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Books, Gifts, CultureRituals

My Favorite Thing to Give

By October 4, 2017April 5th, 2022368 Comments

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When I was a kid, my family had an account at the local bookstore, a privilege I donโ€™t remember enjoying anywhere else in town. I felt so cool stopping in, picking up the latest V.C. Andrews novel, then then telling whoever was working behind the counter, Just charge it to โ€œRosenstrach.โ€ I never felt guilty piling two or three on the counter at once, something that wouldโ€™ve been unimaginable with, say, Ton Sur Ton sweatshirts at the trendy clothing store down the street. I like to think thatโ€™s why, to this day, I am like Daddy Warbucks when it comes to buying books, constantly ordering them for friends and family (sometimes even strangers) for just about any occasion, with a recklessness that doesnโ€™t reveal itself in any other part of my budgetary life. I think itโ€™s because handing someone a book with a personal note feels like Iโ€™m making a connection that might otherwise be nonexistent or difficult or elusive. I thought of you the whole time I read thisโ€ฆI know youโ€™re going through a lot, maybe this book will helpโ€ฆThis cookbook is a good resource next time you are having your in-laws for dinnerโ€ฆI read this book to my baby when she was your babyโ€™s ageโ€ฆI like this book, I know you will too. Here are the books Iโ€™ve handed out in the past three months (and one that Phoebe has handed out) that I think you might like to know about. Longtime blog readers will definitely recognize a few.

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Book: The Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown
Why I Love It: Itโ€™s the lesser known, but equally poetic cousin to Goodnight Moon โ€”ย a picture book explaining the essence of, the importanceย of, seemingly everyday objects apples, spoons, wind, grass.
Why I Gave It: Every now and then I will fill in for editors who are on maternity leave and itโ€™s become something of a ritual for me to leave this behind for the mom when she returns to her desk. Iโ€™m always tempted to leave it with the note โ€œIโ€™m so jealous!โ€ conveniently over-romanticizing life with a newborn.

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Book
: Logo Type, Michael Evamy
Why I Love It: Because it tells the story behind the creation of famous logos, from Google to YouTube to Barneys New York to MoMA to FedEx to Crate & Barrel.
Why I Gave It: Because my workshare colleague Christy is a design genius and I knew sheโ€™d pore over it like I did. (As a thank-you, she forwarded me the SNL Papyrus skit. #TypographyNerdsUnite.)


Book
: Modern Jewish Cooking, by Leah Koenig
Why I Love It: My affection for this book has been recently and substantially chronicled. (Exhibit A: Last Weekโ€™s Fattoush, Exhibit B: Last Yearโ€™s Roast Chicken with Fennel and Orange.)
Why I Gave It: When my sister calls me to ask for advice on menu planning for Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Shabbat, what do you think I do first? I reach for Koenigโ€™s book in my library. I thought maybe it was finally time for her to have her own.

***TEEN-AGE EDITION***
Book
: Milk & Honey, by Rupi Kaur, given by my 15-year-old to a friend
Why Phoebe Loves It: (This is from Phoebe) โ€œItโ€™s a collection* of poems with a lot of feminine empowerment and a lot of resonating lines, such as โ€˜The person who you love should complement you, not complete you.โ€™ They stay with me.โ€ [*My edit: โ€œa MEGA-SELLING collectionโ€] Whyย Phoebe Gave It: โ€œI gave it to my friend who seemed like she was heading down a spiral of self-deprecation, and it was over a boy, which wasnโ€™t like her at all.โ€
Note from Phoebeโ€™s Mom: Please thumb through this before handing off to a teen-ager. There is sex talk โ€” not gratuitous or raunchy โ€” but itโ€™s there.


Book:
Dinner: The Playbook, by Yours Truly
Why I Love It: Because, in some ways, it was the easiest and most fun book for me to write of all three in the Dinner: A Love Story trilogy. Minimal storytelling but maximum strategizing for rolling up sleeves and making family dinner happen in the real world.
Why I Gave It: Because I was at a cross-country meet, speaking with another dinner-struggling mom, who said โ€œIโ€™m not like you, Iโ€™m not a professional chef, and I can only cook things if they are easy.โ€ To which I of course responded, โ€œI am in fact the opposite of a professional chef. I am a home cook and my books are written for people like you, who want to simplify as much as possible and still eat well.โ€ When I started describing a few of the recipes in Playbook (roast salmon with spicy mayo and chives, spaghetti with roasted cauliflower and breadcrumbs, cornmeal crusted fish with minty peas) it seemed like they were resonating, so I sent her a copy via my favorite messenger method: through the kidsโ€™ backpacks.

