Books given as Christmas presents

This year I decided to try to give mostly books for Christmas. Here is the eclectic group of books I found to give away to most everyone on my list:

For my brother, a long distance runner who is back in training again - What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami. Amazon says this is a collection of essays, diary entries, and life lessons from running. This book was my longest shot as to whether the recipient would enjoy it. My brother didn't seem sure either. I'll borrow it when he is finished.









For my dad who likes mysteries and whodunits - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I was fascinated by the story of the author himself, who died shortly after submitting the third book in this trilogy to his publisher. This is the first book in the series, and I hope to borrow it back from my Dad when he is finished reading.










For my best friend's daughter - Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein. My daughter and I love to read this collection of poems at bedtime, and I thought our friends would too.









For my sister in law - Hello, Cupcake! byAlan Richardson and Karen Tack. This book has a ton of photos of really cool-looking decorated cupcakes. I thought it looked like a lot of fun. I hope she makes cupcakes for my niece's first birthday.











For my brother in law - Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York. He lives in New York, is fascinated with photography, and asked for this book for Christmas. Apparently, it includes photos of lots of abandoned buildings and hidden secret places in NYC and how to take them.










For my husband who is an architect, a book about his favorite architect, Le Corbusier: A Life, by Nicholas Fox Weber. This book also came recommended by the Inquirer's architecture critic, Inga Saffron (who I just learned on Amazon was previously the newspaper's Moscow correspondent and herself wrote a book called Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy).











Coming up: my posting that lists the books I received for Christmas.