A Bibliophile's Christmas

It’s that time of year again!  The holiday season is upon us – sorry, Hanukkah, I am so bad at blogging on time that I missed you – and gift-giving anxiety has arrived!  While my favorite part of the holidays is picking out and giving gifts, for many people this is a stressful time, depending on whom you are attempting to surprise this holiday.  If you are shopping for the bibliophile in your life, gift-buying can be complicated.  Much like attempting to buy a movie buff the newest DVDs, gifting books to a bibliophile is a difficult task, and a gift certificate to a local bookshop is appreciated, but not very personal. 

Never fear.

I've found some of my absolute favorite book-nerd gifts for this holiday season for any of you still lost on what to buy for the bibliophile you've mistakenly let into your life.  Some I actually own, some I wish I owned, and some I may or may not have already purchased for myself and others and are being shipped to my home at this moment. 

Out of Print Clothing

I may have bought this for myself...

Out of Print is one of my absolute favorite websites for literary paraphernalia; my Gatsby t-shirt is from this site, and not only is it a completely awesome shirt, but the fabric is ridiculously soft and comfortable.  

I own this shirt!

 Beyond just clothing, they also have pouches, phone cases, notebooks and cards, accessories, and other awesome stuff that is just nerdy enough to be a bibliophiles dream. 

But the best part about this company is the mission: "In addition to spreading the joy of reading through our tees and accessories, we acknowledge that many parts of the world don’t have access to books at all. We are working to change that. For each product sold, one book is donated to a community in need through our partner Books For Africa."  Not only can you purchase gifts, but you can rationalize how much money and time you spend on the website because it's going to promote literacy for future generations -- giving the gift of the written word, so to speak.


The Book was Better

Really though, it was

If you love a bibliophile (or are forced into a relationship with said person due to family situations), this sweatshirt says everything for you.  I am so guilty of this -- and I am VERY aware that many of you are thinking the same thing -- but a decent number of my friends are, too.  I firmly believe that the book is always better than the movie.  I can enjoy the movies (Harry Potter, duh) but the books will always hold a special place in my heart.  So before the movie even begins, I will already be prepared to utter this statement at the conclusion.  Or right after it starts.  Or 124,503,594 times during the movie when something just isn't perfect.  

So if you love someone who does the same, this might be the perfect gift for Christmas.  Or for her literary intervention.  Or before you go to see Catching Fire.  You could even wrap the DVD of The Great Gatsby you got for him in the sweatshirt!  Oh, irony.


For the bibliophile in your life who has a sick obsession with Harry Potter or The Hunger Games -- if the sick obsession is with Twilight, please find a new friend -- it can be simple to find gifts.  Here are some of my personal favorites.

This mug is literally the greatest gift ever.  HINT.  Honestly though, every voracious reader I know is also a huge fan of coffee or tea.  I can go through an entire pot of coffee when I'm spending a rainy day reading.  If you aren't a Harry Potter fan, 'accio' is a summoning spell and the bottom of the cup is a reference to the third book, when Harry is forced to read tea leaves in his Divination class.  Which is my favorite book in the entire series.  Which is clearly because Sirius Black is my boyfriend.  It also might have something to do with how the third book starts to really show the details that weave the entire series together.  Also, Sirius Black.  (Seriously.  Haha, see what I did there?) 

Anyway, this mug is fantastic.  End of rant.  Find it here.

This is actually now on my Christmas list.  Mom!  Pay attention!  This is yet another more subtle HP reference from the second book, when Hermione has run off to the library to look something up:

“But why’s she got to go to the library?”

“Because that’s what Hermione does,” said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to the library.” 

Hermione is the smartest one in the trio.  That bitch saves the day more often than Harry Potter.  Whatever.  This bracelet is awesome.  Need I say more?  Perfection for the HP nerd in your life.  Find it here.

  The  Hunger Games.  Not the movies, the series.  Because the book was better (see above).  Anyway, this is a more romantic gesture, so as a gift for a sibling or a platonic friend, it might not be your best move.  Without too many spoilers because this is a reference to the third book in the trilogy, anyone who is well versed in the novels will appreciate the sentiment.  It's simple, and it's f*cking adorable.  This and the HP bracelet above can be personalized with different fonts as well.  SO MUCH FUN! Find it here.






Most Random and Unnecessary Items Best Gifts Ever

I have an intense love affair with reading in the bathtub.  So do many other people I know and love, and there are SO MANY BATHTUB READING ACCESSORIES ONLINE!  I search on Amazon, and seriously.  Tons of options, tons of different styles, lots of different price ranges.  

My favorite part, however, is that most of them include some place to put your wine glass.  Because, real talk?  Nothing is better than reading AND drinking in the bathtub. 

Check out some of the options on Amazon

 There are many options on sites like CafePress and Etsy for personalized or clever and original ideas.  I'm a big fan of the bookshelf shower curtains.  This is one of my favorites!  And seriously, every room can use a bookshelf.  This one just happens to be waterproof, too!

Here's where you can buy this shower curtain



As a kid, I was given sheets and sheets of "From the library of" stickers to put in my own personal library.  They were KICKASS, because they had a sleeping golden retriever puppy with glasses, but they also had my address (which is not my address anymore) and as I got older, I switched to simply putting my name in my books.

A personalized stamp is a fantastic gift for anyone who is constantly lending books and forgetting (not me, no sir, seriously though, if you have any of my books let me know), and it's a classier alternative to the stickers or handwritten names scribbled in corners.  Get your stamps here

Find the iPhone charger here

Find the case here

Great gifts?  Or greatest gifts?  I'm a big fan of merging electronics and literature because books are much more attractive to me than computers or cell phones.  Cell phone cases that look like books are a personal favorite, but these two nifty contraptions make me smile, too.  

Welcome to the wonderful world of board games for bibliophiles.  While there are plenty of options out there, including themed version of Monopoly and Clue (Mystery at Hogwarts was a favorite of mine in college), I'm suggesting that you consider purchasing Trivial Pursuit: Book Lover's Edition.  Not only is this the cutest game EVER (just look at the player tokens!!!), it is also the most difficult game I've ever played in my entire life.  Hands down.  

We played once in college on teams with English professors and it was still the most difficult game ever.  Try it for yourself!

Happy Holidays, everyone!  And may the gift giving odds be ever in your favor!