If you're fed up with buying tat Christmas presents for people that you care little for but somehow have become trapped in a vicious circle of gift reciprocity, one way of breaking out of it might be to say you are making a donation to a charity instead, and suggest they do the same. In which case, might I suggest The Booktrust? A donation of £10 provides a surprise festive book parcel for a child who otherwise wouldn't have much to read. That sounds alright, doesn't it? And certainly better than a scented candle...
That is lovely. Oh god no, I can't imagine my childhood - any childhood - without books. I loved the smell of them, the feel of them, everything about the books I read as a kid. Fond memories of my mum coming home from the library with little selections she'd picked out for me, especially when I was ill - it was so exciting and comforting, they were treats.
ReplyDeleteReading a book is a physical thing, isn't it? And that's why ebooks will never be quite the same.
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