Some a course in miracles specialize in specific genres. You need to know the specific interest of your recipient. You do want to give a mystery to a reader of historical romances or an art book to someone who only reads nonfiction.
The price of a hardback book continues to rise but you get value for the money you spend. You can put together a set of paperbacks by the same author or two or three books on the same subject by a different author. Paperbacks also come in boxed sets with attractive slip covers and these make a great gift.
There are works produced for special occasions. James Michener’s Texas is a two-volume illustrated edition that was produced for Texas’s Sesquicentennial. There are religious books for special times of the year. There are books for regional foods, for pets, and for students.
Coffee table books are illustrated art books on a wide variety of subjects such as architecture, food, travel, interior decorating, and the fine arts.
Encyclopedias or books on home repair or gardening can be given as family gifts. Travelers enjoy books such as an atlas with detailed illustrations of various countries and places. Travel colors with lots of pictures and itineraries are popular.
You can also combine books with other gifts. If your recipient likes to cook, you can give them the latest cookbook by their favorite chef along with a special apron or cap or utensils. If your recipient is a sports enthusiast such as a tennis player, you can give them a can of tennis balls with a book about tennis.
For the collector, there are handmade books, books with unique leather bindings, and first or rare editions of a book. You can also create a special book for recipients. There are printers who will run small quantities of books that you may write about a special event or your family and bind them for you.
Gifts for children can also include books. There are books suitable for all ages and all reading levels. Books along with other gifts for teenagers and young adults may keep them interested in reading as a life-long pursuit as they get older.