Saturday, November 30, 2019

Book pairings: Jungle Red gift ideas

HALLIE EPHRON: One of the most fun events I did for my book launch was book talk paired with a wine, chocolate, and cheese tasting, hosted by Adventures by the Book in San Diego. They do such a great job pairing experiences with books--just for instance, coming up next fall they have a New England Foliage Adventures (Oct 12-20), a four-state journey featuring New England authors.

Their approach got me thinking about how pairing a book with a food, an experience, or another book makes a great gift.

So as we all look toward the Christmas shopping season, we Reds are here to help you with some creative gift giving, pairing our books with… 

I’d recommend pairing CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR with a copy of Marie Kondo’s THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP, and a bottle of Prosecco (just don't drink too much).
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I’d recommend pairing A BITTER FEAST with a bottle of Cotswold Dry Gin (or best substitute available,) a cheese board with artisan British cheeses, and a book on Cotswold Secret Gardens. A plane ticket would be nice, too, for those very special friends!



LUCY BURDETTE: If the person you’re gifting is going to make it to Key West this winter, a perfect gift would be A DEADLY FEAST, plus tickets to the Key West seafood and walking tour that’s featured in the book. Or you could meet the real chef Martha Hubbard at one of her tasting events: http://www.islecookkeywest.com/schedule-of-events.htm

If all else fails, a key lime pie goes with any of the books!
JENN McKINLAY: Well, for the romantics in your life, you could give a copy of THE CHRISTMAS KEEPER with an ugly Christmas sweater, it’s a thing in the book. Or for the mystery lover, a copy of WORD TO THE WISE with a nice charcuterie board or some roses, although they might send a mixed message, so be careful with that.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ooh, a copy of THE MURDER LIST feels like it might come with a bit of baggage. So I’d make it fun, and include a gorgeous indulgent notebook--ostensibly for keeping track of the books your recipient reads, or maybe journaling, but maybe for a list of something else….   And a beautiful pen, or a box of those wonderful Blackwing #2 pencils.
RHYS BOWEN: I’m not sure what I could pair with LOVE AND DEATH AMONG THE CHEETAHS, my most recent book. Certainly not a book on how to host a wife-swapping party! Or a bag of cocaine. Or even a pair of tickets to a safari. 
So I think I’ll stick with the safer THE VICTORY GARDEN, my stand-alone from earlier this year. It’s about a garden in Devonshire, herbs, healing, so I think I could pair it with a book on the uses of herbs, plus a jar of Devon clotted cream to have with scones and jam. And I’d throw in a copy of my THE TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS to make it festive, as that is all about celebrating Christmas in Devonshire.

HALLIE: So wishing everyone a happy Saturday-after-Thanksgiving and JUST THREE WEEKENDS BEFORFE CHRISTMAS!

30 comments:

  1. What clever ideas! [And I’m trying not to panic at the reminder of the fact that there’s only three mere weekends left before Christmas] . . . .

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  2. What a fun idea! Happy Small Business Shopping Day, too.

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  3. I'm with Edith! Make sure you buy your gifts local. Happy Small Business Saturday to all the indy bookstores out there!

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  4. Thank you! I'd be thrilled to receive any of those gifts!

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  5. I love this! Just in time for Small Business Saturday!

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  6. Rhys had the most hilarious non-idea of the day. Although I'd venture to say that the safari tickets would be the one to get one into the least amount of trouble.

    As for my holiday shopping, I don't have to buy a whole lot. Two cousins are getting books as I continue my mother's book giving tradition for them.

    My nephew is getting books, Matchbox cars and because my brother is not doing his Massachusetts born and bred parenting job properly...a Boston Red Sox baseball cap. Oh, and a gift card to Wal-mart to buy the kid some clothes.

    My friend Ann prefers Halloween over any other holiday, but this year she'll be getting among the small trifles I give her (including a yearly Bob Ross related item) a signed book by Maddie Day!

    Other than that, I just have to buy some small token of appreciation for the women in the family that invite me to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner each year...a trip to Yankee Candle perhaps?

    As for me, thankfully I will receive almost nothing this year just as has been the case the last few years. But don't cry for me Jungle Red Nation, I kind of prefer it that way. Short of lots of cash, I don't really need anything. The cousins I buy the books for, their mother insists on getting me something so she'll send me a book that I told her about. Otherwise, I'll be at the theater on Christmas Day and that's good enough for me.

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  7. Hallie, I love your gift illustration of A Bitter Feast!! And guess what I found in the duty free area at Heathrow?? Cotswold Dry Gin! I was so excited since I haven't found it in the US--at least not in Texas.

