Books can be a terrific gift. (Stick with me on this!) Books are best received when grouped with additional items to maximize the impact. In that spirit, today’s post explores creating bundles centered around books that transform the experience from “OK” to “Wow.”
These bundles were structured similarly to a long-standing family tradition. When our small children were growing up, they always received exactly three Christmas gifts from us each year. The categories were something to read, something to wear, and something to play with. It goes without saying that “something to play with” usually generated the most enthusiasm. While children are typically not super excited about clothes or books, ours seemed to grasp the concept that three gifts are better than one.
In the spirit of transparency, there are all sorts of affiliate links in the recommendations below. As a reminder, all revenue from shopping that starts with these links between now and the end of the year is donated with a 100% match to the National Women’s Tennis Organization (NWTO). It doesn’t cost you a penny more to start shopping with these links, and it promotes tennis. Win-Win.
This beautiful book about the life of René Lacoste details how meticulous he was in creating the Lacoste Classic Polo Shirt (Alligator) shirt that still bears his name. Lacoste was also the inventor of the ball machine, so rounding that out with a little Tennis Twist model hits the play criteria. (Lacoste also makes string dampeners, and this adorable remote-controlled alligator toy is an alternative play option at a lower price point.) Rene Lacoste was previously reviewed on this site 6/2/22.
All In is the quintessential autobiography of Billie Jean King. The obvious choice to wear is a “Pressure is a Privilege” T shirt. If your gift recipient is of legal drinking age, toss in a bottle of Teneral Cellers All In Zinfandel (<-This link gets you 15% off!) which features BJK on the label. All In was previously reviewed on this site 8/26/21.
For the Roger Federer fan in your life, you can go with The Master and/or Footsteps of Federer as two very good recently published books. You are going to match that up with an RF logo hat or an RF logo T-Shirt. For something to play with, there are new string dampeners with a Roger Federer Emoji, or you might even spring for a Federer model Wilson tennis racquet. The Master was previously review on this site on 11/4/21 and Footsteps of Federer was reviewed on 10/27/22.
The Quest is arguably the best book for Novak Djokovic fans. Round this out with a red Lacoste polo shirt and some Djokovic branded string dampeners. The Quest was previously reviewed on this site 5/12/22.
The Golden Boy of Centre Court: How Bjorn Borg Conquered Wimbledon is perfect for those throwback Bjorn Borg fans. The clothing should come from the Fila Heritage collection, but Bjorn Borg Underwear is another option. As for something to play with, Borg was obsessive about tracking his pulse rate. To put a modern twist on that, a pulse oximeter is the piece of technology to include in this bundle. The Golden Boy of Centre Court was previously reviewed on this site 7/7/22.
41-Love: A Memoir is a memoir about addiction and tennis. Author Scarlett Thomas spent so much time in luxury spas, that this gift can only be rounded out by a Lacoste Bath Robe which will be quickly shed to enjoy with a steaming bubble bath served over a bamboo bathtub tray. A nice add-on to this one would be “The Gratitude Collection” from Teneral Cellars. (<-This link gets you 15% off!) 41-Love was previously reviewed on this site 11/3/22.
For the tennis enthusiast who is dedicated to improving their game, Essential Tennis by Ian Westerman is a great book selection. This person is going to be working hard on their tennis, so the thing to wear is obviously an orange headband and wristbands. Westerman is also a big video analysis proponent, so the perfect way to round this out is with a GoPro camera, SD card, and a fence mount Essential Tennis was previously reviewed on this site 5/5/22.
For younger tennis players, there is a children’s book about Serena Williams that is very good. Kids’ clothes and sizes will vary wildly, but this Adidas toddler tennis dress is beyond adorable. You are obviously going to include a Serena Williams Junior Tennis Racquet as the thing to play with.
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