This week’s meme theme is near and dear to my heart. Because there are certain authors for whom I have a major trigger finger. Thanks kindle for making my immediate gratification happen!

Mary’s Picks: I decided to focus on YA authors to make this easier (and in keeping with our blog…)

1. Robin Benway – We reviewed Audrey Wait! and looooved it. And then we reviewed Also Known As and loooved it. And that’s coming out this week! So guys, auto buy it. We were lucky enough to get a free review copy but I would buy this one ALL DAY LONG.

2. Libba Bray - How awesome is this Oscar rant on her blog from just this week? I love these SMART and feminist YA authors!

3. Elizabeth Eulberg - Really enjoyed Take a Bow and I’ve also loved her earlier works. The best thing about Elizabeth Eulberg? She just keeps getting better.

4. E. Lockhart – see comments on Libba Bray above. ‘Nuff said.

5. David Levithan – I think he’s brilliant. Points if he’s writing with Rachel Cohn. They had me from Nick and Norah’s infinite playlist, and I was theirs for good after Dash and Lily’s Bok of Dares. This auto-buy status would perhaps go away if I ever stopped associating with hipsters. As I do not see that happening in the foreseeable future, David Levithan, here are my dollars!

Elizabeth’s Picks

6. Sarah Dessen – Words cannot describe my love of Sarah Dessen!

7. Julie Garwood - Her books are my total guilty pleasure that I really should not be admitting to…

8. Meg Cabot – I confess I haven’t read all of the Princess Diaries books (only most of them) and I haven’t read Jinx, but I adore all her other books both for YA and just A .

9. Ally Carter – Love her Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series

10. Tamora Pierce - I have absolutely no self control when it comes to Tamora Pierce books! Must have and must have immediately! Can’t decide which of her heroines is my fave…

Backstory here: BOOK RATING = INFINITY. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine was a trailblazing insta-classic and it remains one of my favorite books of all time.

The most important thing to tell anyone when they see this is on my bookshelf – or after I have surreptitiously dropped it into their bag hoping they might accidentally somehow end up reading it – is that it is NOTHING LIKE THAT MOVIE TRAVESTY.

Just look at all those sparkles!!! And she really does look fabulous in blue, doesn’t she?

Yes, that’s right. Anne Hathaway may be an Oscar-winning Actress now, but once upon a time she played Ella! Opposite Hugh Dancy (or as I prefer to call him, Mr. Claire Danes)!

LOVE

When this came out in theaters, I was ecstatic! Also a sophomore in college. Prettttty cool. My friend Anna and I drove forty minutes to see this in theaters. Needless to say, lightning did not strike twice for Anne appearing for the second time as a princess in a movie based on a popular young adult book – talk about typecasting! At least she appears to have been a good sport: here’s a clip of her being forced to burst into song – before she and James Franco ever had that unfortunate hosting moment – or she won an Oscar for playing Fantine…)

I am getting too worked up to even list everything else that went wrong. Anne and Hugh looked pretty, but that’s about the only good thing that could be said here.

No shirt! Or chest hair!

In my fantasy-world, Pixar made this into an awesome animated movie instead of making Brave. It would still have been susceptible to the first-female-Pixar-lead-character IS A PRINCESS?! criticism. But in for a penny in for a pound, I say.

Anyways, most of y’all have probably already read this one. If you haven’t, I keep a copy in my apartment at all times as well as at my parents house. Most people have fire extinguishers in case of emergency – apparently I have fairy tales. And I’m proud of it.

P.S. Cary Elwes also appeared in this movie.

This is probably my favorite picture I have ever shared on this blog.

Yes, THAT Cary Elwes.

As you wish, Cary Elwes. As you wish.

And he plays a bad guy. I may never recover.

Have y’all read the book/seen the movie? Did you have as strong of reactions as I obviously did?

Valentines may be a divisive holiday, but romance is not!

That being said… let’s do this!

