By Mona AlvaradoFrazier / Guest contributor
Have you had enough of circling the parking lot, standing in line and walking the mall for Christmas gifts yet? I avoid it because for me, it’s a waste of gas, precious time, there are too many germs out there and I’m slightly claustrophobic. I’m a Cyber Monday shopper, online, all the time, all the way. I also love books so I frequent independent bookstores and online bookstores. It’s also the reason I took a dip starting a ‘nano-bookstore.’ Books make the best gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, any holiday and just because.
Children’s books are a favorite because they are dual purpose. It’s a gift to a child when they read it and when you read it to them (over and over). It’s not only in the reading, but also in the readers characterization of what is read, the child’s enjoyment, and the conversations that arise out of the reading. A holiday favorite, “The Night Before Christmas,” is in a new paper-cut version. It’s a beautiful book with an old Victorian feel.
For the teenager, think about their hobbies and passions and find a book in that genre. Choose a business book for the young professional, the small business owner, the entrepreneur, the mid-life looking for another profession, and the soon to retire but not gone person. For the great, or not so great, but loves to cook what is better than a cookbook. For those who want to learn more about spiritual matters find a Christian/Buddhist/ (insert persuasion here) fiction or nonfiction book. Everyone on your gift list has an interest or passion and it’s up to you to find it.
A one-stop source for perusing the vast mountain of books out there is this list from the Los Angeles Times. There are books on autobiographies, coffee table, cooking, fiction, mysteries, non-fiction, poetry, quirky books, sci-fi, thrillers, unusual, and books for young adults.
Once you decide which books you will pick up as gifts, go down to your independent bookseller. In Ventura County, we have several in Ventura, a couple in Ojai, a few in Simi Valley, and a lonely couple in Oxnard. Or beat the traffic and go online. Happy Holidays.
— Mona AlvaradoFrazier is a writer and proprietor the BookNook in Downtown Sol, 328 W. Third St., Oxnard. To see more of her work, visit www.latinapen.blogspot.com