Holiday Gift Giving--What books are on your wish list?

It's almost that time of year again. In a way it's a relief, because my kids have been begging to put up the tree since July. No matter which holiday you celebrate, most involve gift giving of some kind. Each and every year growing up, one of the gifts in my stocking was a book. This was mostly because one of my younger sisters and I got up around 3am every Christmas to try and 'catch' Santa in the act. We weren't allowed to wake up my parents for present-opening until 6am, so Santa would leave books to give us something to do in the meantime (because I couldn't possibly go back to sleep with all those shiny presents staring at me). Seriously, I was that kid who had the presents sorted into piles (based on the gift tags) by 4am.

Those quiet hours of Christmas morning were a magical time for me. I'd curl up under a blanket on the couch and read Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, or Little House on the Prairie. When I was older, the stocking books morphed into Stephen King and Dean Koontz (try reading Four Past Midnight at that literal time--creepy). Books have always been entwined with holiday memories for me. I'm sure it's part of why I love giving books as gifts--to pass along the magic to others. It's also a fabulous way to support bookstores and authors. So along with all the sparkly things on display at the mall or online, please consider giving a book to someone you love.

Okay, this concludes my public service announcement. I want to know about your gift-giving. Any books that you've given or received that stand out in your holiday memories? What books are on your wish list for this year?