As I've gotten older, I increasingly believe that the best gifts are not from a list. The best gifts are when someone gives you something you never ever would have thought to buy yourself but that ends up being so great or so useful that you can't understand how you ever got along without it before. But that's really hard even for the people you ( Read more... )

It's the time of year again when my family asks what gifts I want for my birthday and the holidays. Past iterations of this list were mostly for books and albums that I thought I might want to own. On the one hand, I've gotten some great books and albums this way. On the other hand, I've also gotten some that I'll never read or listen to again. ( Read more... )

My family is big on exchanging lists for gift giving holidays. Here's mine for this year, which has substantial overlap with prior years.

Food
This "Alaskan Charcuterie" kit looks kind of fun. My sister got me Alaskan Charcuterie ( Read more... )

My family wants to know what I want for my birthday and Hanukkah. Since I'm a grown adult who buy his own things, the list isn't much different from years past.

Food
This "Alaskan Charcuterie" kit looks kind of fun. Or maybe some entertaining "of the month" club for cheese or some other thing I like. Hot Chocolate maybe?

Reading Materials- I do ( Read more... )

A really good present is something that you give someone that they never knew they wanted but love once they get it ( Read more... )

My folks keep asking, so I keep making new ones. It's harder when I can afford most things I want already. I mean, I could put something expensive like new laptop or tablet on here, but hardly seems the point.

Reading Materials
- I would very much like a copy of An Ode Less Travelled.

Art
- A print of Orpheus by Odilon Redon suitable for framing ( Read more... )

Mostly requested by my family.

Reading Materials
The only Bujold books I don't own at this point are volumes 2-4 of The Sharing Knife. I have volume 1, but it got chewed up by an overenthusiastic pug a long time ago. And hopefully the Penric books will be put out in paperback soon... EDIT: Mom & Dad got me book 2 of Sharing Knife. And all 6 of the ( Read more... )

My list is comparatively static, which is the nice thing about being a financially secure adult: I can buy things I want. Admittedly, I usually just spend my money on plane, concert, film and baseball tickets, but I *could* buy stuff if I wanted to. Really, this list is just "stuff I haven't gotten around to acquiring yet."

Reading Materials- I'm ( Read more... )

Not much change from last year.

Reading Materials
- A renewal of my subscription to The Economist. I thought long and hard about this request. On the one hand, I like reading it a lot. On the other hand, it sucks up a huge chunk of my reading time every single week. On balance, I've decided it's like exercise: I enjoy it, it's good for me, and it' ( Read more... )

Because my parents asked, and because it's entertaining to look at what I wanted in years past.

Reading Materials
- A subscription to The Economist. When I've read it I've appreciated it.
- They've been reissuing Hellblazer as more complete trades.
- Some of the Garrison Keillor "Good Poems" anthologies. I own Good Poems and have read Good Poems ( Read more... )