Books for Special Occasions
Depending on the occasion a collectible book can make the ideal gift.
To commemorate that special birthday why not try an annual from their birth year? For example anyone celebrating their 18th this year would mean looking at 1994. Our present selection would include Dandy and Beano annuals, themselves celebrating 50 years at the time, or maybe Dennis the Menace or Rupert might be more appropriate? With annuals covering the mid 1930's to the present day, there are many other titles to chose from so there is something for most tastes.
Anyone born in 1951, for example, might be amused to learn that they, along with myself, share a birth year with the previously mentioned Dennis the Menace, and in some cases this might be said to be more than a coincidence! Depending on the year to commemorate there might be any number of similar literary relationships.
An appropriate book can make an unusual christening gift, a book that the new parents can read the newcomer stories from at bedtime, many with illustrations that can delight young and old. You could try a book with the baby's name in the title, or as a main character, from classics like the honey-loving Winnie the Pooh to contemporary characters such as Lemony Snicket. Is any nursery complete without a selection from Beatrix Potter or favourites from Rupert to Paddington, or Roald Dahl to Kenneth Grahame.
As many customers tell us, stories loved when young stay with us for the rest of our lives, getting read by each generation in turn, so why not start a family tradition. In time they could become known as Grandma's book of fairy tales, and might prove to be a healthy investment!
There may be special publishing events that increase the importance of certain books at certain times, for example there are to be new editions of the Enid Blyton's Famous Five novels this year, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the first published story, with modern illustrations by Quentin Blake and others, this may well add to the importance of original 1st editions of the books, making them gifts for this year especially.
It might be a gift for someone who has a special affinity to a geographic region, so a book with images of Devon might be appropriate, or a vintage guide to a specific area. Perhaps a school history would be a good choice for any 'old boys' or 'old girls' that you might know. The possibilities are almost endless.
The recipient might have a passion for Porsches, think Ferraris are fun, be mad on militaria, hanker for history, be kinky for cookery, idolise illustrators, love the law, be big on biographies, think films are fantastic, be creative with crafts, plump for pop-ups, think trees are tremendous, think plants are pleasing, go gaga for gardening, fantasise about fun fairs, be a genius at genealogy, think Biggles is bliss, obsess about observers and oh so much more. There are books to interest and satisfy all comers!
And, of course, remember Christmas will soon be upon us! There are specific books with this in mind: Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas is a beautiful book that could easily become a family heirloom, read through the generations at this time of year - just search our website with Christmas as a keyword for more ideas.
Working in the shop and talking to customers it is very often the love of books from parents, grandparents and uncles and aunts that get passed on to new generations, instilling a love of both classic stories and images and a passion for books and all that goes with them. Bring back the bedtime story and you will be creating memories that last a lifetime and beyond.
If you have a someone special, or an occasion in mind, but need some help in deciding what might be appropriate please do not hesitate to contact us for advice and help, you can e-mail us, phone or call into the shop in person. We even have a page of suggested books to help you out!
Contributed by Martyn
(Published 29th Oct 2014)