1. Anne and Gilbert

2. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy

3. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester

4. Katniss and Peeta (oooh so I can be a little controversial)

5. Hermione and Ron

Elizabeth’s Picks

6. Allie and Noah from The Notebook - I keep seeing trailers for the new Nicholas Sparks movie Safe Haven that claim it’s the best romance since The Notebook. I haven’t read the book or seen the movie but I highly doubt it can compete. I mean, come on! It’s Allie and Noah!

7. Wes and Macy from The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen – This may be mainly because of my huge literary crush on Wes, which I’ve previously mentioned, but I also really like Macy and Wes together.

8. Em and Christopher from Meg Cabot’s Airhead series - Their love survived a brain transplant. What more could you ask for? :-)

9. Min and Cal from Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie - I love how the universe conspires to get these two together no matter what they do. Also, bunny slippers!

I couldn’t choose between these last two so…

10a. Sophy and Charles from The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer - There is something so compelling and wonderful about all of Georgette Heyer’s characters, but Sophy is definitely my favorite.

10b. Henry and Clare from The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I’ve always loved the romance between them but I can’t quite put it into words.

Ha!

Also, this book is about a teenage safecracker! Right up my alley. I may or may not own The Italian Job and watch it at least once a year.

It’s a classic!

Favorite YA Author + plot that has excellent Italian Job possibilities + set in my favorite city in the world = Can’t Miss.

Book Rating: 5/5. In my humble opinion… okay, never all that humble opinion… Robin Benway shoots! She scores!

Now I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Book Jacket: Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She’ll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school’s security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

Book Review:
I am going to resist the urge to make a (long) list of my favorite lines/references/moments in this book. Because Robin Benway, you guys? She KILLS it. Again.

Oh who am I kidding! Here we go:

Describing Angelo, my favorite character in the book, “It’s like if Tim Gunn and James Bond had a baby, and that baby was Yoda.”

+

“Judging from the knockoff Kandinsky, I was about to get there. When the paint’s an original, that’s when the safe behind it is always difficult. Like the designer Mies van der Rohe said, ‘God is in the details.’” I love a good art history reference, though I’m not sure “designer is the term I’d use for Mies van der Rohe… I’d go with architect. Some readers will be interested to know he designed the Museum of Fine Arts building in Houston, TX!

The CEO cut me off. he spoke the same way my dad did whenever he was annoyed with me. Short sentences. Because the effort. Of talking. Is just. Too much. Ha!

New York apartment with a fancy kitchen and the response is “The microwave looked all fancy. It would be great for heating up takeout.”

It’s like she’s been to MY apartment! I have such a fancy microwave!

Maggie’s great fear about going to high school is having to attend a pep rally. Fair to very fair.

And the parent-child dialogue:

“I just hope for your sakes, I don’t get caught up in a sexting scandal,” I told them.

“Duly noted,” my mom said. “Anyone want more coffee?”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Robin Benway does parent-child dialogues like no other. This type of exchange is the closest approximation of the types of conversations I might have with my parents I’ve seen. Of course she does tend to write drama queen characters. I’m not sure what that says about me?

One final note, you may have noticed I haven’t said much about the spying here. That’s because it’s secondary. This is really just a story about a (mostly) ordinary teenage girl surviving high school – one of my favorite kinds!

(Un?)Resolved Sexual Tension: My favorite thing about the love interest in this book is his name is Jesse Oliver, and Maggie consistently thinks of him as Jesse Oliver. That just feels so right. There are some people you can’t HELP but refer to – at a minimum in your head – by their full names.

Jesse Oliver also proves the exception to my friend Amy’s rule that guys whose first and last names are both first names are consistently jerks. Ponder if you know any. Weight in. What do y’all think? Fun theory in any case! We certainly know a couple who fit the bill! And some who don’t of course.

Recommended for fans of: Ally Carter. If you like the Heist Society books, you won’t be able to resist this! Except Robin Benway is sharper. She writes the super-saturated technicolor version of young adult life/lit. Which I love. In that respect, I’d also recommend her books to fans of Libba Bray or E. Lockhart.

