And … We’re Off!
November 21, 2010

Normally this is the place I’d talk about my Thanksgiving menu and the annual Great Thanksgiving Weekend Read. Both are still happening, but so is the opening of the five-week series, the Booklovers’ and Readers’ Gift Guide. This is the culmination of months of work, scouring the Internet for literary gifts you can give your loved ones and yourself. In addition to gifts to buy, there will also be suggestions for ones you can make yourself.

The Gift Guide is arranged into approximately forty categories listed alphabetically. The number of items in each category will vary. Links are provided as are brief descriptions. Each week I will also provide a link back to previous letters to make it easy to check on the items listed earlier. Thanks to some great donations, we  also have gifts we are giving away; they will be listed in this Gift Guide in the December 5 letter.

I originally found 673 items, but you don’t have to worry. I narrowed that number down. And the list doesn’t include many books because BiblioBuffet provides book recommendations all year long. Since we focus on gifts related to reading here, I think it is a good idea to link this older Salon article in which the writer correctly makes the point that “reading tchotchkes” should not be mistaken for giving  “their owners a self-image as a reader that is apparently inadequately supported by ownership of actual books.” The things I found are fun and often useful, but they are no substitute for books and for reading. Keeping that in mind, let’s get started.

Address Books
Even with e-mail and Blackberry phones, people still need to physically record contact information. The Bodleian Library, one of Britain’s most famous, is the source for this gorgeous cover image. The Reading Woman Deluxe Address Book contains forty full-color reproductions and has enough room for 480 contacts (including electronic ones). Its hardbound with spiral binding so it lays flat too. Saddleworn Slim has the classic appearance of old leather simulating the appearance of a fifteenth-century Italian book. It uses acid-free recycled paper, has a magnetic strip for secure closing, and a thumb index.

Art & Book Art
This is an exquisite category because many of the items are individually handcrafted. Steven M. Allen creates fantastic sculptures that show images coming out of the pages including Life Boat, Go Long, and Bountiful. This bronze of a young bookworm (which comes in three sizes) is based on his son, and another is of a young girl (this one in four sizes) thoroughly enraptured by her book.

John Mark Gleadow paints lovely images of book spines (it’s his newest series). Deborah DeWit-Marchant offers fine art prints of her paintings that focus heavily on books and reading. Jim Rosenau likes to make his books into functional art furniture, primarily bookshelves. Yes, they are for sale. He is not only talented but smart; witness this piece called “Who Done It?” or “Seen My Keys?” Custom work is also available.

If you like the look and feel of old books as much as I do you will undoubtedly like this 12" x 9" reproduction of “Spell Book” (1683) made of hand painted resin. Hanging it above your desk could give it a wonderful antique-y feel.

Postertext is an ingenious idea. The text  of various classics are printed (in very tiny print) and arranged to create a memorable scene from the book on special paper that can be framed and hung on your wall. (The Great Gatsby is their newest one.) These are simply beautiful.

Producing book arts is a wonderful career or hobby, and there are any number of organizations and schools that specialize in it. Among the numerous listings are the American Academy of Bookbinding, ABC, Asheville Bookworks, Black Rock Press, Book Arts Program, Caroll University Book Art, Center for Book Arts, Cincinnati Book Arts Society, Codex Foundation, Fine Press Book Association, Hollander’s School of Book & Paper Arts, Oldway,  Paper and Book Intensive, and Scripps.

Audio Books & Radio Shows:
Many libraries these days are offering audio books including downloadable ones. If you are looking to save money—and who isn’t?—then why  not borrow the CDs or download the books for your loved one from your public library? Many have such programs, and they are absolutely free. But the library is not the only place to get audio books. Audible.com has both monthly and annual programs that deliver these books (and newspapers, magazines, radio, and television) to your iPods or MP3 players. AudioBooks.com is another source of downloadable audiobooks, also with monthly and annual plans. In addition, they also offer CDs for rent and purchase.

