"A house without books is like a room without windows." -Horace Mann

Monday, January 3, 2011

Christmas Gifts

As this is a blog about books, I felt it was appropriate to break quickly from book reviews and tell the story of my Christmas gifts.  First, a little background.  My husband is an accountant.  I have come to learn that many accountants actually have a sense of humor.  My husband loves joking around, and is best at quick off-the-cuff quips.  Sometimes his more "planned" jokes don't always come out as funny as he expects, but at least he tries.  He rarely gives me a gift without a joke involved.  In the past this usually involves a lot of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups which I don't care for, but which he loves.  Once he even emptied a big package of them, and put a KitKat inside instead, thus camoflaging it, and I almost gave it away!  So, I expected much of the same this Christmas.  Little did I know that he had switched things up...

My first present I go to open does not look like the shape of a book, but he has disguised it and I pull out a book titled, "Housekeeping".  Everyone laughs hysterically because this is obviously a comment about how he loves a clean house and I don't care quite as much.  What's funny about this is that I tell him later that 1) the book has really nothing whatsoever to do about housekeeping, and 2) I already own the book and have read it.  He was rather disappointed by this revelation but I told him it was still funny the way it came across.

I get my 2nd present from him, which is obviously a book.  I'm thinking that this is my real present.  But no, it definitely is not.  It is a hardbound library book that looks like it was written in the 70s, and titled "Women Chosen for Public Office (Profiles)".  I wish I had taken a picture of it, but a description will have to suffice.  There are black and white photos of women who must have lived in the 1900s, formidable looking women like most of those early "feminists" must have been.  All of them with high neck collars, big black hats, and corsets.  Not that I wouldn't want to learn about these tough women, but this book was scary looking!   Apparently he got this one at Goodwill for a dollar.

So now I am wondering in my head how many of these joke books I'm going to have to open before I get a book I want!  Apparently my husband said I looked mad (I was not) so he finally got my last present out and had me open it.  It was most definitely not a book, but it was a lovely purple necklace with the receipt for an Amazon order attached.  My REAL present arrived 2 days later. 

I'm glad my husband knows what I really want, and can still have fun himself at the same time.  Here's hoping all you received some good books for the holidays.  I'm always looking for recommendations.


4 comments:

  1. Some of the best gifts ever...

    And a stack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I knew I liked your husband for a reason.

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  2. Nice! Sure sounds like he has a sense of humor and glad you received what you wanted. I received several "Frances" books for Christmas. I love Children's books and was so happy to get them!

    Visiting from Teachinfourth's blog.

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  3. Dan asked me to get Mockingjay from the Library for him and there were 18 people on the waiting list... So many people were disappointed in it, I'm nervous to read it. What did you think?

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  4. Maggie, I really enjoyed these books for what they are. I mean, yes, there were a few things about Mockingjay I would have done differently, but its still a great finish to the series. I went into the series at first not expecting much (I always feel that way with a new "you've got to read this or you'll die" book craze) and was pleasantly surprised, though I didn't feel they were the best written books by far. So, I guess Mockingjay didn't disappoint me too much because I enjoyed them for a good read and a change of pace. Just like the first two books, some of the things that happened really were not what I expected, and some were predictable. The biggest complaint I've heard is the pacing of the story, that it either moves to face or two slow at beginning or end. I did feel it might have wrapped up things a little too quickly at the end for my taste, but I think this is simply a sign of a good writer than just needs more practice writing, pacing is a tough thing to master.

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