24 december

Have you been procrastinating?
Here's another great gift idea for the book lover in your life. They'll never know you didn't plan ahead.

Indiespensable Subscription

Indiespensable is a subscription club from Powell's that "delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire." Sounds great, right? $39.95 per shipment (includes shipping with the US)

If you'd like to get a better idea of what's included in the shipments, Powell's has a list of the contents of all their previous shipments.

23 december

If I'm ever put in charge of decorations for our holiday party, I'll do something like this....

A bookish Christmas tree

The National Union Catalog Christmas tree at USF's Gleeson Library.
Photo by Shawn (shawncalhoun), more available in his 2010 NUC Christmas Tree album.

22 december

Remember this book? Gnomes by Wil Huygen, illustrated by Rien Poortvliet (1977).

My parents have a set of little plastic book-shaped Christmas light covers with Poortvliet's gnome illustrations on them. It's not a huge set, just enough for a short string, but it went up on our Christmas tree every year.

I'm a bit disappointed that my web-searching hasn't yielded an image to share because these light covers are so charming. Just thinking about them makes me happy as I'm reminded of tree-trimming and holiday preparations.

21 december

People who love to read tend to gravitate to the same kinds of books. It's not that they aren't open to trying out something different, it's just that they know what they like.

If you are still looking for a gift for someone that you know loves to read, I'd suggest getting them a book that they wouldn't pick out for themselves. It doesn't need to be something drastically different than what they'd choose. Don't get a Regency romance for your Adrian Goldsworthy fan, but maybe something from Bernard Cornwell.

The most important thing is that the book you give should be one that you've enjoyed yourself or that has been given a good review by someone whose taste you trust. Why? Because if your bookish giftee receives a book in which they can see no redeeming value, they'll never trust your recommendation again.

Not sold on this idea yet? Think about your favorite books and authors, I bet you were introduced to at least one of them by a friend, family member, or colleague. No? well, bah humbug to you. Here's my final attempt at proof of concept: When I was visiting my parents for the Thanksgiving holiday I ran out of the reading material I brought from home. My parents' house is full of books so I had plenty of options, but I ended up starting a book that my father had set aside for me: Old Man's War by John Scalzi. He was reading one of the sequels and assured me that it was a great series. I would have never picked up this book on my own being as it was mass market scifi with an unappealing (to me) title. I liked it!

20 december

A stocking suffer suggestion.

Olive Editions

Harper Perennial puts out limited-edition, pocket-sized editions of classics and contemporary classics as Olive Editions (list price $10). The cover art is minimal, but quite nice (check out this blog post to see the spines). I'm a bit of a sucker for series and having sets that match. If I'd known about these when Olive Editions debuted I'd probably have started collecting them all, but having only come across them this year, I don't think I'll both since they are limited and I assume that tracking down copies of some of the early ones would be a case in frustration.*

This year's Olive Editions are Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (great book - I should reread it), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (I can't remember if I've read this one, which means I should get a copy from the library tout de suite), and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (this was our book club selection for September, but apparently I never got around to posting about it).

* but if anyone has an Olive Edition of The Unbearable Lightness of Being (2008) they want to rehome, I'm your (wo)man.

19 december

Today's gift suggestion is another Etsy find.

Custom Bookshelf Painting

Get the reader in your life a voucher for a painting from The Ideal Bookshelf. The image above is from one of the etsy listings, which includes images of other custom paintings she's done for people.

There are four basic options for custom paintings
- 8x8 inches featuring up to 7 books for $160
- 8x10 featuring up to 10 books for $220
- 8x10 featuring up to 15 books for $300
- 9x12 featuring up to 22 books for $400
and the artist is open to special requests.

If you like the idea, but can't afford the custom price tag, there are lots of prints ($20-$60) available in the etsy shop. I particularly like Ideal Bookshelf 97: IS, Ideal Bookshelf 8: ST, and Ideal Bookshelf 56: JT (love the addition of the hat!).

You can read more about the artist and why she likes painting books on her website.

18 december

Subtitled "delectable recipes for scones, cakes, sandwiches, and more from New York's most whimsical tea spot," this book (which came out in October) would be a great gift (especially paired with some nice tea).

Alice's Tea Cup by Haley and Lauren Fox

For almost ten years, Alice's Tea Cup [the restaurant] has been a destination in New York City for locals and tourists alike who crave a scrumptious afternoon tea without airs or pretension. Haley and Lauren Fox learned at an early age that tea was more than just a beverage—it was an event to be shared and protected—and they divulge their tea-making philosophy and dozens of delectable recipes in this beautiful cookbook.

