Welcome to Feature & Follow Friday!!
This weekly hop is hosted by
Rachel @ Parajunkee's View, and
Alison @ Alison Can Read!!
You can find the rules at the links above.
Join in the fun and make new blogging friends!
Here is this week's question:
What was the best Christmas
(or other holiday) gift
you ever received?
Contributed by
Alison Can Read
Of course, I've always preferred BOOKS to any other gift, no matter how nice! When I was in my late teens and early twenties, my Mom used to give me very nice books. These were adult books, though, not YA. I wasn't reading that genre at the time. Lol.
Since I was an art student in college, Mom gave me two or three books about famous artists. There's one that I absolutely ADORE, and really should read again. It's a novel based on the life of my favorite artist of all time -- Michelangelo, and is titled The Agony and the Ecstasy. It was written by Irving Stone, a great American writer.
I don't remember if this book was a Christmas present or a birthday present. Whichever occasion it was, it was given to me by my mother, who, like me, is an avid reader. So that makes this book very, very special! This is an International Collectors Library edition, which she got for me sometime in the late '80s. These books are no longer being produced, but are relatively inexpensive to purchase. They can be found on eBay, Amazon, Alibris, and Abebooks. For more information on them, click HERE.
There are, of course, many other editions of this novel widely available, mostly online, although I'm sure some bookstores -- especially used books bookstores -- carry it, as well.
I remember this novel made a HUGE impact on me, and I would like to read it again. However, since it's literary fiction, as well as a classic, I will review it at my other blog, MindSpirit Book Journeys.
What was the best Christmas
(or other holiday) gift
you ever received?
Contributed by
Alison Can Read
Of course, I've always preferred BOOKS to any other gift, no matter how nice! When I was in my late teens and early twenties, my Mom used to give me very nice books. These were adult books, though, not YA. I wasn't reading that genre at the time. Lol.
Since I was an art student in college, Mom gave me two or three books about famous artists. There's one that I absolutely ADORE, and really should read again. It's a novel based on the life of my favorite artist of all time -- Michelangelo, and is titled The Agony and the Ecstasy. It was written by Irving Stone, a great American writer.
I don't remember if this book was a Christmas present or a birthday present. Whichever occasion it was, it was given to me by my mother, who, like me, is an avid reader. So that makes this book very, very special! This is an International Collectors Library edition, which she got for me sometime in the late '80s. These books are no longer being produced, but are relatively inexpensive to purchase. They can be found on eBay, Amazon, Alibris, and Abebooks. For more information on them, click HERE.
There are, of course, many other editions of this novel widely available, mostly online, although I'm sure some bookstores -- especially used books bookstores -- carry it, as well.
I remember this novel made a HUGE impact on me, and I would like to read it again. However, since it's literary fiction, as well as a classic, I will review it at my other blog, MindSpirit Book Journeys.
Next Week's Question
What books are you most excited
for in 2016?
Contributed by
Alison Can Read
These are my follow preferences.
The links are in my sidebar.
What books are you most excited
for in 2016?
Contributed by
Alison Can Read
The links are in my sidebar.
Be sure to visit the rest of the
participating blogs!!
participating blogs!!
I have never read this book, but I do feel I should check it out! I also love getting books for Christmas and unwrapped a few myself this morning! Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteNew GFC & twitter follower!
My FF
Punkie @Fluttering Hearts Reviews
Hi, Punkie!
DeleteOh, you really should! It's masterpiece!
How nice that you got books for Christmas!! YAY!!! This year, I simply gave myself some Christmas romances.
You're very welcome for the sharing! Thanks so much for the two follows and the lovely comment!! You ROCK.
I know you had a GREAT Christmas!! : )
That's lovely, Maria! I love getting books as gifts too, but it rarely happens because people never know what I've already got. But hey, they give me shopping money instead, so it works out. ;-) I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas! :-D
ReplyDeleteMy FF!
Hi, Baggins!
DeleteAwww......thank you!! Well, Mom stopped giving me books after I got married, precisely because she no longer knew what I already had, since I was not living in her house anymore. But hey, shopping money is AWESOME! That way, you can get whatever books you want!
I had a nice Christmas. Hope you did, too!! Thanks for the nice comment!! : )
I think it's wonderful that your mother puts so much thought into the books she gets you. I wish my mother would do that.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a great week!
My Feature and #FF
Hi, Kristine!
DeleteAww.....thank you for saying that! Yes, she got me some really good books back then. Of course, after I got started with my obsessive book buying, she stopped giving me books, since she didn't know what I already had! Lol.
I had a great Christmas! Hope yours was great, as well!
Thanks for the nice comment!! : )
This is a great post Maria.
ReplyDeleteBooks do make wonderful gifts. One of many great things about them is that unlike many other things that folks give to one another, as long as one takes books tend not to wear out.
Also, unlike many other hobbies, folks tend not to get bored with reading. Most readers are readers for life.
The story of your mother's gift of The Agony and The Ecstasy is a great one. I saw the movie a long time ago and remember being very impressed.
I look forward to your review of it.
Hey, Brian!
DeleteThanks for the kind words!
I agree -- books are pretty much eternal, as long ss you take good care of them. I am very careful with mine. I have purchased some archival covers for my hardbacks, for instance. (not all of them, of course; it takes time and money to cover them all, lol.) Also, I use clear plastic laminate on my paperbacks. (Again, there are time and money constraints.)
Reading is, for me, the most wonderful hobby in the world!! Blogging about books is just about as wonderful as reading them, too!
I'm so glad you liked the little story about my mom giving me this book. Thanks for your touching comment about this. I treasure this book, as well as the others she's given me. Among them is the complete collection of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, in two volumes. They're hardbacks, of course, and I have them in archival covers, as the original dust jackets are a little dog-eared.... That could have happened because I didn't remove the jackets before reading the books. Nowadays, I make sure I remove a book's DJ before sitting down to read it.
I've never seen the movie version of this book.but will definitely do so, once I finish re-reading the book. In fact, I just checked, and I do have the DVD already in my Amazon Fine Arts List.
I will make a point of reading and reviewing this book in the coming year!!
Thanks for the SUPER NICE comment!! : )
Books are wonderful and my favourite type of present! I am amazed at the vast quantity of wonderful books available. Oh to have time to read them all!
ReplyDeleteHi, Susan!
DeleteOh, absolutely!! There's NOTHING like a book to make us bookworms happy, when it's gift-giving time! You know, perfume, jewelry and clothes are nice, but they just aren't as satisfying to receive as books. At least, not for a bookworm.
You know, once, at a job I used to have, I made SURE everyone in the office knew I would prefer to get a book in the Secret Santa exchange. When the time came to do the exchange, I got an earring and necklace set, instead..... The woman who gave them to me said she thought this would be "more appropriate". AAARRRGGHH!! Of course, I had to pretend to like the set (the earrings and necklace were pretty, but they were NOT what I had been hoping to get....). I like to give people what I KNOW they would like to receive, NOT what I think will be "more appropriate" for them. Oh, well....
I sometimes get depressed when I go to Amazon, or visit other book blogs, and see all the wonderful books there are to read.....and I know I will never have the time to read them all!
Thanks for the great comment!! You really got me going, because books are, of course, my FAVORITE topic of conversation!! Lol. : )