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I still have all 12 Swallows and Amazons books by Arthur Ransome, but I will not read them again. They were magical for a kid, being more or less true-life adventures of children like I wanted to be. Not so for an adult. Unfortunately, or maybe horrifyingly, neither of my children wanted to read them. To punish them for this, I'm not going to give them away. They will have to do that, or throw them away, after I die. I also still have the hardback of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, which I read many times and may well read again. Such a marvelously well-written story. And I have the hardback of The Hobbit, which I probably won't read again, because I've read it at least a dozen times. Most of the other books that my parents gave me when I was a child I have since given away to somebody else who, I hope, will enjoy them as I did.

my favorite presents were always books.