Gift Book Suggestions

ColumnLunch · 01-12-2014 9:15pm #1

Hi all, I'm looking for some suggestions for gift books for my girlfriend for Christmas.
She is currently undertaking a challenge of reading 30 books before she turns 30 in a few months and
I'd like to get her a few books. Something special like a special edition or leatherbound.

There are loads of lovely looking books out there but the usual judging a book by its cover applies here.
She mentioned recently that she would like to read some of the previous Man Booker prize winners but I haven't a clue.
Maybe some old classic or some modern classic or something like that?

Anyone got any suggestions?

The Princess Bride · 02-12-2014 2:53pm

The list could be endless, hope you realise this!

I'd recommend some classics like The Railway Children, Animal Farm, Little Women, perhaps? Easy light reads. Also Alex Garland's The Beach- excellent.
James Frey A million little pieces is one of my all time favourites.

William Goldman's The Princess Bride is an unusual style of writing and I couldn't imagine anyone not enjoying it.

As for Man Booker prize winners- some I've read have been an ordeal, rather than an enjoyable experience - I can recommend DBC Pierre's Vernon God Little, that's about it.

Dirty Dingus McGee · 02-12-2014 3:24pm

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes won the booker prize and is a terrific book.Its very short and easy to read aswell.

ColumnLunch · 02-12-2014 10:35pm

The Princess Bride wrote: »

The list could be endless, hope you realise this!

Thanks for the great suggestions. Yep I kinda figured it's a tough one but at least I have a starting point now

I found some penguin clothbound classics on amazon that look lovely so might pick up a few of them and then something like James Frey A million little pieces and The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Kurtosis · 03-12-2014 12:42am

If you're based in Dublin, I've seen nice hardbound copies of Stoner by John Williams in Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street. Not only is it an excellent read, these were really nice grey clothe-covered books.

There are also some aesthetically pleasing editions of John Steinbeck novels published by Penguin (albeit in paperback) which might fit the bill e.g. http://www.bookdepository.com/Mice-Men-John-Steinbeck/9780241952481
http://www.bookdepository.com/East-Eden-John-Steinbeck/9780241952498

A last source of very nice books is the publisher Pushkin Press Again they are paperbacks, but they are really high quality books. I've gotten a few Antal Szerb books they've published and have heard very good reviews of In The Beginning Was The Sea by Tomas Gonzalez.

Actually I also recall seeing some very striking books with solid primary colour covers with the page edges in the same colour, I believe they were some anniversary editions. I can't recall what books or what publisher it was however hopefully someone may remember these.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-12-2014 5:12pm

Penguin do some really nice hardback cloth bound covers for some of the "classic" books.

The do a few sets like Dickens and Austen but they've a fairly wide range of individual books too.

http://www.penguin.com/static/pages/classics/hardcoverclassics/

confusticated · 10-12-2014 7:44pm

If she doesn't read much normally I dunno would I recommend A Million Little Pieces...it's a bit of a Marmite book I think, either love it or hate it! (I hated it)

The Time Traveler's Wife was a nice one, a bit unusual...Ian McEwan has a good few that I loved and they weren't that long. You could try a few classics by the Brontes? Or Great Expectations by Dickens - I thought that would be a much harder read than it was.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 31-12-2014 2:10am

Come on then, what did you get her?

Gift Book Suggestions

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