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Book:
Pizza Camp, Joe Beddia
Why I Love It: Refresh your memory with this love letter I wrote back in the spring. Itโ€™s no secret that we love pizza in our house, and this book, by the Philadelphia king upped our game in a serious way. (I will never use cooked sauce on a pie again.)
Why I Gave It: A guy in my exercise class at the gym makes pizza dough for a living! In between burpees and squats, we talk about his favorite pizza recipes, my favorite pizza recipes, our favorite Italian American haunts in Westchester, and other joyous topics to take our minds of the pain. I knew heโ€™d love Beddia.


Book
: In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim Oโ€™Brien
Why I Love It: I read it so long ago, when I was in the grips of a powerful Tim Oโ€™Brien obsession, but the basic storyline centers on, of course, a Vietnam War vet, running for office and struggling with the violence of his past.
Why I Gave It: Who else was riveted by PBSโ€™s documentary last week, The Vietnam War? (For those of you who havenโ€™t watched: Itโ€™s a commitment, but it is astonishing.) Tim Oโ€™Brien was one of the vets interviewed, and in the very last moments of the 10-part series, he read passages from The Things They Carried, which is pretty solidly cemented in my All Time Favorite Top Ten Books. Since I had already given that one to Phoebe, who properly and dutifully revered it, too, I tracked down this one for her as a follow-up. (And then I promptly re-read The Things for the millionth time.)


Book:
Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld.
Why I Love It: When this book came out, I actually didnโ€™t love it. Seinfeld made the case for disguising vegetables and other nutritious elements in traditionally kid-friendly foods like brownies and mac and cheese. I was outraged along with a lot of other new moms: Kids should learn to love and recognize broccoli! If we accommodate their dislikes and validate their fears, how will they ever learn to make healthy choices for themselves?!ย Yeah yeah yeah, whatevs. That was 2008, and Iโ€™ve been around the block since then. Kids are tricky when it comes to eating โ€” understatement of the year โ€” and hereโ€™s the operative concept: They are not all the same. If parents are wracked with anxiety about their childโ€™s diet and hiding kale in the kidโ€™s meatballs is going to bring some measure of peaceโ€ฆwho am I to tell them to do anything different?
Why I Gave it: My friend Christina, who has two pre-school-age kids, told me recently that she discovered a neat trick for getting her kids to eat better: she sneaks greens into their favorite foods without them knowing it. โ€œOh, like the Jessica Seinfeld book!โ€ I said. โ€œWho?โ€ She replied. Of course I was forced to respond how I hate to respond: โ€œWell, back in the day, when I had young kidsโ€ฆโ€ then I one-clicked Deceptively Delicious for her.


Book:
Tell Me More: And 11 Other Important Things Iโ€™m Learning to Say, by Kelly Corrigan
Why I Love It: Fans of Corriganโ€™s essays, or any of her bestselling books (likeย The Middle Place), alreadyย know that she has a gift for observation, finding humor and meaning everywhere she looks, ultimately forcing you do the same. But this bookโ€ฆit blew me away. Tell Me More is a collection of essays touches on every issue I stay up at night thinking about: raising teen-agers, dealing with aging parents, confronting regrets and loss and death.
Why I Gave It:ย 
One of my more favorite rituals is a weekly-ish power walk with my friend, Naria. She is the worldโ€™s fastest walker, so I get a great workout, but mostly I look forward to our conversations. ย When we walk, we talk. About everything. About raising daughters, dealing with aging parents, confronting regrets and loss and death. See? I had no other choice than to drop off Tell Me More on her doorstep yesterday.

****Why Iโ€™ll Give it Again, aka A GIVEAWAY:ย Corriganโ€™s book is not published until January but it just so happens that I know an editor at Random House who can score some advanced reader editions for us. (Which might even be better than having an account at the local bookstore.) Comment below for your chance to win two copies, one for your own reading pleasure and one to give to a friend who you think might need it most. Contest ends Friday 10/6 at noon ET. UPDATE: The winner has been notified. Thanks to everyone for playing!

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368 Comments

  • Avatar Corey Gafnea says:

    I love the idea of having an account at your local bookstore!! GREAT idea. I think Iโ€™ll share that with my local bookstore in my very small town. I enjoy your blog and have both of your cook books.
    Thanks for the book recs and the generous giveaway.

