I’ve been snowbound with squirrelly kids the last few days, so I haven’t had a chance to write up my reactions to the Cybils Shortlist announcements yet… hopefully tomorrow. But go check them out in the meantime – lots and lots of very good books!

Our family Christmas celebrations are (almost) over now, so it’s safe to share what books were given and received here this year. I have a very large number f people to shop for (at least it feels like it), so I like to buy everyone I can books, place an order at my local bookstore, and then go pick it up after they’ve pulled everything for me.

Here’s what the kids got:

And here’s what I was given (both for Christmas and my December birthday.)

And books given:
My father (not yet given.)
My mother: Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman
3-year-old nephew: Scholastic library builder, including Knuffle Bunny and some other favorites I can’t remember.
1-year-old nephew: Lick by Matthew Van Fleet.

My mother-in-law: the annual Tolkien calendar. (not a book, but from the book store.)
Brother-in-law 2: a recent Robert Ludlum/Eric Van Lustbader book and a Tom Clancy, both on audio as he has a lengthy commute.
His wife: The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks.
Sister-in-law: triathalon training book, from her wishlist.
Brother-in-law 3: Feed Zone Portables by Biju K. Thomas, etc.
Niece 1: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
Niece 2: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.
Niece 3: Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie.
Nephew 1: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore.
Nephew 2: Freshman in the Kitchen by Max and Eli Sussman.

Goddaughter 1: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.
Goddaughter 2: Tuesdays in the Castle by Jessica Day George.

There was some mix-up at the bookstore with a delayed truck and them thinking all of the order had been picked up when it hadn’t… but they were very kind about tracking everything mislaid down for me and finding a couple of substitutions for books that just hadn’t made it in time. And as an extra bonus, they gave me a whole stack of wrapped ARCs, which we then passed out to the people who ran out of gifts first at my love’s family celebration. Yay, books!

What were your favorite books given or received this season?