If you’re anything like us, you’re in the midst of frantically finding holiday presents for friends, children, coworkers, and family.
I always like to inject some of my own personality into the gifts I give—within reason, of course—to really communicate to my loved one that what I’m giving them is more than just a transaction of stuff—it’s a testament to our relationship and has a lot of thought invested.
As a book person, that means I often give books I know my recipient will love. But we each have someone on our list we wouldn’t know how to BEGIN to buy a book for. The solution? Book-themed things!
Here’s Wise Ink’s 2014 holiday list of our favorite bookish presents:*
For the voracious reader, you know that there are never enough bookshelves. A handy solution? Book ends! They’re decorative, fun, and allow you to put books away (and not in piles you stub your toes on). My favorite is the odd, slightly hipster-y rhino book ends, found on etsy.
As Minnesotans, we can’t resist a shout out to the local Frostbeard Studio, your fine, nation-wide purveyor of book and geekery-themed candles. I’m a huge fan of Book Cellar. They also have Harry Potter candles. Excellent.
A different kind of bookmobile than the one you remember as a kid—etsy has multiple sellers with mobiles made out of old books. Perfect for kids and adults!
If you’re at all crafty, you might like cross stitch. Etsy again has many, many sellers offering custom bookish patterns or already-stitched designs. Turn their favorite book into a piece of art!
If you’re a t-shirt person, you might have already heard of Out of Print, a wonderful online retailer for apparel that gives a nod to classic books. For those of you who like more subtle fandom, Out of Print has a small but beautiful selection of book-themed necklaces we would love to own!
As far as home goods go, displaying symbolic letter (initials are the most popular) is a good way to go. We love the letters cut from old hardcover books, available at Anthropologie.
Even for non-book things, I can’t resist making everything I can look like a beautiful old book. I like to keep my change in a compartment hidden in a book. Buy one from American Science and Surplus, or build your own.
If your givee is a mac user and a technophile, consider giving a Book Book case from Twelve South. These are real leather cases for your iPhone, iPad, and iMac that look like antique books. Also makes a good sleeping place for cats.
And if your book is out, consider creating a poster with your cover artwork or a quotation. The people who helped you with your book, as well as your family and close friends, would love a piece of fan art!
Readers, what are you getting the book lovers in your life?
*Confession: most of these ideas came from my house or the Wise Ink office. Who says you can’t gift to yourself?
Nice gift guide for book lovers. We actually have some of the same picks. I posted a video on YouTube featuring another candle company called Fandlemonium and some other ideas for bookish gifts. Monday on my blog I will be featuring even more. I end up wanting everything