Our moms believed that politeness was a virtue and insisted that we “always bring something for the host,” um, particularly if we wanted to be invited back.Though we still have a tendency to mess-up a bit in the thank-you note department, we can honestly say that we never arrive at a house empty-handed. The tricky bit is what to bring, as you never know who is allergic to what or if they’re fresh out of rehab.
So next time you’re invited to “be their guest” leave the bottle behind and bring along an entertaining read instead. Here are a few reasonably priced gems:
-- For the know-it-all host, try any one of the trivia game books from the “Obsessed With” series, which includes “Obsessed With TV”, “Obsessed With Golf”, “ Obsessed with Baseball”, “Obsessed With Star Wars” and “Obsessed With Hollywood”. Each book features 2,500 questions on the chosen subject, plus an interactive feature that lets your host keep score.
-- For the 35-year old gal with a campy sense of humor “God’s Gift: Over 100 Studs, Stallions and Dreamboats from the 70s and 80s,” is a loony compilation of cheesecake photos of famous guys from way back when. Featuring horrendous outfits, hair-don’ts, gold chains and mustaches galore, “God’s Gift” is a book that will liven up even the dullest gathering.
-- For the alt/indie rock music dude, you artsy sister-in-law or design-conscious neighbor, go on the hunt for Nick Di Fonzo’s hysterically funny “Horrifically Bad Album Covers,” a celebration of album cover art gone terribly wrong.
From the less-than-chart-topping “Business Letters Dictated at Various Speeds” by Stenodisc to “Shiver My Timbers” by Captain Hook and His Christian Pirate Crew, the book’s 200 album cover photos and Di Fonzo’s satirical commentary makes this book one very memorable host/hostess gift.