Librivox is a little different. They specialize in recording (by volunteers) and then releasing online books in the public domain. I haven’t listened to any of them, but I will say that good recording voices are professionally-trained voices. Also offering free recordings of books is Free Classical Audio Books. As with Librivox there is no indication of who does the recordings so I would expect the quality to be uneven.

Bags & Totes
If you have to lug things around (especially books)  here is where to find carryalls of all sorts. For the writer in your life or for anyone with an affection for old typewriters, All Typed Up Clyde is an oversized bag in glossy red leather and with a typewriter design. It is glorious as is the price. For considerably less, the Library of Congress offers this Painted Books Tote Bag or this Author Tote Bag, both perfect for groceries, everyday necessities, or even books. Lovely book bags can be found at the Bodleian Library including this lovely Victorian one and the Hi Jinks! Washbag (though it could be used for make-up). Unshelved, the famous comic strip about and for librarians offers a number of items in their store including these Freedom Fighter bags. If you go more for the elegant look, the New York Review of Books offers a simple, elegant book bag with their name in red. Edward Gorey is always good for things with cats and books, and this Read Read Read tote is no different; it will appeal to all lovers of books and cats. Here’s a rather lovely tote bag and the sentiment is certainly something with which we can all agree.  The Book Lovers tote offers a wonderful artistic design that will appeal to anyone who loves books as art too.

Book purses are becoming ever more popular if the number of them on the Internet is any indication. Fans of The Great Gatsby may enjoy this one while Rebound Designs offers a number of “titles” in their collection. Harriet’s Purse Library has even more, some of them titles you wouldn’t expect to find as a purse. More are here too. And here. If you would rather try making your own book purse it’s not hard; instructions can be found online here and here.

Book Boxes
Boxes made to look like books and serve as storage are becoming more popular and some of them are extraordinary. Takota Woodworking has two types: “Coffee Table Books” and “Book Banks.” This faux storage box with the gorgeous spine is a great hiding place for papers or other small objects (click “Close Window” to get to the main page for ordering). Enchanted Book Boxes are make of particleboard and fake leather (with felt lining) but with their intricate printed or embossed designs they look fantastic. You get two nested boxes of the same design in one order. If you like a leather look, here is a set of three nesting boxes in brown leather with embossed titles. Or a glorious look can be found in the Nostradamus Book Box in a rich red, brown, and tan Renaissance look. Other book boxes from here include the Wizard Book Box, Vergil’s Garden of Eden, the Celtic Book Box, the Book of the Dead, and the Book of the Magi. There are certainly a lot of antique looking ones including these, and these, as well as these beauties. Then there are the ones made from real books and the well-made (fake) leather ones.

The Hollow Book Store has an amazing variety of book boxes. You choose from among  an amazing 687 “books” in eighteen genres, or you can choose by size, or even author or title. What’s particularly nice about these is that they will likely fit in well on your bookshelves (making them essentially invisible) because they will sit next to the types of books you already have.

For any reader, another good type of book box would be disguised as a dictionary because who doesn’t have one of those? And if your shelves have some best-selling thrillers on them, you can also add this fake, but realistic one. This seller has ones with various cut-outs inside. For the Karl Marx fan, Das Kapital would be excellent.

Bookcases:
What reader doesn’t need more bookcases? Thankfully, every one I’ve ever met does because there are lots of types of bookcases out there. We’ll ignore the college student board-and-bricks ones but if your budget is any larger than “free” we have some great suggestions here.

First, I want to remind you that bookshelves are always being listed on CraigsList and occasionally on Freecycle. Many cities have these, and often you can find very good deals if you don’t need a particular style.

