 Dashing Through the Gifts in a One-Stop Shopping Spree Well, okay, it’s not really a one-stop spree given that we are into the fourth in our five-part series of the Booklovers’ and Readers’ Gift Guide. You’re not getting tired yet, are you? Good! Let’s go for it beginning this week with Miscellaneous and ending with Postcards. Miscellaneous: I’m not really sure what a library candle is supposed to be (other than a scented candle), but the ad copy says it “evokes images of a hushed room with a cozy armchair—where the walls, of course, are lined with dark wooden shelves packed end-to-end with beautiful volumes.” Not to mention that it seems kind of expensive for a candle, even one that will burn for 100 hours. Still, I wouldn’t reject it if I opened it up on Christmas morning. An unusual—very unusual—set of books is this Collection of 46 Salesman’s Sample Books (with) Several Extra Copies. I’ll bet that like me this is the first time you have ever come across anything like this volume, used often by door-to-door canvassers who represented publishers. Fans of the Bard would likely appreciate the Shakespeare’s Genealogies, a hardcover volume that holds a full-color, fully illustrated, 17-foot long page that traces the genealogies of the more than 1,000 characters mentioned in all of William Shakespeare’s plays. Remember library checkout cards? These replicas, handmade and individually treated, would make wonderful bookmarks or bookplates, or could even be notated with your favorite books (and the dates you read them) and then framed to make a personalized wall decoration. For 30 hand-aged cards (rather than the six custom ones) these would also work very well. And you could tuck them in matching envelopes. Looking for an umbrella? Try these caricature ones of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, or “women writers.” With gifts to ship, not only this month but throughout the year, you’ll need parcel tape. What could be better than tape that proclaims your “literary-ness” with a quote from Virginia Woolf or Louisa M. Alcott? Alphabet or typeface fans will likely endorse the lowercase or uppercase ones. It’s a form of a bookplate, but it’s a custom-made stamp—and pretty ones at that: Ex Libris (“from the library of”) in a small or large size. Or if you are putting bookplates in your books to prevent others from borrowing and not returning the Personal Library Kit. Protect your e-reader at the same time that you let others know you are not cruising the Internet with this Shhh, Reading E-Reader case. It’s attractive and also good at what it does. A pencil paperweight? How weighty could that be? Just enough to hold those papers in place. How about an unusual note to someone? Unraveling a letter is a simple but lovely way to send someone a note of any length or with any message. In fact, it could almost be a tribute to the original version of today’s book: the scroll. Paper dolls aren’t just for children. If someone you know harbors a passion for Mr. Darcy this paper doll might be a fun thing to keep next to her copy of Pride and Prejudice. Dolls as well as tea sets, and pens are among the merchandise that fans of Little Women will find here. Do you know a booklover who is getting married soon? Consider this heart-shaped confetti made from the old romance novels from Mills & Boon, the great UK romance publisher. “Are you ‘bookish type? Mid-thirites’?” says the woman to what is obviously a blind date, an original Penguin book, a cartoon that struck me as particularly funny. If you agree, you can order the cartoon on a tote bag, greeting card, mug, apron, and more. Mugs: With Constitutionally-guaranteed civil rights being eroded in the name of alleged safety, it might be worthwhile to read the original Bill of Rights to see what you, as an American, were given at birth but are now in danger of disappearing with this Disappearing Civil Liberties mug. Over at this store, I found more than 3,000 mugs related to reading. The idea of linking even ten percent of them is way, way beyond reasonable so I found a few including Dear Coffee, Dragon Tales, Bibliophiles always welcome, and Read, Seek, Imagine. Insults today are nowhere near the quality of those in Shakespeare’s time. The man was in fact one of the great insulters, and the Shakespearean Insult Mug makes them readily available to everyone. This Book Painting mug, from the Library of Congress, is reminiscent of their rare book and special collections division with its distinctive image of antique book. Mystery Lovers: This Foot Lapel Pin will certainly attract attention at that holiday-themed brunch so if you wear it be prepared for strange looks when you ask for your favorite Bloody Mary. For more entertaining jewelry guaranteed not to squick others out, try this cute Vintage Clue Game Mystery Charm Bracelet or perhaps the Methods of Murder Mystery Charm Bracelet. Either one will have you clanking around announcing your interests in . . . the world of mayhem. More classic mystery fans undoubtedly count Sherlock Holmes among their favorites. For them, the I LOVE SHERLOCK Artisanal Charm Bracelet will probably be very welcome. Agatha Christie fans can choose from among a variety of Mystery Quote Typewriter Pins with different quotes from her on them. Whodunnit, you ask. Well, that’s for you to find out, and you can begin with these WHODUNNIT Mystery Earrings. A wonderful stocking stuffer gift. Or perhaps these Crutchfield Mystery Notecards will suit your recipient if she or he enjoys keeping the mystery in greetings. If you have the nerve to wear them, then you should get them. The Murder Kicks Shoes are appropriately graphic so be forewarned: if you get stopped for speeding, warn the officer before you step out of the car. Not quite in the same category for reactions, this Fuzz Crime Scene Scarf is still likely to get you second glances if not downright alarmed looks. But if you like that type of reaction, go for it. Just be sure to add a Crime Scene Bandage to the right appendage and you are all set. If you live with people who know your predilection for all things mystery—Kelly, I’m looking at you—they might even be willing to let you decorate your home with a few godawful distinctive touches. Be sure they are okay with that because no one wants to want into