  • Avatar Beth Brown says:

    Well, obviously I would love a copy of Kelly Corriganโ€™s newest book (especially in advance of the publishing date!), but I also felt compelled to add a couple books to your quite awesome list:

    When Breath Becomes Air โ€” by Paul Kalanthiโ€ฆ.I realize this book was edited by your husband, but that is not why I add it to your list. I read this book shortly after it came out. I find myself touching it, re-reading it, thinking about it โ€“ all of these things, SO often. It is truly a remarkable thought-provoking โ€” and heart-wrenching โ€“ book.

    Welcome To The Monkey House โ€“ short stories by Kurt Vonnegut โ€” a book that I come back to over and over in my life, especially to โ€œHarrison Bergeronโ€ and โ€œMore Stately Mansionsโ€. I refer to these short stories on a regular basis, as the lessons learned from reading them/inhaling them are extensive and key to a good life. Not that I am an expert or anything. ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Avatar Julie Harrison says:

    I too love books and sharing them with others. Thank you for posting this list of recommendations. I canโ€™t wait to read Tell Me More.

  • Avatar Lori says:

    Oh, in the middle of so many things โ€“ work and three mostly-grown kids, and two young grandsons and 80-something parents and childless aunts for whom we are responsible. All are such wonderful, wonderful things, but sometimes feel like we are going under. A fresh perspective might be encouraging!

  • Avatar Jill says:

    I appreciate your reminding me about โ€œThe Middle Placeโ€ โ€” a book I have shared with others โ€” and letting me know about her new book! Thanks for the chance to win two copies!!

  • Avatar Emily Redding says:

    Iโ€™m currently pregnant with my 2nd, and hormones have had my mind spiraling thinking about raising my daughter, her future baby sibling, the loss of my independence, missing my granddad and ny dad who both passed away in the last couple years and will never get to know my kids, and crying over commercials with dogs and babies (the Amazon Prime one with the lion costume).
    Anyways , what Iโ€™m getting at is that your book recommendations really speak to me, and now Iโ€™m dying to read Corriganโ€™s book. And many of the others.
    Thank you Jenny.

    P.s. I own all your cookbooks and they are hands down my favorites, your first being one I have gifted myself.

  • Avatar Amy says:

    I would love to win this to give to a friend going through chemotherapy right now.

  • Avatar Joanna says:

    I could sure use this book! Iโ€™m about to drop off my youngest daughter for college and become an โ€œempty nesterโ€. Iโ€™m learning to hate that termโ€ฆ

  • Avatar Joanna says:

    I could sure use this book! Iโ€™m about to drop off my youngest daughter for college and become an โ€œempty nesterโ€. Iโ€™m learning to hate that termโ€ฆcould sure use a laugh

  • Anna says:

    Oh!! This looks like a fabulous book! Thank you for the opportunity!

  • Avatar Angela says:

    Tell Me More definitely resonates with me.

  • Avatar JN says:

    Loce the ideas in a dinner a play book! Always hits with my kids when I cook from there!

  • Avatar Elke says:

    So happy I read this before the contest is over! Iโ€™m usually a belated reader. I love gifting books!

  • Avatar Patti says:

    I would really like that Corrigan book!

  • Lynn says:

    Loved Glitter and Glue. Excited for this new book!

  • Avatar Nancy says:

    I love this โ€“ Iโ€™m going to recommit to only giving books and consumables for the holidays this year, and these are suggestions for good books to add to my list!

  • Avatar Liz Lee says:

    Thank you so much for these recommendations! Iโ€™m always looking for books to give! x

  • Avatar Holly Estes says:

    Me, me, me please!

  • Avatar Maria says:

    I would absolutely love love love an advanced copy of this book! Kelly Corrigan is one of my favorite authors. I often see everything Iโ€™m feeling reflected on her pages. I was lucky enough to see her at a reading/book signing for her last book. I have been waiting for another to come out!

  • Avatar Julie says:

    Four months ago I fell off the book reading wagon. This book sounds like just the thing to get me back on it!

  • Avatar Julie says:

    Four months ago I fell off the book reading wagon. This book sounds like it would be a great book to help me get back on it.

  • Avatar joy says:

    Now I want to reread Tim Oโ€™Brien. Itโ€™s been too long.

  • Avatar Abby says:

    Thank you for these suggestions. A friend is going through a tough time, and a couple of these seem like they might fit the bill.

  • Avatar Amanda says:

    Books make the best gifts!

  • Avatar Megan says:

    Love Corriganโ€™s writing!

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