Now that I think about it… Maggie and Frankie Landau-Banks would be seriously unstoppable together. E. Lockhart and Robin Benway should get together and collaborate!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for my advance review copy! Also Known As will be released February 26th – and can be advanced purchased here!

Mary’s Top Five:

1. The Year: 1995. The Book: Gone With The Wind. My first all nighter. I could not put this book down. I was in Fifth Grade. I loved it all.

2. The Year: 2005. The Book: Sense and Sensibility. I was living in Cape Town for the summer with three male roommates. Working with the same three male roommates. It was a lot of… men. Which was awesome for going out in Cape Town, although they always forced me ask DJs to play Man in the Mirror (Club Remix version, natch) since I was the only girl. For some reason I ended up with one weekend to myself. I went to the bookstore and bought Sense and Sensibility and then went to a fancy hotel and sat in a comfy chair and had afternoon tea and read all afternoon. It. Was. The Best.

3. The Year: 2012. The Book: The Blue Sword. I actually wrote about this on our blog. I was on an overnight train from Budapest to Translyvania (p.s. I love to travel, that may be coming across here? It’s where I get most of my most vivid book memories!) We bought our tickets late, and by late I mean hours before the train, so we were sitting upright in the lowest class of seats (I don’t know the train lingo) surrounded entirely by often boisterous Romanians. With the lights on all night. And I was sleeping sprawled across my things since that train is a notorious target for pickpocketers, though in retrospect that’s probably less true of our car and more true in the fancy cars? I needed time to fly and I had my kindle. The Blue Sword helped me get through the night almost cheerfully!

4. The Year: 2006. The Book: The Power Broker. I’d just moved to New York and decided I needed to get to know the city better. I bought this lovely biography of Robert Caro. It’s huge. And people on the subway actually talk to you about it! Very friendly. It also talks a lot about public transit. The first time I met my now fiancee I may or may not have decided we should have an extended talk about this book. And it didn’t scare him away! Yessss.

5. The Year: early 1990s? The Books: Anne of Green Gables. My grandparents held on to all of my mom’s books from growing up. When we went to visit them, we’d get to peruse these and often come across TREASURES. Like Mary Poppins. Or The Wizard of Oz. Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Vicki Barr. And of course Anne of Green Gables. She only had the first two books – as well as Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea – but I loved them and went on to finish the series (and every other word L.M. Montgomery had put to a page). I credit those books for my charming naiveté- and my fabulous SAT verbal scores. Thanks Mom!

Elizabeth’s Picks:

I have no idea how Mary remembers all the exact years of her books. I also think it was a little weird that she read Gone with the Wind in fifth grade. Or maybe that’s normal. I didn’t read it until seventh, but I only got three-fourths of the way through. It was exam time, and I realized Scarlet was never going to stop being such a b*** and I didn’t want to deal with that anymore especially when I should of been studying. My mother, at least, was very relieved when I picked up my school books instead. I told my very Southern friend whose favorite movie and maybe book is Gone with the Wind this and I’m not sure she’s quite forgiven me for it two years later.

6. The Time: Vacation in Mexico when I was pretty young, maybe 10. The Book: The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène Du Bois. I remember this book so well for two reasons. First, I adored the book. I thought hot air ballooning and finding a lost island sounded like a great plan. I wanted to eat at Mr. and Mrs. A through Z’s restaurants and just visit the island in general. I was on vacation somewhere pretty tropical and was ready for that part of the adventure to begin. Second, I left the book at a putt-putt place before I could finish it! Oh the horror! I really liked the book and was desperate to finish it. Plus, I’d taken it from my sister and I’m pretty sure I had not asked (sharing books goes waaay back for us despite the age difference). Luckily someone had turned it into lost and found, and we were able to retrieve it the next day. I’d also like to mention that I remember exactly which hole I left it at because I got a hole in one and was so excited I forgot about it (my only putt-putt hole in one ever!).