    I do intend to go to our town square today for Small Business Saturday, but I'm not nearly organized enough to have a Christmas list. Yikes, better get thinking!

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    1. Shalom Reds and fans. I am glad that Christmas Day is not one of those movable feasts. Advent is always 25 days from my birthday. And so, tomorrow, I will, after church, climb the hill to our town’s Starbucks, admired the tree that was lit last night, and have one of those decadent, hand-crafted sugary beverages that they tempt with, on the house. (How’s that for a run-on sentence.) They have 2 fireplaces there and some leather arm chairs that you can sink into with your book and coffee.

      For years now, I have been a Jacquie Lawson e-card member. And each year, she creates an Advent Calendar, sold separately. I’ve never bought one, for myself or someone else. This year’s calendar features the Cotswolds. (Does it take the definite article there?) So, my birthday gift to myself was the signed hardcover copy of A Bitter Feast and this year’s Jacquie Lawson Cotswold Advent Calendar.

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    2. Happy birthday David! your day sounds perfect. someone sent me the Cotswold Advent calendar--it's very cute!

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    3. Happy birthday David. Ima Jacque Lawson fan too.

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  8. Great ideas, Hallie, each and every one.

    We usually do small business Saturday shopping but I’m feeling punk and our little Toby the Boy Prince, Wonderdog Extraordinaire, and star of stage, Wizard of Oz, TV interviews, and multiple personal appearances. Had a difficult night, congestive heart failure. So he is off to the vet for a look see. We are so fortunate. Our vet gave us his cell number. So I was able to send him a video and text last night.

    Fingers crossed that we can manipulate his medication and keep him comfortable a while longer

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    1. Oh no, we all have our paws crossed for you and Toby too! xox

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    2. Hoping sweet Toby feels better and can have comfortable days ahead.

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  9. Wow brilliant graphics Hallie! That must have been so much work! Love this...

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  10. I have to make a list and put on my thinking cap. I think I feel panic raising its ugly little head! If only my giftees were all local and all readers!

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  11. I've already received my best gift: a new kidney. Mine failed last summer, right after I saw Hallie at Pennwriters (not suggesting any causal relationship ;-) and I was on dialysis for over a year, which contributed to my being largely absent here. I don't have my energy back yet, but I'm ecstatic about getting my life back. Now all I want is an ARC of Julia's new book.

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    1. Jim, I'm so glad you're on the road to recovery and getting your life back. No better gift than that at all.

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  12. Whoa, Hallie! That last statement you made has my head in full spinning mode. Three weekends? Somewhere in my mind I know that, but seeing it in print brings it home full force. I guess it's good that I bought my daughter's gift (a Garmin watch) online last night and have done other Christmas shopping. Having Thanksgiving this late really does put a squeeze on getting ready for Christmas. Oh, and your beginning of the post really caught my attention, too, Hallie. I looked up the New England Foliage Adventure with Adventures by the Book, and it sounds amazing.

    I love all the Reds' pairings with your books. I think a book and something connected to the book is absolutely the best gift. I love a good theme gift. I've bought my son-in-law a copy of The Overstory by Richard Powers, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, for his book gift, and I'd love to pair it with something. Ann Patchett calls this book "The best novel ever written about trees, and really just one of the best novels, period." So, ideas for a connected gift are welcome.

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  13. What wonderful gift suggestions and what a great idea of expanding on the wonderful in itself gift of a book. So much food for thought - so little time!

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  14. Noonish in not-sunny northern California and I've been listening to home shopping, thinking about Christmas and how I'm supposed to be in snowy Oregon by Christmas day but will need to ship everything since I get to fly this year. Books with a nice pairing would be fantastic but I'd probably get disowned by my brother-in-law. The fourth bedroom, which is their home office, has three walls of books, let alone the living room that has Mom's books and the guest room that has two small bookcases. Hmmm... I definitely need to get to the local yarn shop for Small Business Saturday and their 11th anniversary sale even if I just look. Okay, I will probably buy some little thing for me because I'm weak, weak, weak. Should stop by Copperfields too, maybe a new book. Maybe I can find some kind of tool with a book on history of tools for the brother-in-law since he just retired after a lifetime of work in the iron/construction industry. I truly surprised he hasn't killed my sister yet, she is always finding things that need to be done around the house. And now I'm off to see the world.

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  15. What a great idea. Related gifts are far more interesting!

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  16. I’m with you, Karen. A side gift gives the book a little punch :)

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