Ever run out of gift ideas to celebrate what makes your favorite intellectual tick? We’ve got 18 great gift suggestions to help make this holiday special for your bookish friends and family. If you’re overwhelmed with gratitude, feel free to gift these to the History Press staff too…
18. Today I’m Reading Chalkboard Mug: Just $7.95, this fun write-on/wipe-off chalkboard mug includes chalk, holds fifteen ounces and is perfect for those who avidly read while gulping down hot drinks. Its vintage exterior pays tribute to the heyday of chalkboards.
Photo from Bookriot.com
17. Enable your friend to have his/her next dinner party in style with these book plates!
Book plates range from $24.00 t0 $36.00
16. Make cupcakes in the theme of your loved one’s favorite book. Here are some creative examples:
The Hunger Games cupcakes from thatsnerdalicious.com
Harry Potter cupcakes from an employee of Frostings in Richmond, VA.
Jane Austen Twelfth Night Cake Recipe from Sprinklebakes.com
Decorate cupcakes with mini frosting books (click link for how-to) and title each with the recipient’s favorite reads.
15. Knock-Knock Personal Library Kit: For the inner librarian who’s just itching to organize her personal book collection. This gift is especially great for those who are filled with nostalgia for the Dewey Decimal system on a daily basis.
- Available on Amazon.com for just $14.49
14. My Bibliofile, A Reading Journal for Book Lovers: Includes a five star shade-in system, favorite quote sections, flow charts to determine evolving book tastes (fill in what you read, topics in book, books you want to read on same topic) and book award lists. The attractive cover along with functional aspects will keep your loved one’s coffee table pretty and reading list organized.
- Available on Amazon.com for $10.39
13. Plush Nerd Monster: Pretty cute, pretty nerdy.
Available on Amazon.com for $18.99
12. Academics t-shirts. While zazzle.com and cafepress.com have a fair selection, our top two favorite websites that specialize in smart-alecky apparel are bustedtees.com and snorgtees.com. You can expect to see t-shirts like these:
From Cafepress.com for $27.50
Find at www.snorgtees.com for $19.95
Find at www.snorgtees.com for $19.95
Find at www.snorgtees.com for $19.95
“Marie Curie, Pioneer of Nuclear Physics” T-shirt at www.thinkgeek.com for $19.99
11. Coaster set of classic novels: Includes Pride & Prejudice, Catch-22, and other greats! From outofprintclothing.com, a company whose mission is to celebrate “the world’s great stories through fashion. Products feature iconic and often out of print book covers. Some are classics, some are just curious enough to make great t-shirts, but all are striking works of art.”
- Available for $20.00
10. USB Typewriter: The folks at uncommongoods.com say this product is “for ardent admirers of the look, feel, and robust quality of an old-fashioned manual typewriter. The USB TypewriterTM allows you to use this once obsolete tool as a keyboard that plugs into any USB-capable device, such as your PC, Mac, or even your iPad!”
Available for $799.00
9. “My Town” TOPO clock: From the National Geographic shop. Your area of choice gets mapped. This product is particularly fitting for the topographically inclined.
- Available for $59.00
8. I Read Banned Books Bracelet: For the edgier book lover.
- Available for $24.00 on Amazon.com
7. Anything from the xkcd.com store, “a webstore of romance, sarcasm, math & language.” This map of online communities print (webcomic turned poster) from xkcd takes internet wit to a whole new level and looks great in a cubicle.
- Retails for $20.00 at xkcd.com
6. Literary Art iPhone4 Cases: This gift is for all the tech savvy folks out there, who want their phones to be judged by their covers.
Available for $35.00 at Uncommongoods.com
5. Trivial Pursuit Book Lover’s Edition: You can’t go wrong with this classic.
- $44.95 on Amazon.com
4. 8GB Pink Crystal Heart Flash Drive: What better way to keep one’s most important computer files close to the heart? This necklace flash drive is just $22.99.
3. Digital photo frame: You can get a small digital photo frame for as little as $12.99 on Amazon. But if you’re looking for something bigger, try Sony DPF-D810 8-Inch SVGA LCD (4:3) Digital Photo Frame (Black) for $108.45. This tech-savvy photo frame is sure to delight with ten different slideshow options and a bonus remote control.
2. Instead of a coffee table for books, what about a book table for coffee? A San Francisco architect has begun custom designing tables that are partially composed of your books of choice. Read up at www.californiahomedesign.com.
1. A good book. If you can’t decide which one, keep in mind that a gift card to your local indie book store or Barnes & Noble is always a great idea…enable your bookish friends and family! We think that History Press bookstore has a lot to offer, but then again, we are biased.
For more bookish, historic and crafty gift ideas check out this History Press Pinterest board.
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