The books they gave me

the long version

"This beautiful full-color treasury of stories about gift book-giving celebrates the enduring power of literature: stories of significant books people have received and what those books mean to them. The Books They Gave Me collects 200 poignant, funny, and provocative stories that together comprise a love letter to literature and the physical book. Some of the stories are disastrous, some touching, but all are illuminating, revealing volumes about the relationships. There's the couple who tried to read Ulysses together over the course of their long-distance relationship and ultimately never finished it. There's the girl whose school library wouldn't allow her to check out Fahrenheit 451. At Christmas she found a copy waiting for her with the note, "Little Sister: Read everything you can. Learn about all the ideas that this world has to offer. Subvert Authority! Love always, your big brother." There are stories of people falling in love, regretting mistakes, and finding hope. Illustrated in full-color with the jackets of beloved editions, these stories convey vivid memories of insights and revelations, disappointments and joy, illuminated with the wisdom the passing of time brings and enabled by the enduring influence of the books we love"-- "A gift book treasure--romantic and nostalgic, funny and surprising, and often moving--in the tradition of the bestselling PostSecret, THE BOOKS THEY GAVE ME collects stories of significant books people have received and what those books meant to them"--