SantaThing 2024: Help with Choosing Books!

Here's the yearly thread for those of you looking for help picking books for your Santees, and for those of you here to help others with suggestions. Let's do this!

Thank you to whomever picked out my Santa Thing! book 2024. It is perfect! Happy Holidays.

>2 ABlueBunny: After you fill out the form, the LibraryThing staff orders the books and gets them to the Santees. All you need to do is make picks!

>2 ABlueBunny: You fill the form before the deadline. That's all you need to do.

When the time to order comes, the LT elves (also known as LT employees) will do the ordering.

I have a bit of a problem. I was matched with my daughter and she was matched with me. It would be terribly silly for me to buy books for myself and my daughter. Of course, I already have to buy her holiday presents. Can my daughter and I please be reassigned? Thank you. I also sent a message to Kate.

>5 sahra:

We'll get it sorted. I'm going to wait for Kate to tell me what to change.

The person I am to buy for has a private book list. How do I determine if they have already read the books before I purchase?

Anyone else having trouble picking a final title when you're left with isn't enough because of the shipping? We're not allowed to pick used and all the new are way more than the $7 I have left.

>8 djczeck: when I chose books the system checked their library thing book list for me.

>10 paolasp: Thank you!

>9 paolasp: >10 paolasp: Yes, LT staff manually checks your picks against the Santee library. (They do this with all picks, not just ones for private libraries.)

With a private library, you may want to leave a comment with further pick options, just in case the Santee already has one of your picks. That will speed the process for LT staff, who otherwise have to pick replacements themselves.

I was just checking my Santee and they have a private library. I will do my best to find books for them.

>6 timspalding: timspalding

Thank you. The sooner you can get back to me the better so I can start buying books for people that are not myself and my daughter! Thanks again in advance for your help.

>9 paolasp: I was finding books that were about the same difference shy, too. I ended up making a huge list of reading suggestions for my Santee, and plugged my top picks into the form, then did all the math to find the best combination. It's kind of a shame, but i figure that's a potential risk.

tbh I'm happy if my $30 only ends up with $22 if ebooks, if it means someone else can get the perfect $29 book on a $24-after-shipping budget.

(also go ahead and alert my Santa to that fact, if it comes up!)

>9 paolasp: I was 0.97 over the limit for my Santee and asked in a comment section under my picks if I could pick up the overage cost, still leaving enough for the shipping. One thing you might consider is choosing one book near $34.00 leaving enough for the $6.00 shipping. Good luck, I know it's difficult.

>16 TonyaJ: No need to pick up the extra! If it's within a dollar we're happy to cover it.

>17 katemcangus: Cool! I had to change one anyway; I did search all of the Santee's collections but it did not come up in search. Now I'm okay!

>17 katemcangus: Okay cool! I saw this and went back to add a book that I had looked at that was . . . $5-something when I had $5.02 left after some re-choosing and math earlier today. Checked and that makes it 93¢ over now but if that's all right. . . Well. ^^;

This is going to be much harder than I thought... I'd already thought of several novels I would like to give someone with a similar taste to mine, but I got matched with someone who asked for exactly the genres I never read myself. I'd better have a good look at their library to see if I can find a place where our tastes intersect. (Yes, we presumably got matched because our catalogues overlap, but that's all due to one non-fiction series, and obviously they have those already.)
Still, who doesn't like a challenge?

My purchase was also over by less than a dollar. Let me know if I can do this.

>21 speech40: That's fine!

>20 Edward528: Don't forget that this is the thread for asking for picking assistance, so if you'd like help from fellow LT members, just share your Santee's entry URL here!

I need some help from romance readers. It’s a genre I‘m not familiar with, but my Santee is a fan. I have no idea where to even begin, apart from choosing books by authors she’s already fan of but hopefully hasn’t read yet. This is her profile: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=204

I also want to ask how LT matches members. I share exactly one book with my Santee and that’s a multi-million bestseller. I hope I don’t come off as a Debbie Downer, and I wasn’t expecting a perfect match in tastes … but I just don’t see similarities and it’s a bit confusing.

>23 katemcangus: I know! I will ask if I don't figure something out in the next couple of days. It's just that I'd prefer to choose books I've actually read myself. I've already thought of two possible titles.

Do I have to manually enter all the details from titles with the price listed in your store? I’m having trouble adding books

>26 RaeshellS: It's important to have that information, yes. If you need some assistance feel free to direct message me.

I completed my pick for my Santee, with $7 left. I don’t see a way to indicate “submit” or “finished”. Do I just leave it open?

>28 Goodlit: There's nothing to submit. As long as you clicked Add Gift for each book, you're golden! We do encourage folks not to leave more than $6 unused though.

>25 Edward528: If you go to the profile page of your santee there is a section toward the bottom that says "books to borrow". If you click "See all ### recommendations" underneath that it will take you to a page that shows books your santee should "borrow" from you, i.e. books in your catalog that are recommended for your santee. It's not perfect but that's a good place to find ideas.

>30 norabelle414: Oh! I didn't realise there was a page that showed both sides of that (what they should borrow from me as well as the reverse). Also I was curious, and the top one on my Santee's 'should borrow' from me is the first book I immediately thought of as a good fit gift for them; very nice.

>30 norabelle414: Thank you, I didn't know those recommendations also worked in reverse. There were actually two titles on the list I was already considering, so I think I'm moving in the right direction...

I would love suggestions for my Santee. Here is the link to their Santee entry: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=17 The library has no books which makes me assume it is a private library. Not sure if we have any books in common.

