Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, in which we all talk about a bookish topic and have fun making lists. This week – as it’s Thanksgiving in the US – I’m looking at books I’m grateful to have been given as gifts.
I don’t specifically track gifts in my collection, so this top ten is definitely subject to memory bias. But these are definitely books that have made me happy and I know I didn’t buy for myself. My family gets much of the credit, as they are always happy to feed my habit.





Fieldwork – a Christmas present from an aunt-out-law. Her choices can be hit and miss as we have both lots and little in common (the next year, I got an autobiography of a pianist I’d never heard of, all tortured navel-gazing and privilege). Fieldwork is excellent, the meandering story of a bored journalist in Thailand, who investigates the story of a Dutch anthropologist jailed for the murder of an American missionary.
The Crimson Petal and the White – a gift from a friend, who correctly judged that I’d like this exceedingly nasty little tale of Victorian values. Sugar is the most-desired prostitute in London, an intelligent and strong-willed young woman entirely willing to manipulate and take advantage of a self-absorbed, foolish perfumer (who deserves everything he gets).
Discount Armageddon – my cousin became responsible for me no longer being able to say I hate urban fantasy when she bought me this excellent snark-fest. McGuire injects charm, fun and a cult of talking mice to her absurdly OTT tale of a would-be ballroom dancer protecting the paranormals of New York. And I loved it.
Darkspell – my aunt had no idea what she was buying when she introduced me to Deverry – and I have to think the nice lady in the bookshop didn’t know it was being bought for not yet into double digits given the adult themes (and scenes). Strong-willed young woman can swing a sword and wrestles with budding Magic Powers as she rescues her imperilled love interest; and through her past lives, we’re shown just how complicated reincarnation can get.
The Earthsea trilogy – my Mum gets the credit for this one, which I’ve had so long I can’t remember when I first fell in love with it. It’s always been a close tie between A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan for favourite – a young wizard learning to harness his power (and his ego); and a young priestess realising just how little influence she truly has.





Alice in Sunderland – my grandma, this time, who bought me this fabulous graphic novel that explores the links between CS Lewis and the North-East – as well as delving into local history and retelling some of the local legends I grew up with (I was born in Sunderland).
Rain Later, Good – my Mum again (she’s going to show up a lot, because my epic reading habit is all her fault. You hear me, Mum? THANK YOU). Peter Collyer’s artistic journey around the shipping forecast is a coffee table gem of moody watercolours; expect hazy seascapes and sketches of fishing ports. It’s very comforting.
The Lord of the Rings (illustrated anniversary edition) – a Christmas present finally ensured I had a copy of The Lord of the Rings of my very own – and it was the gorgeous hardback full of Alan Lee’s pictures to boot. I love my family.
The War of the Worlds – my good friend @helpful_mammal tries very hard to educate me with occasional gifts of classic SF novels that we both know I ought to have read. I Am Legend is probably my favourite to date, but I have a healthy respect for The War of the Worlds.
The Eagle of the Ninth – like Earthsea, it feels that The Eagle of the Ninth has been with me my whole life. I’m pretty sure Mum gets the credit for this one too, which – twinned with probably inappropriate exposure to the Beeb’s production of I Claudius at a young age (also her doing) – cemented my fascination with the Roman Empire (and more specifically, it’s fall).
What books have you been gifted that charmed your socks off?
November 22, 2016 at 1:01 pm
I read Discount Armageddon this year and it was nice to dip my toes in some urban fantasy. Darkspell and the Deverry series in general I’ve seen around, but never actually read any. And the Lord of the Rings- I bet that Alan Lee edition is awesome.
http://gregsbookhaven.blogspot.com/
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November 22, 2016 at 1:46 pm
His artwork is so beautiful – the dreamy watercolours underline how mythic the content is. It’s very very heavy tome tho – no good for reading in the bath 😉
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November 22, 2016 at 1:02 pm
Ooh, you’ve got me thinking now about who I have to thank for some of my books. Quite unexpected people, at times! My aunt has bought me a few of my favourites, even though we’re not at all close.
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November 22, 2016 at 1:46 pm
It was a lovely exercise 🙂
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November 22, 2016 at 2:28 pm
Katharine Kerr! Pretty sure it was either you or Chris M who introduced me to her, way back in the day! Some of my favorite character names still come from that book series!
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November 22, 2016 at 3:33 pm
It may have been both of us enthusing at you in concert over a beer 🙂 And I hear she’s writing another (maybe out next year)!
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November 22, 2016 at 7:28 pm
It can be hard for friends and family to buy me books, because I tend to snap them up for myself, but some of the best books I’ve ever read have been gifts. I think it just adds to the experience when someone shares a book they love with you. 😉
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November 22, 2016 at 11:07 pm
I do love buying books for others (and receiving them). It’s such a joy when you get it right and they come back to you with a new enthusiasm!
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November 23, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Alan Lee is a wonderful illustrator, and his drawings have a life of their own: I could not imagine LOTR without his amazing works to complement it…
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November 23, 2016 at 6:05 pm
I was so pleased when I heard he would be consulting on the art direction for the films.
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November 24, 2016 at 6:18 pm
Yes, he gave them a very special, very magical imprint: if the movies were able to breath life into Middle Earth, it was in great part thanks to his amazing work.
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