Years ago I got a shower gift for a friend's daughter. Three cookbooks, one basic starter, like Betty Crocker, one crockpot book, because every bride gets a crockpot, and one easy Italian.
My mom kept telling me this was "chintzy". That is the only word she would use, "chintzy". The books were not cheap, they were about $60 total, and the bride got no other cookbooks.
It rattled me so much, I sent the gift ahead with the brides mom and didn't go to the shower, then didn't go to the wedding either.
Were the cookbooks a bad gift?