Don’t do it. Whatever you think they’d like, they won’t.

Gift guides are as usual spilling over in every newspaper, including top ten romance books, top ten mystery novels, top ten hardbacks-no-one-will-ever-read-but-look-impressive-on-the-part-of-the-gifter. 

Add to this the cynically-timed An Post book awards (early December), the false hysteria of the latest ‘must read’ on BookTok, and whatever Reese Witherspoon is pushing, and you might think you have a great idea of what the reader in your life would like. But please, we’re begging you: don’t. Imagine Emma Thompson opening that Jodi Mitchell CD. That’s what readers feel inside when they see a carefully-wrapped book thrust towards them.

If someone close to you is a voracious reader, do not give them a book. They won’t want it. Books are like perfume; it would be wildly assumptive to think you know what will suit them and if you think you’ve got it right, you haven’t. They’re just
being nice. 

This writer has made the mistake for years now, and every book she’s ever given her mother remains unopened and rightly so. Every book this writer has ever received as a gift remains unopened (but I’ve crumpled the covers on some to make them look like I have read them, for a quiet life).

A history of the Congo river from a self-righteous ex-boyfriend (if I want to add to my learning I’ll do it in my own time thank you Barry). Empire of the Ants from a current one (the things we do
for love). 

A huge, illustrated and expensive hardback of Northern Lights from a friend who knows that I love that book. So I now have a book that I’ve read and loved already in a form that weighs two kilos but what do I do with it? Torture someone else by regifting it? Anchor a small ship?

Give a book voucher, or take your beloved to a shop with you and pick up the bill. If you love someone, do not buy them a book.