Embodying the mantra "tea turned on its ear," Alice's Tea Cup [the book] serves up unique twists to traditional Victorian tea fare, including:
Savories — Lapsang Souchong Smoked Chicken Salad and Cucumber Watercress Sandwiches with Lemon Chive Butter
Baked goods — Banana Nutella Cake and Mint Black Bottom Cupcakes
Sweet treats — Alice'S'mores and Queen of Tarts
Tea selections — from African Dew to Rooibos Bourbon
Specialty drinks — Alice's Tea-jito and Ginger Mar-tea-ni
And of course Alice's world-famous tender, moist scones—including nineteen versions, from pumpkin to peanut butter and jelly to ham and cheese

Haley and Lauren also show you how to throw a personalized "Curiouser and Curiouser" tea party with household props and offer lots of other ways to celebrate with tea and festive food. From salads to scones, pancakes to cupcakes, afternoon tea to evening mar-tea-nis, this fabulous cookbook lets you enjoy Alice's mouthwatering recipes without leaving home.

17 december

Another, but completely different kind of book lamp that I happened across at Uncommon Goods. (I featured a book lamp on the 9th)

Book Rest Lamp

If you feel right at home in a good book, then this is the lamp for you! Designed with the simple, geometric outline of a house, the lamp's low-heat internal CFL bulb provides your favorite reading spot with a warm glow. When you have to tear yourself away from your book, simply lay it face down on the lamp and it becomes a literary rooftop--and instant night light. Not only does it save your page, but it playfully incorporates your love of reading right into your room’s decor.

16 december

Knitting for a reader...

Aemelia Book Cover

Named after Aemilia Lanyer, a 17th Century English poet, the book cover is perfect for hiding the covers of mass market titles we aren't always willing to admit that we read.

I've wanted to knit this pattern from the moment I first saw a photo on the designer's blog in October. It was published in the Holiday Gifts issue of Interview Knits. Now, I subscribe to Interview, but Holiday Knits is a special issue that's not included in the subscription so I had to run off to Jo-Ann (armed with a coupon) to get myself a copy.

I wanted to knit one for my mom. And when my lunchtime knitting group decided to do a secret exchange I thought it was just the thing that my partner would like. Today was our lunch and gift exchange so I can finally post about Aemelia (my mom doesn't read this blog so I'm not worried about accidentally spoiling anything for her).

Aemelia is a quick knit (love the decorative panel!), but swatching and blocking are imperative. More of my notes on the pattern (and project photos) are available on Ravelry.

15 december

I love to have hardcover copies of books that I really like and am planning to keep longterm. Many people have enjoyed these books so a boxed set might be just the thing.

Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy

I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (see post) over the summer. I haven't continued with the series because The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is our book club selection for January, but I plan to start The Girl Who Played with Fire right after our book club meeting next month.

14 december

Know someone who likes to read in bed?

Reading Wedge Pillow

I have to admit that I love The Company Store. Their stuff is really high quality and they often offer their linens in fun prints.

People who read in bed will love their reading wedge pillow (I have a large-sized one with a lime green cover). As an added bonus the pillow (oriented with tall side on the bottom) is great for elevating your head for sleep when you are sick.

13 december

I happened across this set today. It'd be a great gift for someone interested in book design or a reader who likes to send notes to other readers.

Postcards from Penguin

A collection of 100 postcards, each featuring a different and iconic Penguin book jacket. From classics to crime, here are over seventy years of quintessentially British design in one box.
In 1935 Allen Lane stood on a platform at Exeter railway station, looking for a good book for the journey to London. His disappointment at the poor range of paperbacks on offer led him to found Penguin Books. The quality paperback had arrived.
Declaring that 'good design is no more expensive than bad', Lane was adamant that his Penguin paperbacks should cost no more than a packet of cigarettes, but that they should always look distinctive.
Ever since then, from their original - now world-famous - look featuring three bold horizontal stripes, through many different stylish, inventive and iconic cover designs, Penguin's paperback jackets have been a constantly evolving part of Britain's culture. And whether they're for classics, crime, reference or prize-winning novels, they still follow Allen Lane's original design mantra.

Flickr user Alan Trotter has a great set of shots featuring the set.

Available from Penguin and Amazon.

12 december

Today's post isn't to share a gift idea, but rather a reminder that not to forget the importance of kindness and compassion in the midst of stress and shopping this holiday season.

