Aren't they?
There are two types - the ones you ask for and the ones you don't.
The former are usually given by family who know that you care what you read and aren't confident enough to make their own suggestions. They are lovely gifts; not only do you want to read them but, for a few precious moments after you remove the wrapping paper, the floor is yours and you can talk with passion about why this book is important. If you are inspirational enough, they might ask to read it when you've finished.
The latter are really exciting and come from friends, partners or lovers. They are more than books, full of ideas, dreams, worlds and cultures that you've never visited or considered before. They contain languages and lands, families and fortunes that the giver has chosen to introduce you to. And, for a few precious moments after you remove the wrapping paper, the floor is theirs and they explain why they love you so much that you should have this book.
My husband and my friend, Jenny, always choose me books. My husband buys contemporary fiction that he would like to read and, over the years, introduced me to some of my favourites such as An Instance of the Fingerpost and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Jenny, however, only reads books by women (with occasional exceptions for dead people) and her gifts sometimes look like hard work. Her writers are often obscure, groundbreaking and take me into a culture I might never otherwise have explored or learned about - I still think of Destination Biafra whenever I hear of a country divided by war.
A bookseller I know always asked for tokens and had her buying list ready prepared, scandalised at the thought of having to read something someone else had picked. Conversely, I've sold books on Christmas Eve to desperate non-readers who just wanted something for an in-law to unwrap the next day.
So, how about you? Are you a prescriptive receiver, handing out lists to potential givers? Or a considered buyer, scouring the weekend reviews for just the right book to give to someone you love? Do you embrace the newness of an author you wouldn't have chosen for yourself, or hide it in the loft with that unwanted Christmas jumper?
Whichever you are, a book is an amazing gift and I hope you had the pleasure of both giving and receiving one this Christmas.