7. The Year: 1999. Book: Harry Potter Books 1-3. I swear I have read other books than the Harry Potter series. I just talk about these abnormally often. Anyway, I can remember very clearly talking about what books we’d read over the summer at the beginning of fifth grade. Everyone else had read this series that I had never heard of and we’re raving about it. So I immediately ordered the first two on my book orders (does anybody else remember those catalog things? Or did anybody else do them?) because I obviously needed to catch up. However, before my books arrived, (thank god for kindle now!!) we had book fair where I ended up getting the third book and reading it immediately. Bad me… But it was sooo worth it .

7. The Year: 2001. The Book: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. This book actually got me in trouble, but maybe not how you would think. I bought it at book fair (what can I say? I loved book fair as a kid!!) and was reading it during the designated time. However, I got sent into the hallway to read because I couldn’t read it without laughing out loud hysterically. I got like six warnings but I couldn’t control it. Oops! And then I got all my friends to read it too. One of them even tried the trick she supposedly uses to make herself faint to get out of class. I can’t remember if the experiment worked or not.

 8. The Year: 2009. The Book: Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This would probably shock just about anyone who knows my reading tastes (or who reads this blog), but I did not actually read Anne of Green Gables until spring 2009 when I was in a Young Adult Literature class (best class ever!! Only class I’ve ever been consistently ahead on the homework ). My sister loved loved LOVED the entire series growing up, which is part of the reason I never read the books. First off, they were kind of her thing, which makes no sense except to a perverse younger sibling. Similarly, I don’t know how to play chess because my big brother offered to teach it to me. Had my father or mother done it, I probably would have said teach away, but there’s something about older siblings knowing something you don’t and lording it over you. At least I realize it makes no sense. Second, as part of my sister’s love, we watched the movie versions. At the beginning of the first book/movie, Anne gets mad about someone calling her a carrot top because she apparently doesn’t like being a redhead! I was a very proud redhead even at that age, so that comment pretty much delayed my love affair with Anne with an E until college. Luckily for both Anne and me, I was able to forgive her and then enjoy all of L. M. Montgomery’s offerings even with my late start.

9. The Year: 1996?. The Book: The Thoroughbred Series by Joanna Campbell. This series is probably my equivalent to Mary’s Anne of Green Gables. I loved these books sooooo much!!! In the second grade, we had Mother’s Reading or a similar name once a week where a mother would come in and read part of whatever book someone had chosen. A girl named Madeline (yes, I still remember exactly who it was if that gives you a clue) brought in the first book in this series when she got to chose. I was immediately hooked! I, to this day, still really want a pony/horse for Christmas. There is just something spectacular about horses, and this series definitely captures that. This was also the year where we were supposed to read for 30 minutes every day as part of our homework. I’d always try to use that as an excuse when I didn’t want to stop reading (which was always). Unfortunately it only worked part of the time, and my parents actually required me to do my other homework too.

10. The Year: 2007. The Book: My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. I found this book the fall of my freshman year at college while randomly browsing at a Barnes & Noble. I’d gotten so caught up in all the activities and homework that I hadn’t really read anything for pleasure since I’d been there. This was the book that reminded me how necessary non-school books are in my life. I read it in one sitting and absolutely adored it. Not only is it more or less my favorite book (definitively deciding is impossible I think), but it reminded me to slow down and enjoy.

So now that we are back, I thought I’d start things out with my trademark bang and do a negative review! And not just any review! Queen Meg, she who created Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia, as well as my future boyfriend-on-the-side Michael Moscovitz, she failed me here.

Completely gratuitous (and vaguely creepy of me)… I know!

It’s only happened once. Let’s discuss and then realize that this exception proves the rule of her awesomeness and move on.

Book Rating: lower than it should be

Book Jacket: It’s not easy being Jinx.

I will admit. There are still moments of Meg Caboty goodness. “It wasn’t until the old lady and her pet rat passed all the way by that I heard the click.” Hehe.

She mostly came off as a bit of a klutz. But in that adorable endearing way, where men, her family, random strangers!, just want to save her! And naivety is only attractive so long as it’s relateable. I may have wanted to shake her.