CSN Bookcases has a wide selection of standard types in a variety of designs, materials and sizes. It’s worth looking here because shipping is free and their customer service is pretty darn good. Bookcases Galore is exactly that—a site with a huge collection of them. Another site with a selection of general bookcases is Home Decorators Collection, and you can shop by style, size, or finish. For bookcases made of actual books, This Into That is the place to go (and they have other furniture as well). The Regency Rotating Bookcase and Media Cabinet is rather clever. It allows you to mount your television on one side and your books on the other.  It’s not a bookcase exactly, but the St. Thomas Aquinas Gothic Wooden Bookstand does hold books—beautifully! And then there’s the classic Edwardian Bookcase, which will certainly add elegance to any space. The Carousel Revolving Bookcase might be just the thing for the bedroom’s To Be Read pile most of us have on our nightstands. For an unusual and unusually pretty one, the bookcase with silkscreen prints would do nicely.

Looking for off-beat? How about the Cell Shelf for the scientist in your life? The Bibliochaise isn’t a bookcase per se, but it does hold books. I do have to wonder how comfortable the seating is, and where the heck is the place to put your wine glass or tea cup? (Note: there is no American store.) They are rather well known now, but another possibility is the Concealed Book Shelf.

If you favor antique bookcases, Mr. Beasley’s has some gorgeous ones as does this place and this one. More antique ones can be found here, here, here, and here. Such elegance!

Finally, while no one reading this is going to want one of these (unless in a sauna or steamy bathroom perhaps), it is an intriguing idea—Dummy Books. The idea is that “people could design libraries without destroying old leather antique books.” I'm not quite sure what they mean by that since libraries assume real books, but if someone wants a library look without books this might what they are looking for. They can also be used for book-fronted media centers and to camouflage doors.

Book Covers
With the work that goes into creating book covers I don’t understand why anyone would want to cover them up. But for those who do, Book Sox has some really lovely ones, including the Jumbo Extreme, the Jumbo Original Prints, the Jumbo 3-D Imagery, and the odd Scratch and Sniff.

While not a book cover, the BookBook is a book as a computer cover—and it is spectacular. I lust after this, and I am sure I am not the only one. Mac laptop owners only need apply.

Bookends
If you are like me you have almost no need of bookends so crowded are your shelves. But if you do, or even if you just want to use them for decorative purposes, the selection of bookends is superb. Just Bookends is just that—bookends of all types, sizes, materials, interests. It’s an amazing place to search for something special including, perhaps these Library Book and Standing Librarian ones. Cat lovers will probably find these brass ones to be amusing, but I am especially enamored of these Library Bookends. If you have a passionate car mechanic who is also a reader, the Tumbled Bookends are likely to be a hit. A seller on Etsy offers bookends made from old record albums—your choice of musicians. This store also has them in both small and large sizes. For those with a classic bent, the Young Reader Bookends (which look like they might be made of cast iron) would be perfect to hold a set of antique children’s books in place. And for elegance, it would be hard to beat these replica bookends designed to look glorious antique leather books.

Holding up heavy volumes take solid bookends and these Etched in Stone ones, carved into a book shape, are offered either as a single or pair. Photographers will likely appreciate the Eastman Kodak Brownie Camera one, while writers would probably love David McCullough’s Typewriter. Particularly unusual are these vise bookends, but I admit I wonder if they might cause damage to the books either from vise or from the iron.

From the Library of Congress comes these bookends that replicate one of their main entry doors, lovely pieces. I especially love these Eiffel Tower Bookends that would work wonderfully for holding together a collection of books about or from France. And for wine/book lovers, this Three Bottle Wine Rack Bookend would be a great gift.

Book Holders & Stands
Whether merely for comfort or out of physical necessity, hands-free book holders can be welcome accompaniments to reading. This faux suede one is, unlike most, moldable so it can form itself to handle books and magazines or, when not being used for reading, also double as a travel pillow. BookHolder.com offers a hands-free one that can also hold an e-reader. This one is also hands free, but it requires a surface upon which to sit. Others include these, the Phifer Reader, the Hold-It, the LapDawg, and the wooden Windowpane. Not quite the same thing, but if you like to read on while lying on your side in bed, the Thumb Thing Book Holder is basic yet effective.

