Book Blogger Hop No. 155: Book Club Gift Exchanges

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Does your book club have a book

exchange for the holidays,

or any other time during the year?

If you don't belong to a book club,

do you think that would be

something fun to do?

(Submitted  by Elizabeth  @ 

Silver's Reviews)

My Answer

Here's the short and sweet answer again! 

I don't belong to any book clubs, either online or in "the real world", alas...... Do I think this would be a fun thing to do? Heck, YEAH.

A bit longer, now, lol.....

At this WONDERFUL, JOYFUL time of year, there are "Secret Santa" gift exchanges going on at many companies. I used to participate in the annual ones held at a certain company I worked at, in downtown Miami. I haven't worked there in nearly five years now, so my only job is my part-time evening teaching job, at a Miami high school. Sadly, we don't have any gift exchanges there. Teachers might get Christmas presents from their students at the end of the last trimester (in December), or they might not. It all depends on the students. 

At any of these company exchanges, it has been my experience that VERY few people EVER give anybody a book, or a Barnes & Noble gift card, or even an Amazon gift card that could be used for buying books. It seems that people at most companies think that a book is NOT a worthwhile present, especially not for a woman. 

Even when I've been given presents by students, NONE of them have ever given me a book or a B&N gift card! In fact, one year, a group of students gave me a $200.00 gift card. I was overjoyed!! But, when I happened to mention, to several students, that I could buy several books with that gift card, one of hem gave me a weird look, and told me to spend it on NECESSARY things, like shoes, purses, or clothes. AAAAARRRRGGHH!!!! Needless to say, I did NOT heed her "advice". I LAVISHED books on myself!! LOL.

Many people -- whether company employees or students one teaches -- will invariably give a female employee/teacher such stereotypical presents as perfume, scarves, costume jewelry, or Bath & Body Works body lotions. Once, a group gave me a purse, which was obviously of the expensive variety. So, whenever I've gotten either a printed book or a B&N gift card in a company gift exchange, I've had to actually let people know that I would like to receive either one of those two options. Not that I don't like perfume or the other typical gifts given to women. But heck, if I feel a sudden need for some great-smelling perfume, I'll go ahead and buy it. A book as a gift, though, will send me through the roof with happiness!!!

I've written all of the above because I would LOVE  to be a member of a group of people who did not consider it somehow "not quite appropriate" to give someone -- especially a woman -- a book as a present, whether for Christmas or birthdays. So I would be ECSTATIC if I were to be in a book club -- preferably in "the real world" -- where people DID have such exchanges! Unfortunately, I'm not...... :(

I've been searching for such a book club for some time now, but have not found one. The ones I've found through Google all seem to be too far away for me. So my search continues....

To all of you lucky people who belong to "real life" book clubs that DO have book gift exchanges during the holidays, I say the following: thank God or whoever is your higher power that you belong to such a book club!! And let it be known that I am TOTALLY GREEN WITH ENVY. Lol.

So.....Merry Christmas to all of you fellow book lovers/bloggers, or Happy Kwanzaa (Hanukkah is long since over), and Happy New Year to all!!!  

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

Please leave a comment! 

If you're participating in this meme,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!! 

Book Blogger Hop No. 115: Books Are My FAVORITE Presents!!!!

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

This Week's Question

Have you ever asked co-workers

to give you a book or B&N gift card if

they got your name for a 

Secret Santa gift exchange? If so,

did you get what you asked for?

(Submitted  by Maria @ 

A Night's Dream of Books)

My Answer

This might seem like a rather weird or unusual thing to do, but to an addicted bookworm like me, it makes PERFECT sense! Lol. While I do appreciate other types of gifts, it's receiving a book or books as a present that really gives me the GREATEST happiness! I just feel so excited, so absolutely giddy with delight, when I receive a BOOK as a present!! Especially if the book is in one of my favorite genres! So of course, what better way to make sure I get exactly what I want in a Secret Santa gift exchange than by letting potential gift-givers know ahead of time, just in case they got my name? Lol.

The thing is, I have ALWAYS wanted to be absolutely SURE that the person whose name I got in a Secret Santa gift exchange LOVED the present I gave them. In the past, whenever I've participated in one of these things, I've spoken with friends of the person whose name I got, and asked them what the person would like to receive. Then I would ensure I bought them exactly that. 