I think it comes down to the fact that this sweet uprooted girl was just a little too down on herself and a little too nice. I was glad when she grew a backbone, but she needed to grow an edge too. Where was the Lily Moscovitz sidekick – or even the Princess Mia? – when I needed her.

Nowhere, that’s where. Which is why I will now set this book aside and contemplate whether to watch Princess Diaries 1 or 2 this evening.

Book Rating: 4/5. I can see what all the fuss is about, and I liked it. However, I didn’t LOVE it by any means or really even love it (if you know what I mean).

Book Jacket:

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review: Let me start off by saying that I liked both Lena and Ethan, but it is amazing how annoying they could be at times. However, I think a lot of that annoyance might stem from being a rule follower. I would not have done half the things that Lena and Ethan did because I would have assumed there was a reason we weren’t supposed to do them. My sister probably would have been right there with them on the other hand. Case in point, the locket… If I found a locket that caused me to have visions on top of the inexplicable dreams I was already having and an authority figure in my life reacted with fear and demanded I get rid of it, I would do it. I’m not sure if that says I have no sense of adventure or that I have too much common sense/self-preservation. Let’s just say I spent much of the middle to end of the book sarcastically thinking yeah, can’t see how this might end badly…

I would, however, like to commend the authors on originality. I like that this book handles witches differently than most that you see today. Go find more or less anyone ages 11 (or probably younger) and up and ask them if they want to be a witch. They’d probably say, sign me up and where is my Hogwarts letter. Bad witches aren’t unheard of obviously. Hocus Pocus comes to mind immediately, but probably only because I’ve been watching Rachel and Guy Celebrity Cook Off on the Food Network, which has Kathy Najimy this season.  Basically, I like that witches, like people, aren’t necessarily good or bad. And Lena, who is a good person/witch, desperately wants to continue to be good. If I were her, I would too. Therein lies the allure. As a reader, I couldn’t help but cheer for Lena and Ethan in their quest to find a solution and just in general too. I wanted her to finally be accepted at school. I wanted for them to find a way to be together. I will probably not read the second book in the series but I’m glad I finished this one. I had to know how they worked everything out!!

One final note: My favorite character by far in this book is actually Link. I couldn’t help but adore him. He kind of takes everything in stride. While the majority of Gatlin is ostracizing Ethan and Lena, he doesn’t try to stop Ethan or anything. He just continues to be a great friend and supports both of them. When Ethan needs to get away from everything, Link just hands over his car keys without question. The whole town is on a rampage led by his mother against Lena, but Link just kind of does what he wants. I just love characters and friends like that .

Googling “crazy bride” was a scary mistake!

And one of us is getting cced on everything because really shouldn’t the Maid of Honor become obsessive as well?

We think so.

Martha will guide us. Except we intend to DIY… nothing!

But! With a venue, band, photographer, and badly edited guest list, it’s time to distance ourselves from the mayhem and return to the world of books. I’m thinking particularly young adult. Where hand holding is swoon worthy and weddings are a weird thing that old people do.

Except a short and necessary foray into dress shopping in a couple of weeks, of course. Because that’s just FUN.

Sorry we disappeared! We missed you, blog!

The end result is I decided to share my wisdom with you, dear blog readers. Hopefully this blog will provide inspiration (for now or future gift giving occasions!)

Backstory: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for six years. This list is all made up of gifts I’ve actually given him. I feel like that’s the most useful type! Since we’ve been together for a rather long time, there’s a lot of options and a range of budgets represented.

I titled this as a gift guide for guys because that’s whom I’ve bought these gifts for – but I never give anything I wouldn’t be excited to receive myself!

1. An antique map. This is one of my favorites. For one thing, it can suit a whole range of budgets. You’d be amazed what you can find for under $50. And if you are feeling generous… well then there are even more awesome possibilities!

Sources: Well, the internet is pretty great. Thanks Al Gore. Etsy is easy starting point. Then I’d check local stores – because it really is more fun shopping in person.

