Scott had been acting a little odd. He was “slightly grinning” a lot when we asked me questions about my schedule. He planned a birthday dinner out with friends a couple of weeks in advance. I thought it was just him getting in on the calendar in what was shaping up to be a hectic summer, but no: he was colluding with my friends.
And they threw me the coolest birthday dinner ever: one where they each brought a book that they loved to give to me.
My friend Jamie gifted me The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved reading this book in middle school – and I’m pretty sure I’ll love it again when I read it soon. Cassie surprised me with a title I had never even heard: Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. Cassie’s a big fan of strong characters, and I can’t wait to dive in and meet Takeo and Kaede. And my friend Sue gifted me with a gorgeous box set of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Trilogy from J.R.R. Tolkein, after I confessed earlier this year that I had never completed the series [hangs head in shame]. I’m giving the whole series another try, starting fresh, sometime this year.
And Scott tied it all together with his gift of The Book Map – a gift suggestion he lifted from my own blog. The scoundrel.
It was a very bookish birthday, an evening in which I felt spoiled, loved, and completely embarrassed when the entire restaurant sang to me. Par for the course. :)
I think 28 is going to be a good year.
Have your friends ever surprised you with gifts that were the perfect fit for your personality?