Holiday Gift Guide

It's down to the wire. Christmas is only a few days away.  We're nearly smack dab in the middle of Hanukkah.  Kwanzaa starts in less that a week. Diwali... was in October. But if you celebrate any of those other major holidays and festivals you probably need to get out and get some gifts for some special people in your life.

If you're done your shopping already, pat yourself on the back. You won't have to fight a desperate mother for the last Lalaloopsy doll.  Or wait in line for 2 hours at WalMart just to purchase a box of chocolates for that Secret Santa you forgot about at work.

Instead, you can just read this post and take notes for the next gift you need to buy.

Everyone else, read fast, put on your best "shopping on a mission" comfy shoes, and face the mob of last-minute shoppers, because these are gifts anyone on your list can love. (Unless you've got a list full of those people I mentioned last Friday... In which case, you're probably screwed).

Here you go! Gifts for...

Captain Keepsake
We all know someone who has shoeboxes full of trinkets from "major moments" in their lives. Like the movie stub from that time they went to see that movie with those people they're not even friends with anymore. Or the cork from that bottle of champagne from that one special New Years Eve. The list of items goes on and on.  For that person, I recommend: Listography: Your Life in Lists.  Every page has a title of a new list for you to create: People You've Lived With, Places You've Travelled, Concerts You've Attended...

Plus, it's a whole series of books where you create lists of things you have done, will do, or want to do. There's a Love Listography for relationships, Music Listography for favourites and concerts, and lots more!

Joe Jokester

Got a friend who loves to laugh?  Maybe a cousin who can't help but tell an inappropriate joke at a large family function?  You've got a Joe Jokester on your list! And good news! For him (or her) there are SO many options!

It was only a matter of time...



A little dark, but trust me, a book that sees the downside of everything is funny.



It's always funny to read about the crap that happens to other people.



The Teacher

It's safe to say everyone knows a teacher. Not all of us have a teacher on the gift-list, but for those that do, these two are a sure hit.





For the History Teacher (of even just a History Lover)

The Do-Gooder
Know someone who always seems to be volunteering time to this charity or that organization?  Someone who always seems to be coming home with a story about how she rescued a kitten while helping an elderly man cross the street to reunite with his long-lost daughter?  Or maybe you know someone who is always saying they want to start changing the world but has no idea where to begin?  Either way, this book is your answer:

From the website http://www.doonenicething.com/ this books lists little things you can do each day to make a difference.
It's actually on my must-have list.



The Twi-Hard or Twi-Hater

If you don't know what this is, you probably don't have one on your list, and you can count yourself lucky or unlucky (depending on which one you ask). But the perfect gift solution for this person, no matter on which side of the fence they sit, is this winner of a novel:



Here's a sample: "He had reddish, blonde-brown hair that was groomed heterosexually. He looked older than the other boys in the room—maybe not as old as God or my father, but certainly a viable replacement. Imagine if you took every woman’s idea of a hot guy and averaged it out into one man. This was that man."



The Special Interest...Person

Okay, so that's a terrible name compared to the others. But you definitely have someone on your list with a "special interest." This can be anything from food to fashion to Ferrari's. In which case, there is a book for ALL of those things. Traditionally called coffee-table books, these books are beautiful hard cover masterpieces with gigantic, page dominating photos on high gloss paper.  Even if they NEVER open them, ever, they'll love them. Because they aren't always meant to be read.  Merely treasured.  Just walk into your neighbourhood bookstore and browse around or ask someone.  You'll find something.

I think I've made my point. Books = Great Gifts! Still at a loss for someone on your list I didn't mention? Get a gift card for a bookstore! Even if they aren't really much of a reader, bookstores are full of fun trinkets, audio books, even music and DVDs. Have a question about someone on your list?  Leave me a message, and I'm sure I can think of something.

Happy Shopping! And...