your bathroom unwarned only to find a Blood Bath Shower Curtain or Blood Bath Mat. If you agree that is over the top, then things more appropriate—that is, things that can be kept out of others’ way—might include this Murder Ink Sticky Note Pad and Pen, the Who Dunn-Its sticky notes, or the Body Post-It Pad. You can even keep some nice breath mints on your desk (at home or work); for those who suffer from co-workers borrowing things all the time these Death Mints should do very well. Libraries looking to raise funds can now host a Library Mystery. Four different murder mystery evenings—Murder in the Library Murder of the Loaded Librarian, Murder of the Mystery Detective, and Murder, Maestro, Please—offer original scripts and all necessary material necessary for hosting your own whodunit in the library. Note Cards: Reproductions of oil paintings that combine sea images with books, these Books and Letters by the Sea Note Cards include four gorgeous original images perfect for seaside readers, or those wishing they could be. The Reader’s Collection of note cards has more than thirty different images, but they all have one thing in common—reading. Lovely things, and you can order them here. Quiet elegance can be found with the Antiquarian Note Card Book that offers twenty-four individual note cards inspired by marbleized endpapers. Birthday cards can be fun, though, and this one celebrating Oscar Wilde might be just the thing for someone reaching a milestone birthday. A different kind of notecard are the die-cut Quotable Notable ones in which you can write your note but also add a printed sticky pre-printed message, anything from quotes to standard greetings. Oscar Wilde stars again, but there is also James Joyce, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Sherlock Holmes, and many others. The man certainly gets around: more Oscar Wilde. The Bodleian Library is one of the most exquisite in the world, and their gifts often reflect that. Cards that use the artwork from prayer books called the Book of Hours made in the pre-Gutenberg era are available. Of course, Shakespeare has his own note cards too. And these die-cut note cards featuring early twentieth-century books jackets are wonderful, as are these. To get to the order page for these, click on “Close Window"”; that will take you back to the main page. Nancy Drew was a big draw for millions of girls over the decades so it is no surprise to run across gifts, including these note cards, that reflect the novels in the series. Calling all girl detectives! And for Jane Austen aficionados this lovely blank Letterpress Note Card Collection includes eight cards featuring classic quotes is surely a winner. I have these Proust Notecards and can highly recommend them. They are gorgeous, and even the box is a keeper. The same type of note cards as the Proust ones are these Jane Austen ones. A most unusual collection is the Le Forêt Eco-Keepsake Notecards which have ink drawings (four different designs) rendered onto antique book pages. Pulp fiction was originally targeted at men, but the covers are now popular collectibles by many readers. If you know one, these wonderfully cheesy Pulp Fiction Notecards might be just the thing. The Illustrated Cats Notecard honors two famous literary cats: The Cat Who Walked by Himself by Rudyard Kipling and Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen’s The Cat and the Child. Pens/Pencils/Ink: Fans of Penguin books will likely find these Penguin Classics pencils elegant as well as memorable since each pencil, designed to look like a Penguin book on your shelf, features two titles imprinted on it. The Penguin Pencils are fairly similar, but these are not restricted to the classics. An exceptionally beautiful pencil is this Graphic Quill Sculpture that actually does double duty as both a practical writing instrument and a desktop sculpture. For the writer in your family, perhaps this set of Writer’s Pencils, each pencil having a quotation that offers advice and insight about the craft of writing, would work well. Writers I know, even ones addicted to their computers, sometimes just feel the need to interact with pencil and paper and feel the soul of their words underneath their fingers. Another pencil set is this Bodleian Library Pencil Box, which has six pencils covered with images from old pre-dust jacket book covers. If you or your recipient are fascinated with the medieval era, this Medieval Writing Set might be the perfect gift. One goose quill, one sheet or parchment, and one bottle of ink are included. This link also has a short video from a current show at the NY Public Library showing how feathers are carved into quills and more. A pen that doubles as a bookmark? Yes, indeed, when you are talking about the Haptic Penna (“penna” = feather), a feather-shaped ballpoint pen. Think of it as a modern quill pen with the looks of old. Glass pens are popular gifts at museum and library gift shops—and with reason. They are extraordinarily beautiful pens that require attention and time to use, making them wonderful for those times you do want to spend a special letter or note. This lovely Venetian Glass Pen is elegance itself, but you can also find other gorgeous glass dip pens here, here, here (though currently out of stock), here, here, and here. For the mystery fan, you might want to consider this invisible ink, which only becomes visible over a gentle light source, disappearing when taken away from it. Think what you could leave about without worrying about the wrong person finding it. Postcards: And that’s it for this week. Our final in the series will appear next Sunday, and the categories will include Posters, Travel, and Unusual Books. See you then! Upcoming Book Festivals: The Pub House: Imaging Books & Reading: Of Interest: Another fabulous sale is happening over at the publishing house, Paul Dry Books. This is one of my favorite houses because it focuses on wonderful fiction and nonfiction books, including young adult literature. Both Nicki and I have reviewed a couple of their books, but I am including a note here because until Wednesday, December 15 you can order any of their books for 25% off plus free shipping! Until next week, read well, read often and read on!
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