>33 crazy4reading: Not a private library, they have just not cataloged anything. Frustrating.

I'd love some help with my Santee. He's 6 years old but a strong reader. I've made suggestions. Can someone look at them and see if I'm off in left field or if these are too hard for him? https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=371

OK, silly question: Are we allowed to select a bookmark? My Santee has about 5+ dollars left which isn't enough for any other book, even in clearance. I wanted to get them as much bang for their buck and with the bookmark, only 1.50 is left.

>36 FReads: Unfortunately, no. We're only permitted to order books.

I am really struggling. My santee wants genres I have never read at all, has only 20 books in their library, and everything I have tried at bookpeople is out of stock. I found one book, which leaves me with 9$ left … and I am stuck for what to do with the rest. Nothing is in stock at that bookstore! Even when i narrow my search with “in stock”, it lists out of stock books. Help! My santee: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=264

>38 camelama: Left a comment on that entry. There's a MM paperback of the title I suggested for $8.99

Hello - I'm looking for help with picks for my Santee please - particularly the request for "Gay romance, with a fantasy twist" as my mind went to books that I have read with F/F interactions, but looking at their library I think M/M would be more to their taste, and all I would be doing is googling for ideas!

https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=345

>40 bigcurlyloz: left a comment on their ST entry!

>39 katemcangus: perfection!! Thank you so much!!

>40 bigcurlyloz: Just in case, left yet two more suggestions, for the Santee later. (Santees can read the comments started Dec. 25.)

>38 camelama:

I left a comment for you.

I would love help picking books for my person, we have the exact opposite reading taste 😆 they want historical romance with no murder/mystery/queer characters
https://www.librarything.com/profile/FReads
https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=86

>40 bigcurlyloz: posted a comment on Santa thing profile.

>45 book.maven397:

Why not just get her something from her wishlist? https://www.librarything.com/catalog/FReads/wishlist

>46 book.maven397: Commenting on the SantaThing page means that one's suggestions remain hidden to the Santee. Commenting here may spoil the surprise.

(Also A Marvellous Light is an excellent book, if you'd like that sort of thing.)

Sent you an email Kate as I’ve picked books but can’t seem to add them? I’m like this every year. Sorry!

>48 karenb: oops, that’s a great point. I’ll move my comment to the Santa thing page.

>34 norabelle414: That is what I thought. It is very frustrating.

I would like advice on picking books for https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=359

I don’t read horror or gothic or much in the way of vampires. I don’t read much in the way of stories with serial killers. I don’t read much in the way of graphic novels. I need some advice. Are there authors I should look at or ones I should avoid? Or any other tips?

UPDATE: I’ve received several wonderful suggestions that seem to fit what the reader is looking for. Thank you so much.

>35 majkia: I left suggestions at that link :)

>24 Mirabelle: I left suggestions at that link :)

>55 CassMama: Thanks so much!

>35 majkia: I've left a comment.

I'd appreciate some suggestions for 2024 adult or YA comic strip bind-ups or graphic novels, fantasy or humor for this SantaThing entry.

Thank you!

>46 book.maven397: Thank you! :-)

>43 karenb: Thank you :-)

Looking to either spend $6 or find two books at $15 or less each for this entry: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=352. I picked a favorite that turned out to be $18, and someone helpfully suggested some alternatives...also all $18.

I would appreciate any suggestions for this entry: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=198
They were hoping for books published this year, and I can never keep up with what is the latest and greatest!

>63 Allyss: made some suggestions

>64 Cfraser: Thanks!

I would appreciate help picking for this Santee. Start from scratch, because I couldn’t find a book for the amount left. Thank you!

https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=233

>66 gentlespirit512: I made a suggestion.

>66 gentlespirit512: Left a couple of suggestions.

I need some more suggestions. Many of the books are out of stock and I still have $6 to spend. I found one book so far that is in stock. https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=17

Reminder: you have 2.5 hours left to make your picks!! At 12pm EST we will open it up so that any SantaThing participant can make picks for those without any.

>68 karenb: thank you!

>67 Edward528: thank you!

We've opened up picking for folks who have no picks yet: https://www.librarything.com/santathing.php. Please jump in, claim someone, and pick out some books for them!

>73 katemcangus: Is there anyone left I haven't seen? I think everybody has been picked out for, right?

>74 PersephonesLibrary: - keep an eye out, on this thread? As staff sometimes needs last minute help when suggestions are over/under budget, no longer available or already in the library.

>75 reading_fox: Will do - thanks! Just wanted to make sure I didn't overlook anyone. :-)

>63 Allyss: Just left a suggestion.

>73 katemcangus: What's wrong with my brain... how can you tell who needs someone to claim them?

>78 TonyaJ: No one does any more/currently! (I believe; just another participant here of course.) When they did, they were grouped under a heading to identify them as such and make them easy to find on the page.

>79 Kalira: Got it, thank you. It must have been over long before I looked and saw that link.

I'm sorry I failed to update y'all! We opened picking and it was completed in record time. Ordering began immediately afterwards. We're making progress!

Anyone up for a bit of last-minute picking help? Prices dropped for this one, and I now have about $13 USD remaining to spend:
https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=46

Add your suggestions to the comments, please!

>82 ablachly: I've added a suggestion!

>83 Edward528: Thanks!

>1 katemcangus: Please also see the research link I just posted this evening in the LT Science group. It finds that reading physical books helps in retaining that information more than on-screen reading. So let's hear it for physical books!