This Wire Book Holder is without question the loveliest I have yet seen though it is primarily for display. The weighted chains hold the pages open, and the soft golden color will suit most environments. It’s sufficiently gorgeous that it would look perfect on an antique bookshelf.

Bookmarks
One of the most useful book-related items are bookmarks. As most of you know, I collect antique ones but I also enjoy having—because I am able to use them without worry—new ones.  And there are some attractive ones out there including these John Steinbeck ones with quotes and more on them. These magnetic bookmarks are not only lovely but practical since they say they grasp the leaves; but how do they do that?

Old die-cut bookmarks are among the loveliest around, and this Tasseled Hand Bookmark is a wonderful modern representation of them. For Victorian/Jane Austen fans, these corner bookmarks made with actual doll house papers on cardstock are wonderful; the seller even “distresses” them slightly for an authentic feel. Fans of the medieval period will probably love this Medieval Owl Leather Bookmark (circa 1210); to order click on the “Close Window” button, which will take you back to the main page. If you like jewels, the Crown Jewels Jeweled Bookmarks, offered in six colors, are comprised of a velvet ribbon with Austrian crystals and (what else?) a crown. On the more practical level, these Page Nibs are quite an interesting take on the usual bookmark. Made of bronze, they are paper-thin and promise not to harm the pages of any book.

Exquisite bookmarks include these delicately-etched, pierced-filigree bookmarks that are reminiscent of the nineteenth century as well as this beautiful brass-and-enamel inlay Tree of Life bookmark whose motif is adapted from a window design. Handmade wooden bookmarks and greeting cars that hold bookmarks are the specialty of this small family shop; be sure to check out all of them including the inlaid, engraved, and more!  Speaking of exquisite: jeweled birds! And an Art Deco Bookkeeper is a less expensive but still lovely bookmark gift for art-inclined readers.

Hookmarks are a variation on bookmarks, so named because they hook over the spine of your book. The end that shows can be customized to suit nearly any preference. Typography fans, English teachers, and editors would likely enjoy these Punctuation Page Markers, each of the five pads containing fifty of each mark. It’s a one-word statement of the book being marked. One of the more unusual is this Burning Bookmark, the perfect representation of Ray Bradbury’s comment that “you don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” Subjects and people are often the focus of bookmarks. Shakespeare is quite popular, but you can also find maps, famous quotes, books,  nature, rugs, the old world, kittens, and penguins.

An online site called Etsy specializes in handcrafted items, and  I found a number of wonderful pieces there including these rose bookmarks in various colors, Dick and Jane illustrations-now-bookmarks (set 2, set 3), bookmarks that look like jewelry, and collage bookmarks, ribbon-and-beads bookmarks (that you can design yourself),

Whoa! Books packed up to the ceiling is both the dream and the nightmare of every bibliophile, and this bookmark reflects both sides. If you or a young reader you know is into vampires and wizards, here is are two fun bookmarks: for wizards fans and for vampires fans. And for the skull-and-crossbones fans among us, this bookmark will probably be much used.

For those looking for double duty, check out these any-occasion cards (blank inside) that detach at the center to become bookmarks. The whimsical illustrations and cute sayings make the perfect card to use for a bibliophile.

Bookplates
Claiming ownership of a book, especially one that has been lent, has always been problematic. Memories may be fallible, but bookplates are forever. Over the centuries, many bibliophiles have had custom-designed bookplates—and you still can—but many lovely ones can be purchased. Many have the Latin phrase ex libris, meaning “my library” or “from my library” which, after all, is the reason to add bookplates—to keep your books at home in your library. This is a lovely, simple one. These Tudor House and Jane Austen Schoolroom bookplates are an excellent choice for aficionados of Tudor and Victorian England. Mark Twain, whose autobiography came out this year, is also honored with these bookplates based on the design of the cover of the first edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).

