with adult eyes. Maybe it wasn't as strange as I remember...
Love your site, & thanks for the chance to re-live an old memory!
The book that was the most memorable is also one that I can't remember very well! The title is long gone from memory, but I remember how strange the book was. The part of the story I do remember was a family of bears, living in Switzerland I believe, with a house-building project. The strange part was that they wanted to build the roof first, to keep the rain off while the rest of the house was built.
I can't think of how many times I wish I could remember the title, because I'd love to read it again with adult eyes. Maybe it wasn't as strange as I remember...
Love your site, & thanks for the chance to re-live an old memory!
# posted by : November 07, 2008 7:04 PM
: November 07, 2008 7:04 PM
I slobber with envy at y'all's TBR piles... I stopped buying books for several years due to finances, which only recently improved, so I'm still building mine up...
As for books I've gotten as presents... hmmmmm, I think I mostly get gift cards to bookstores. Not sure if that counts. :)
As for books I've gotten as presents... hmmmmm, I think I mostly get gift cards to bookstores. Not sure if that counts. :)
I'm a terrible one for giving gifts to ... I tend to buy what I want (within reason!)
I got a lot of books as a kid, and still have several, with my mother's inscription on the end pages.
The one I blogged about is *Necessary Losses* . Received in my 20s, not as a kid, but at just the right time!
I got a lot of books as a kid, and still have several, with my mother's inscription on the end pages.
The one I blogged about is *Necessary Losses* . Received in my 20s, not as a kid, but at just the right time!
# posted by : November 08, 2008 4:59 PM
: November 08, 2008 4:59 PM
I envy you having all those books. Many, many moons ago when I was about 10 my Mom, now deceased gave me a book titled Speak Nature by James Walker Sr. It was a poetry book, traditional meter and rhyme. I fell in love with poetry that day and it's what introduced me to writing and poetry and sparked my writing career.
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# posted by : November 08, 2008 5:57 PM
: November 08, 2008 5:57 PM << Home
