Gift Ideas of Books for Older People
Buying books for others can be a challenge, and all too often we are in the position of needing to buy one as a gift. Families have been known to restrict gift giving time to be a book exchange helping to limit spending costs, or sometimes there is a reader in the family who loves spending time with a good book. "Older" is a subjective word, so for the purposes of this article we will define it to mean your parents' age or older. This still covers a very broad spectrum of ages, but the recommendations should work for most adults who love to read.
The Classics
Books of course have a selection considered to be "classics" or books which have stood the test of time. These books have inspired plays, movies, and often many reiterations of each. The only danger of purchasing a classic book is the recipient may already have it. Classic book titles include The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Pride and Prejudice; Treasure Island; Wuthering Heights; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass; The Count of Monte Cristo; Frankenstein; Dracula; A Christmas Carol; and many more. Most book stores have a "Classics" sub-section within their "Fiction & Literature" section both in store and online. Larger book chains often carry their own printed editions of some of the classics at a very reasonable price.
First and Limited Editions
First editions are special to book collectors. To find first edition books however can be very time consuming and expensive. Limited edition reprints can also carry some additional value and be a nice gift. If you know the person receiving the gift well, find out what some of their favorite books are to see if you can obtain a first or limited edition for them. Classic book titles are going to be more difficult and time consuming to find often resulting in not being able to find one at all. Books published for the first time within the last 50 years are going to be a bit easier to find and kinder on the pocketbook. Remember, first and limited editions aren't restricted to fiction & literature.
Bestsellers
Each book store has its list of "Bestsellers" or they display the infamous New York Times "Bestsellers" lists. If you don't have a lot of time to determine what a person does or doesn't have in their library, browse through the bestseller lists to find a recently published book receiving rave reviews or attention.
and Special Interest Books
Buy a book related to the gift recipient's favorite hobby or interest to add a personal touch to the gift showing the recipient you've listened to what they like or want to achieve. If the gift recipient has been struggling with a project or has been talking about something new they want to learn, buy them a book describing accomplish their goal. For example, if someone has wanted to know build a doghouse, a book explaining do just that would be an ideal gift. Special interest books help the recipient expand their knowledge about something they love. For example, if the recipient loves everything about Ireland, then even a picture book of Ireland can be a great gift for this person
Other Ideas and Tips
Try and think about what the person likes, and select a book suited for that like. Do they like a good mystery? Do they like to read their horoscope? Do they collect a specific author? There's a book out there for almost any passion. There are also a lot of different types of lists of favorites to explore, e.g. if you know the gift recipient's favorite author, find who inspired that author and purchase that book of inspiration. If it's still overwhelming, and you can't narrow down your decision any further, ask a book lover.
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