If you are part of a book club that occasionally chooses a book you’d rather not be seen reading, these amusing bookplates (“Don’t Blame Me – My book club picked it out”) might help. On the other hand, why would you put a bookplate in a book you likely wouldn’t keep?

If you have friends who like to borrow books and forget to return them, these bookplates (“Steal not this book for fear of shame, for here you see the owner’s name”) will do very nicely. For the classicist, they also offer these Renaissance Study Bookplates. To order either one click “Close window,” which will take you to main page.

Bumper Stickers
It’s common to see bumper stickers proclaiming political and sports affiliations, but readers don’t seem to put it out there. For those who would like to let the world know that, how about Reading is for Awesome People or I’d rather be reading Jane Austen? I particularly like the one about used bookstores. One for die-hard mystery fans. Or for sexy people.

Buttons
I am referring to what you pin on your shirt. Included in this category: the Future Librarian, got books?, the Problem with Reading, Read All About It, and many more.

Upcoming Book Festivals:
What is it with book festivals and fairs that don’t have websites? Coming up next weekend are two of them—and I can find almost no information on either one. It’s beyond weird. Below is what I was able to gather; if you live in or near the cities, someone there may know more.

On Saturday, November 27, in Portland, Maine, the Southern Maine Antique Paper Show from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. It’s an odd thing, but try as I might I simply cannot find any more information about it. I have no idea where it is. Each link takes me to another in an apparently endless circle with no way out. Even Portland’s website has nothing on it.

Albany, New York, will host the Albany Book & Paper Show on Sunday, November 28. This will take place at the Washington Avenue Armory. More information can be obtained by calling .

The Pub House:
The Experiment is a relatively new independent publisher that focuses on “a wide range of nonfiction—much of it practical—including food (and how to grow, cook, and enjoy it), health and fitness, psychology and personal development, parenting, relationships, sexuality, personal finance, science, and nature.”

In the culinary category, Caribbean Vegan is an interesting contribution. Vegans are, of course, the strictest of all vegetarians, eschewing not just meat but any animal products at all including dairy, eggs, fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetic or chemical products tested on animals. The book takes the combined cuisines of African, French, Spanish, British, Asian and Indian that make up Caribbean cooking and releases them in 125 vegan dishes that cover meals from breakfast to dessert. The author knows; she grew up on Barbados and has been vegan “after a horrible experience with meat” in 2006.Vegan or not, check this out. Her cookbook looks fantastic.Also in the culinary arena is It’s a Long Road to a Tomato, a new edition of a book of essays by longtime farmer Keith Stewart about running a small organic farm. The book has been updated; in addition, it now includes gorgeous new woodcut illustrations. Dog lovers will find A Modern Dog’s Life to be  an excellent book for understanding “man’s best friend.” Using humor and easy instruction, the author/veterinarian explores recent studies in canine behavior including how dogs see, smell, and experience the world as well as tips for training that utilize friendly, gradual motivations.

Imaging Books & Reading:
The Naked Knowledge Sculpture by Dan Earle is a beautiful piece of art. But beyond its physical beauty is the motivation Dan used in its creation, which is best stated in his own words: The presence of a naked monk sitting upon a giant book represents the artist’s feeling about the vastness of knowledge, the devotion to discovery through the written word and the contributions of great philosophers and thinkers.

Of Interest:
Book Hunter’s Holiday is a delicious blog that is subtitled “Adventures with Books and Manuscripts.” It’s a perfect combination of my favorite adventure category and my love of books, but it also is a fantastic read for anyone who is interested in books (or baseball, specifically the San Francisco Giants). Chris Lowenstein is a mother of two as well as a former high school English teacher turned online book dealer.  One of her favorite subjects—and now mine—is book catalogs. Do check her out; it’s damn fine writing and intriguing subjects.

Until next week, read well, read often and read on!

Lauren