This is my favorite time of year. I love the lights that seem to keep the ever-encroaching darkness at bay, carols, ornaments, sending Christmas cards (one of those traditions that’s quite sadly going by the wayside), finding Christmas cards in the mail . . . I even like snow. I love that people are especially generous this time of year, with those they love and with complete strangers.
So whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Solstice, Festivus, Kwanzaa, (belated) Hanukkah, or just the end of the year, here’s a roundup of gift picks for readers, in no particular order.
1. A donation to a book- or literacy-related charity in your giftee’s name: Try First Book, Room to Read, and Reading is Fundamental, for starters.
2. Page nibs: For the inveterate dog-earer and library borrower (ahem). You know that friend whose paperbacks look a half-inch thicker on top because of the turned-down pages? Think page nibs. Levenger.com
3. Typographic ornaments: Nothing makes a book lover’s tree look cheerier than ampersands, fleurons, and nautical stars (I would know). Absolutely Icebox! on Etsy
4. Gift card (or membership!) to a local independent bookstore: For example, the ever-wonderful Newtonville Books.
5. Litographs gift certificate: This website has amazing T-shirts and prints with designs created from whole texts. Way cool. They’re made to order, so you’re too late for the holidays if you need something specific, but a gift certificate means your bibliophile can choose the text they like best. My personal favorite: The Leaves of Grass T-shirt. Litographs.com
6. Jane Austen paperweight: Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot are probably the most romantic, and definitely the too-often overlooked pairing in Austen’s work. Bixler and Johnson on Etsy
7. Writer-ly prints and cards: Prints and cards featuring writers’ houses — especially the Romantics and the Bloomsbury group. Amanda White on Etsy
*Hint, hint.
Rosemary and Reading Glasses 
Litographs are brilliant!
Sure are! Thanks for stopping by!
For some reason I always hesitate to buy books for people unless I know they want them, but these are some very good suggestions!
I totally agree. It’s actually really hard to give books because people have such strong feelings about them. 🙂
Yes, and you don’t know if they already have them, either!
Thanks Kay! Books are tricky unless you know a person — and his/her library — very well.
Exactly!
I’ve gone from sending out my wish list to now just ordering books for myself (and my husband wraps them for me), lol.
These are great! I love Litographs and Out of Print (http://outofprintclothing.com/).
Oh, I should have listed out of print too! So cool.
Well reading that Persuasion quote made me cry (yes I am PMSing.)
Great list, and while Out of Print is a good one, I like that these are all things I hadn’t heard of before. Nice curating 🙂
Thanks, Laura! And who doesn’t love Captain Wentworth, PMS or not?
Great and fun list! I checked out the Litographs site and love it! I need to find things for our walls and I might just use a literary theme. I’m big on totes as well. So perfect! (oops, I realized I am only shopping for myself…)
Hey, we all need a little pick-me-up now and then! And everyone likes wall art!
I love Litographs. I didn’t include it on my list, but I am wishing I had. I love ampersands, I painted one to put on my bookshelf for purely decorative purposes, I might have to casually suggest to my family that an ornament might be good…
Great list!
And I forgot to add Anne and Captain Wentworth are my favorite romantic Austen pair as well. I think every woman should receive a letter like that once in her life. I haven’t received one yet, but I’m still hopeful.
Kudos on using “fleurons” in a sentence. At least for today, you’re my hero.
BUT ONLY TODAY
Now it’s tomorrow and I feel deflated.
LOL
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