# help me pick a book for my friend's bday present **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263 "2008-03-06T00:45:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/1 "2008-03-06T00:45:10Z")
Argh. I asked my best friend what she wanted for her birthday and all she’ll say is, “Oh, a book. I haven’t read anything in ages. Something light, though, but nothing like _The Nanny Diaries_.” :smack: I haven’t read anything new in forever, and the stuff I have read has been mostly fantasy, which she’s not into. Here’s a list of some stuff she likes, in no particular order: _The Reader A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Bridget Jones’s Diary One Hundred Years of Solitude A Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing The History of Love The Secret History Pride and Prejudice In Praise of Idleness_ So anyone have any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/2 "2008-03-06T01:09:48Z")
Maybe those Janet Evanovich (sp?) books? I’m a 23 year old guy, and I read one at the library one day just to get an idea of why they’re so popular. I thought it was horrible, but that’s because it was a little _too_ “light” for my tastes, and it was clearly aimed for women. Maybe your friend will like it? ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/3 "2008-03-06T01:17:57Z")
Light, smight. Get her _The Kite Runner_ and perhaps she will find out that good literature can also be entertaining, exciting and a page-turner. It that does not work, get her some comic books. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/4 "2008-03-06T01:22:58Z")
The lovely _Time Traveler’s Wife_ by Audrey Niffenegger. Light in the sense that it’s sorta romantic and engaging, but also well-written, with some interesting things to say about the nature of love and relationships. I also love how the issues of temporal physics are glossed over 🙂 And the movie starring Eric Bana is coming out later this year! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/5 "2008-03-06T01:29:22Z")
yep, she just may like stephanie plum. start at “one for the money”. they are found in the mystery section. the sweet potato queens are fun books. the first one is “the sweet potato queen’s book of love”. add in a tiara from an accessory store and you’ve got a super girly-girl gift. the humour/comic section is usually where the queens are found. meg cabot writes books that read like bridget jones diary. go for the ones in the grown-up fiction section. she also writes teen fiction. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/6 "2008-03-06T01:40:49Z")
[Brilliant](http://www.amazon.com/Brilliant-Marne-Davis-Kellogg/dp/0312991436), by Marne Davis Kellogg, is clever, mysterious, a bit sexy, and altogether delightful. A popcorn read: not much intellectual nourishment, but lots of flavor. There are sequels, and they are good, too. If your friend liked the _Bridget Jones_ books, I bet she’ll like _Brilliant_. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/7 "2008-03-06T01:55:21Z")
_Life of Pi_ by Yann Martel is on the fantasy side, but compulsive reading. How about _Talk to the Hand_ by Lynne Truss? ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/8 "2008-03-06T03:19:24Z")
_Special Topics in Calamity Physics_ by Marisha Pessl. This is a darn good book that should appeal to someone who enjoyed _The Secret History_ and _A Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing._ It’s not that light, but it’s fast-paced and engaging, and certainly light enough for someone who enjoys _A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius_. ---
**Author:** ![Salmo\_Trutta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Salmo\_Trutta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salmo_Trutta)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/9 "2008-03-06T07:05:22Z")
I’ll second _The Time Travler’s Wife._ I’ve given that book as a gift to several non-readers and/or readers of drivel. Most often I’ve gotten at least positive responses. _Life of Pi_ is also pretty decent. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/10 "2008-03-06T07:16:14Z")
Another vote for Life of Pi. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/11 "2008-03-06T12:13:42Z")
_Good Omens_ by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It’s about an angel and a demon and their attempts to thwart the end of the world, because they like it so much. I’ve bought 7 copies of this book to give to people, and I’ll probably end up buying 7 more. It’s that funny, and that good. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/12 "2008-03-06T14:30:10Z")
**A Feast of Snakes** or **The Gypsy’s Curse** by Harry Crews, or **Save Me Joe Louis** by Madison Smartt Bell. Light, entertaining reads. She’ll thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-pick-a-book-for-my-friends-bday-present/440263/13 "2008-03-06T15:01:19Z")
I’m just still trying to get my head around this: > [@](#): > > Bridget Jones’s Diary > One Hundred Years of Solitude One of those things is not like the other…