What's the best book you ever received as a gift? Why was it special to you?

About a year after I started attending my Church, my Church family bought me a Bible. The chapter we were in when I first got it is still marked with some rookie wrinkles. I love all the notes I have put in it throughout the years, the tiny rip on one page I taped ever so carefully, and the drop of coffee I spilled on it one Sunday morning after Jr was born. I have folded up papers of Jesus colored by my daughters reminding me of the lessons they were learning. I have a tiny piece of paper folded and bookmarked in the chapter and verse God used to move my mountain and heal me. Then in the back of my Bible is the picture my friend gave me at their 25th wedding anniversary of when my oldest daughter and I were dancing the night away. I have a bookmark from a widow in our Church telling the wives to cherish their husbands given as a gift two weeks before we found out she had terminal cancer. In the front of my Bible I have my Grandpa's signature he wrote me on his death bed along with a note telling Jr what message Big Grandpa had for him but he would be too young to remember yet. To me, this is the gift that keeps on giving.

Perfume by Patrick Suskind.

My father gave it to me just before he died. At the time he said it was a wonderful book and highly recommended it. I was in too much pain from watching him slowly die. So, it took a few years after his passing to read it. I did. Though a simple read, that book touched me in a special way. Not just because of who recommended it but because of the story line. A beautiful yet tragic story.

My grandma gave me "Little Women" when I was about nine, and it's still one of my favorites sixty years later.

Mrs Didge gave me a rice-paper edition of Lord of the Rings, with all three books in one neat volume. It's one of my favourites.

My uncle gave me a book called The Last Lecture written by a professor of computer science, Dr. Randy Pausch who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This book will always be special to me because it taught me many things and helped me overcome a difficult phase of my life. I think everyone should read this inspiring book. It will give you a new perspective on both life and death.

funny thing- For my 16th birthday, my friend Tiffany bought me a Spice Girl's picture book... (she found it at a flea market, i laughed out of my mind when i opened that box, i don't know if she did it as a joke or not but i thought it was a good present either way) but i still have it 10 years later.. 

The book is special to me because Tiff and I. were very close at that point in our friendship and i kind of screwed things up and had a fallout for quite a while... we are back on good terms (years later) but things won't be the same like they were before.

My Aunt gave me the Harry Potter box set, and I fell in love with the story.  I could never thank her enough now that I have to whole series.

My grandma also gave me a copy of ''Twas The Night Before Christmas,' that we read every Christmas Eve.  I cherish it the most for several reasons that I don't feel like getting into on here.