In my own case, I, too, wanted to get my favorite present -- a book. So, weeks before the event, I made SURE everyone in the office KNEW that I wanted to get a book as a present. I even told them which specific genres I would love to get -- either fantasy, science fiction, YA, or romance. Furthermore, I added that I would be perfectly happy to get a mass market paperback, as these are pretty inexpensive. The limit for the gift exchange was always the same -- $25.00, so getting me a paperback wouldn't put a big dent in anyone's pocket. Lol. 

I have done this "gift broadcasting" on at least three occasions, in three different office jobs. In one of them, I got EXACTLY what I had asked for; in the other two, I did not.

In two of the jobs, I was given jewelry instead of a book, despite the fact that both of the people concerned knew that I would have wanted a book. In the third job, I did get a book, and it was a science fiction book, too, just as I wanted!

It's not that I didn't appreciate the presents that I got at those two other jobs, because I did. But I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.... 

In one of the jobs, I was given an earring and necklace set. The earrings and necklace were very pretty. I was puzzled, though, when the gift-giver told me -- without my asking -- that she thought this was "a more appropriate gift". Why would a book not have been "appropriate"? 

In the second job, I was given a pair of earrings. These were also very pretty. This second person told me -- again without my asking -- that she thought I had "too many books already".....Oh, well. Of course I was disappointed, although I pretended not to be. 

In the third job, I SQUEALED with delight when I opened the present. It was a Star Trek novel!! Needless to say, I profusely thanked the gift-giver, who was obviously a book lover, too.

I guess only a bookworm would understand why another bookworm would always prefer to receive a book as a present, at Christmastime and any other time of the year! Lol.

What are your thoughts on

this topic?

If you're participating in this hop,

I'll go comment on your 

own BBH post.

If not, I will then comment on one 

of your blog posts!

Thanks for visiting!!!  
 

Book Blogger Hop No. 60: Books as Gifts

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,

hosted by Billy @

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

For more information, and 

to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.

What to Do

1.) Post on your blog answering this week's

question:

Do you give books as gifts?

(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)

2.)  Enter the link to your post in the

Linky list on Billy's blog.

3.)  Visit other blogs on the list and

comment on their posts. 

4.)  Be sure to find out next week's

question when you visit

Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!

My Answer

Unfortunately, not very often. This is not because I don't want to, but because there are very few people in my life who love books as much as I do, sadly enough..... The one person I know will always appreciate receiving a book as a gift is my mother, but even then, not all the time. She does like other things, as well.

Throughout the years, I've noticed that people tend to give gifts that they themselves would like to receive. Therefore, I've received things like perfume, or earring and necklace sets, for either birthdays or on Christmas Day. Now, it's not that I don't appreciate such gifts, because I certainly do. But they don't drive me crazy with delight the way a book would. There's absolutely NO present in this world, for me, that could ever compare with a book! However, in the past, even when certain people have KNOWN how much I love to receive books as gifts, they've still given me things they thought "more appropriate", meaning, of course, "more appropriate for a female", which is totally ridiculous. Why would a book NOT be appropriate for a woman as a gift? This has sometimes happened to me when I've participated in "Secret Santa" events held in office jobs during the Christmas season.

I always try to find out what types of things a person would like to receive as a gift. I never assume that, because I love to receive books as gifts, other people will, too. Only another bookworm like me would really appreciate receiving a book as a gift. But even then, though, I do try to find out what type of books people enjoy reading. That will avoid the awkwardness of giving a murder mystery to someone who enjoys romance novels, for instance. Lol.

Of course, I do give books as prizes whenever I host giveaways. That's not quite the same thing, but it's still giving someone a free book, which I know they will treasure, especially when I host giveaways in which entrants get their choice of book.

I sometimes feel sad that I'm not surrounded by "book people".....but then, I have friends here on the blogosphere who share my love of books. It would be so nice if I could interact with you guys in person, but oh, well.....at least we can meet and discuss books here on the Web.

I'm looking forward to future giveaways here on my blog, so that you can all get a chance to win the book of your choice!     



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the opinions I've expressed here?

Please leave a comment,

and I'll go check out your post!