Are you in need of the perfect gift idea this holiday season? A gift that can entertain, comfort, and even enlighten? If so, give books a try!
Sometimes I fear the end of reading books. We — myself included — spend so much time scrolling on our devices or staring at a TV screen … sometimes doing both at the same time. Even when I read an ebook on my phone (the convenience is much appreciated), I feel like I’m setting a bad example for my son and daughter. I’ve had to force myself to pick up hard copies of books to read on the couch in order to visibly model reading, rather than swiping on my screen. I want my kids to enjoy reading and understand its value.
Books have been a transformative part of my life since I was in middle school. I’ve felt nearly every emotion while reading hundreds of books. I’ve put myself in the shoes of thousands of characters across centuries of time whose lives are vastly different from my own. I’ve found comfort and understanding through the words of others. I love to share those feelings with others through gifting books. Even if a friend or a relative never actually reads the book, perhaps they’ll pass it on to someone who will.
Two events, well one phenomenon and one event, have heartened me. When I queried my 19-year-old niece about gift ideas for her this year, she put a book on her list for the very first time. Since it was a Colleen Hoover title, I immediately followed up asking if she was on BookTok, the subcommunity of book reviewers and lovers on TikTok. While I’m not a huge social media fan, I appreciate how BookTok has led to a resurgence in reading in the last year or so, particularly among young women.
My buoying event was a large extended family Christmas gathering earlier this month. During the meal I overheard relatives talking about Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale (highly recommend!) while my cousin across the table mentioned how she has to time when she starts a new book series because she’ll devour them before she’ll do anything else, including talking to her husband. As the party wound down, my aunt and uncle who were hosting, gave everyone a wrapped gift. We each received a book they’d chosen especially for each person present. I definitely left with a warm glow in my heart.
If you would like to give the gift of books this holiday season and aren’t sure what to pick, the librarians at the Greenwood Public Library have you covered. Our updated Holiday Book Guide features suggestions for all ages from birth through adulthood and for all tastes ranging from fiction to nonfiction. There are even some BookTok titles spread throughout. You can be hip without even trying by picking those for the young adults on your list.
May you have a joyful, book-filled holiday season.
Susan Jerger is an Adult Services Librarian at Greenwood Public Library. GPL staff members share in writing this twice-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