This road map of Travis County (home of Austin) doesn’t include I35! Fun! And it’s $25 on www.etsy.com

In New York, Argosy Books on 59th street is a magical, magical place. The second floor has loads of antique maps and prints – and the prices there are better than what you’d find in a more curated setting downtown.

This 1864 map is $450 but awfully cool (found on the Argosy books website)

In Cambridge, MA, I’d recommend Ward Maps on Massachusetts Ave. It’s much more organized and curated – and it’s got all sorts of great gift ideas.

Budget Alternative: Get a new print made of an old map – or a place with some sentimental value. From wardmaps.com you can order a reproduction print of all sorts of maps for under $20 or even get coasters made!

You can order an 8.5 x 11″ print on fine art paper of this Houston map for $14.95 from wardmaps.com – there are of course more traditional alternatives too!

2. Bar Stuff – I’d say barware, but I really see this as an open field. A couple years ago I went to this store (again in Cambridge) called The Boston Shaker. They sell an intro kit, but you can also wander around picking out pieces. So I got my boyfriend a shaker, a stirrer, a strainer, a super cool ice tray, and three types of bitters. Voila. Best. Girlfriend. Ever.

But really you can put together any combo you’d want. This gift can be complicated or relatively inexpensive. And super cool. Also, no need to go all craft cocktail shopping. Amazon is your friend!

$12.95 from Amazon and you’re well on your way

3. An overnight bag – I went nice on this one, but then never got it monogrammed. Oops. But there’s a lot of room to maneuver here.  I think he’s used that bag more than anything else I’ve ever gotten him… Although I kind of want to get him a cooler one now, but the one I chose originally is super sturdy. I might have done too well.

4. A Plane Ticket – In my case, I gave him a plane ticket to see his friend from college who lived relatively nearby (but a flight away) whom he had never made it to visit before. Actually, I bought an airline voucher then applied it myself once he chose a weekend. Not the most graceful, but it made him actually plan that trip! Best. Girlfriend. Ever.

5. Cookies – Feeling like spending less? I generally don’t do handmade anything (the one time I experimented it was a major failure). But homemade cookies have weirdly become a thing with us. Specifically these. You don’t need the fancy chocolate, but the salt is key!

6. An Ironic T-Shirt a la Marcus Flutie – my boyfriend giggled when he saw this one  on the street one time, so I got it for him one year. He only wears it to concerts - this is his version of hipster – but still, a success!

7. Dr. Who Sonic Screwdriver Toy- While we’re going dorky, I might as well throw this one into the mix. Toys are an entirely underrated genre of gifts these days. Embrace the fun! Also: thinkgeek.com is an amazing, amazing gift resource. Firefly fans, we’ve got you covered too!

If you are giving this to a Dr. Who fan, try to find the sonic screwdriver for that person’s favorite doctor! It’s all in the details…

8.  Ski Jacket – splurge category! But I thought this was a pretty cool idea one year.

9. A Camelback - In a similar oh-so-sporty vein, does he enjoy active pursuits outdoors? If he doesn’t have a camelback, you should rectify that immediately. There’s a special kind for skiing. And in the $30-$50 range, this is a great medium budget option. (By the end of the list y’all will know my boyfriend awkwardly well!)

10. Alcohol – okay, this one does come up on a lot of gift guides. But it’s all about the circumstances. My boyfriend was away on a bachelor party for his birthday this year so I sent him a bottle of scotch. Done and done. I personally like Macallen, but really I just personally like to have a scotch preference.

I also did a bottle of wine he’d mentioned liking in passing once. More thoughtful, less cool. And I promise my boyfriend is not a boozehound!

Other gifts I’ve given at various and sundry times (a pocket camera – I highly recommend the Canon S100 if you think this is a good idea and don’t have time for research!), headphones (you can do so much better than those apple earbuds!), a monogrammed cooler (that’s a thing, who knew?), and a ukelele.

I’ve given millions of books I feel like – and of course this IS a book blog – but I am going to shy away from those suggestions because books are so personal! I just couldn’t resist adding my own two cents to the gift guide universe!

Now, the real question: do y’all have any good ideas to add? I’m still in shopping mode!