Random Acts of Kindness

Sheri, proprietress of The Loopy Ewe, encourages readers of her blog to commit random acts of kindness during the month of December. Of course there are lots of places on the web where people can share random kindness done by and for them, but Sheri's blog is where I get my fix during the holidays. Each Friday she has her readers share something they've done during the past week in the comments of one of her posts. These random-acts-of-kindness posts warm my heart.

11 december

While this television series isn't for everyone (I'll admit that it took me a bit to warm up to it), it could make the perfect gift for the right person.

The Complete Black Books

Black Books (2000-2004) centers around the foul tempered and wildly eccentric bookshop owner Bernard Black (Dylan Moran). Bernard's devotion to the twin pleasures of drunkenness and willful antagonism deepens and enriches both his life and that of Manny (Bill Bailey), his assistant. Bearded, gentle, sweet and good, Manny is everything that Bernard isn't and is punished by Bernard relentlessly just for the crime of existing. They depend on each other for meaning as Fran (Tamsin Greig), their oldest friend, depends on them for distraction. Black Books is a haven of books, wine and conversation, the only threat to the group's peace and prosperity is their own limitless stupidity.

Available at Amazon, BestBuy, or your favorite DVD retailer.

10 december

A book for the knitters on your list...

Knit Sock Love by Cookie A.

I loved Sock Innovation (post) so I was really pleased to hear that Cookie A. had another book out.

Knit Sock Love contains 19 patterns, including 7 brand-new designs. The photography by Laura Kicey looks gorgeous.

You buy the book directly from Cookie A.'s website or from Amazon.

9 december

I discovered Etsy seller, Typewriter Boneyard, when one of his book lamps was featured on Etsy's front page. I was charmed. The best thing about these is that the bottoms of each are flat so you can put it on top of a pile of books if you wish. I imagine one of these on my bedside stand.

Hardback Book Lamp

I particularly like the one pictured (The Nymph and the Lamp) because of the combination of the round knob-like bulb and the door fittings.

8 december

I bought my mom something like this a few years ago and she uses it all the time.

umbra aquala bathtub caddy

The ultimate accessory for rest and relaxation. Made from bamboo, a highly renewable resource, this expandable bathtub caddy has a built in wine glass holder and fold away book support.

umbra is sold all over. You can get this at Amazon, Bed Bath and Beyond (link it to a slightly different version), Macy's, and tons of other places.

7 december

My father had a friend and business associate named Phil who used to give the best holiday gifts. Rather than desk trinkets or gourmet goodies he'd find interesting and unique books, which he'd present with an attached ribbon bookmark that had his name on it. Books like Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. I always looked forward to seeing what gem he'd find for us. While I (obviously) was not the intended recipient of his business gifts, I treasured them. In fact I actually have one of his books (The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by E D Hirsch) here in our apartment.

This fall, I saw the following book in a catalog. I was intrigued by it right away, but it took me a bit to realize why. It's the kind of book I think Phil might have chosen for his holiday gifting. Maybe he did...

An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned but Probably Didn't by William Wilson

When it was originally published in 1987, An Incomplete Education became a surprise bestseller. Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here's your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be!

As delightful as it is illuminating, An Incomplete Education packs ten thousand years of culture into a single superbly readable volume. This is a book to celebrate, to share, to give and receive, to pore over and browse through, and to return to again and again. (this is just the first and last paragraphs of the very long publisher's blurb)

6 december

Another Etsy find.

Etsy seller COGnitive Creations has quite a few items that would be perfect gifts for readers. I particularly like the Defining the Life of a Reader Artful Hardware Bracelet (pictured above; see also the necklace version). A few other gems from the Artful Hardware line: English Garden Reader Necklace, Steampunk Writer's Quill Hair Fork, and Treasures of Wonderland Necklace.

5 december

I discovered this item when it was mentioned as a gift idea for knitters in a newsletter from Y2Knit. It might be a good gift for the reader in your life as well, particularly if they like to read in bed or while traveling.

eGear LED Ear Light

The eGear LED Ear Light weighs only one ounce and fits snugly behind your ear, illuminating your work or your reading without disturbing others. The angle of the beam adjusts easily so that you can point the light where it's needed. Energy-efficient LEDs are unbreakable and don't need replacing. Two lithium cell batteries provide approximately 16 hours of light and are easy to replace when needed. The light can be easily and comfortably worn even when wearing eyeglasses.

You can get it from Y2Knit, as well as quite a number of other places (according to Google) including Amazon, Essential Gear, and REI.