Give the Most Powerful Gift of All: Books! Heather Levy

Give the Most Powerful Gift of All: Books!

Heather Levy

It’s been 37 years, but I still remember the first book anyone ever gifted me. I was in kindergarten, and my teacher, always effervescent in her enthusiasm for reading, gave each of her students a book during our classroom holiday party. I recall staring at the little girl on the book’s cover, the mischievous look on her face, her bobbed hair wild as she trotted atop the title: Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. 

Growing up in inner-city poverty, I owned very little: my childhood blanket (aka Woobie), a scruffy stuffed bear about to lose an eye, and now this magical book I ended up rereading until the binding fell apart and I had to tape it back together. Ramona Quimby was a character I could relate to—a funny little girl trying to do her best in school when her endless curiosity gets her into trouble more often than not. It was a gift that made me realize reading books wasn’t some boring task created by evil adults to destroy children’s fun; it was an escape.

For the first time, I could be anyone and go anywhere I wanted to go. I could travel to distant lands and explore for hidden treasures. I could shake from the fear of walking through a haunted house and blush at love’s first kiss, all while safe under the covers of my bed. Whatever hardships surrounded me during my childhood, I knew picking up a book offered a reprieve, if only temporary.   

Since that first book gifted, I’ve received many more over the years which have helped shape the person I am today. To name a few, there was Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women gifted by a librarian, the tattered copy of The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold my father gave me, and the signed collection of works by Pamela Sargent, one of my favorite authors, my husband gave me one Christmas.

Giving the gift of a book may feel daunting, especially if you’re not sure what someone will like, but there’s a trick to it: giving a book is not about you; it’s about the recipient. You may have loved the newest Megan Abbott book (as did I), but that doesn’t mean your sister will love it. Maybe you had lunch with your sister and she went on about a true crime documentary, and you casually ask if she’s read Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. Or maybe your nephew, who’s not a huge reader yet, loves to play Minecraft, so you pick up one of the many Minecraft fiction books to stir his interest. 

  If you’re unsure what book to give to someone, try listing some of their interests. Are they a big Kurt Vonnegut fan and own every book by him? Maybe get them a copy of Kurt Vonnegut Drawings, which has a lovely introduction by his daughter Nanette. Or perhaps you have a friend who recently decided to try out veganism, so you grab a copy of Matt Pritchard’s Dirty Vegan cookbook (note: avoid giving any kind of diet book!). 

Sometimes finding the perfect book for someone has nothing to do with their interests but everything to do with what’s going on in their lives. Did they recently lose someone? Then a book on grief like Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking might be a good choice.  

I did this very thing when I struggled to get my daughter, now 15, interested in reading. She was born with congenital cataracts and continued to have vision issues throughout her younger years even after the cataracts were removed. Reading became an anxiety-filled task for her, and the obstacle seemed to grow even more stressful once her dad and stepmom had a child with kernicterus, a rare form of brain damage.

Even more so than her challenges with reading, she didn’t like how some people would stare at her little brother, who wasn’t able to walk or speak. That’s when I heard about the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The book, which centers around a fifth grader with a rare, disfiguring condition, contains themes of self-love and acceptance of those different from others, all life experiences my daughter was facing at the time. We took turns reading chapters aloud to each other, and I could see the transformation on her face as she realized she wasn’t alone. There was a world of people overcoming their own hurdles just like her. Now, she reads books like it’s breath giving her life. 

Giving a book as a gift is highly personal and tells as much about the giver as it does about what the giver thinks of the recipient. If you don’t have a good handle on what interests a person, you can still give the gift of books with a gift card to their favorite local bookstore. You can even pair it with a small gift related to the book. Remember that friend who wants to go vegan? Pair that vegan cookbook with a gift certificate to a health food store or include a note inviting the friend to a local farmers market so you can both try out a recipe together.

And if you have any used books you’re looking to donate, local schools, homeless shelters, and prisons are usually always taking donations. So, get out and spread the joy of gifting a book!     

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WALKING THROUGH NEEDLES

A riveting, dark debut psychological thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, S.J. Watson, and Megan Abbott

From an early age, Sam Mayfair knew she was different. Like any young girl, she developed infatuations and lust—but her desires were always tinged with darkness. Then, when Sam was sixteen, her life was shattered by an abuser close to her. And she made one shocking decision whose ramifications would reverberate throughout her life.

Now, fifteen years later, Sam learns that her abuser has been murdered. The death of the man who plagued her dreams for years should have put an end to the torture she’s endured. But when her stepbrother, Eric, becomes the prime suspect, Sam is flung back into the hell of her rural Oklahoma childhood. As Sam tries to help exonerate Eric, she must hide terrifying truths of their past from investigators. Yet as details of the murder unravel, Sam quickly learns that some people, including herself, will do anything to keep their secrets buried deep. Walking Through Needles is a riveting and unflinching look at violence, sexuality, and desire from a compelling and unforgettable new voice in Heather Levy.

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Tags: feature, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing