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Rick Horgan has been hired to serve as vice president and executive editor at Scribner, an imprint at Simon & Schuster.

Here’s more from the press release: “In a distinguished career that has spanned decades, Rick Horgan has worked with more than 400 authors and edited—across a variety of genres—more than ninety national bestsellers, including the recently published The Good Spy by Kai Bird. Horgan’s books have won numerous awards and honors, such as the Pulitzer Prize for Tom Reiss’ The Black Count, and the PEN Literary Award for Marshall Jon Fisher’s A Terrible Splendor.”

Some of the authors he has worked with in the past include Bill Gates, Condoleezza Rice, Jay Leno, Maria Shriver, Pete Sampras, David Baldacci, Jeffrey Archer, and John Lescroart. With this new role, Horgan will acquire both commercial fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. In nonfiction, Horgan will focus on memoirs, politics, sports, current events, biographies, and business books.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has inked a book deal to write “an examination of democracy at home and abroad.” Henry Holt and Company will publish the book in 2015.

The deal was announced today (March 19th), the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq–a political situation Rice negotiated throughout her time in public office. Wayne Kabak at WSK Management negotiated the deal with publisher Stephen Rubin. EIC Gillian Blake will edit. Here’s more from the release:

The book will discuss the never-ending process of building democracy as citizens – and their governments – strive to attain and secure the ideals of self-rule. Rice will draw upon stories from her career and personal life to shed light on the essential questions of contemporary democracy, including the centrality of education, immigration, free enterprise and civic responsibility. She will also address American’s destiny as a beacon for global freedom.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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As February comes to an end, people who have already read The Autobiography of Malcolm X and My Bondage and My Freedom might need more book suggestions for Black History Month. Bluewater Productions has released a comic collection called Black History: Leaders to celebrate.

Here’s more from the press release: “The 96-page anthology includes the unabridged issues featuring Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Oprah Winfrey, and Condoleezza Rice. These biographies were previously published as individual issues of Bluewater’s biographical comic titles Female Force and Political Power.”

Flashlight Worthy released a book list by Denise Fawcett Facey entitled: “Books About African Americans That Aren’t Just for Black History Month.” Below, we’ve recommended more titles. What books are you reading to celebrate Black History Month?

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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I love this miniature typewriter with the beginning of the novel Paul Clifford, now famous for that line. To me, this is both the perfect gift for a writer, and book/writing art. AND it’s jewelry, too–a pin/broach. And the price is amazing–$5.00 US. Wow, huh? I love looking at it.

You can get yourself one from Ptierney Designs over at Etsy.

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MotherReader has some fabulous posts on ways to give a book–pairing specific children’s books (many of them picture books) with toys or crafts. I LOVE her picture book choices; so many of them are among my favorites, and are both well written and well illustrated. I also love her suggestions, tying in the theme or character of a book into a toy. Her suggestions are thoughtful and fun, such as “Pair classic A Bargain For Frances with a paint-your-own tea set.” And there are links both to the books and to the toys, all or most available at Amazon.com. This is truly a list to check out.

I found it inspiring; I’d like to put my own list together some day. She calls it “21 Ways to Give a Book”, with 21 suggestions in each post. She has three great posts: here, here, and here. Check them out!

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There are so many gift possibilities for the book lover in your life.

Don’t forget to check their wishlists at online bookstores such as Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, etc. You can search for their wishlist easily by searching for their email address.

This happy-woman-with-a-book is a beautiful mouse pad, and a way to remind yourself of the joy of books while you work. $11.60 US. The image is also available as a greeting card ($2.52 US), and as a poster in many different sizes, the large being $16.92 US

Your favorite book lover might really enjoy this poetry beads kit. $9.95 US.

I think this fantasy reader greeting card is beautiful enough to put on the wall. And it’s only $2.64 US. It also comes as a mug for $12.68 US (you can choose the style and color). It also comes in a purple print as a mug, card, and bag, and a beautiful black t-shirt ($23.95 US).
This book-and-cat afghan is beautiful. It’s soft, should be warm, 100 % cotton, and 54″ x 69″. $59.00 US
I love these book-lover pencils! I want some. Each of them are embossed with Thomas Jefferson’s quote: “I cannot live without books”, as well as, on the other side “Library of Congress”. $6.00 for a set of 12.
How about a light-switch plate with an image of a shelf of books on it? It’s available as a single switchplate ($10 US), double switchplate ($12 US), outlet plate ($10 US), single rocker plate ($10 US), and double rocker plate ($12 US).
Your favorite bibliophile may have fun with these word stamps. $19.95 US
If your favorite book lover also enjoys crafts, they might really like making their own word stones with this kit. You mix up the concrete, pour it into the form, and use the press in letters to make words. The kit includes 42 1.5″ press-in lower case letters, numbers, and punctuation marks; 4 concrete forms; two pounds lightweight concrete; concrete tint; a trowel; and instructions.
This reading pillow–the BedLounge–is a bit pricey at $117. US, but it may make some book lovers happy, to read comfortably in bed. The website says it’s supposed to be the ultimate in comfort, as “every part – from the headrest, to the seatback, to the Lumbar Pillow, to the armrests – move, flex, and conform to your body’s own unique shape.” I’d love to try one out. Comes in a variety of colors.
A librarian you know might enjoy this mug–”Librarians Do It By the Book”. I thought it was funny. $10.36 US

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More goodies for book lovers!

This Bookmark Pen is also a neat idea. It’s a flat pen with a clip to attach it to your book. I wouldn’t clip it onto pages; it might damage them–but clipping it onto the cover of your book might be okay. It may still leave an imprint on a softcover. The pens are only 1/8th inch thin, and weigh less than 1/10 of an ounce (3 grams).They’re available in more than 29 color combinations. They’re $2.00 US each.

I’ve never seen something like this before; it looks like a possibly neat book gadget–Page Keeper: The Automatic Bookmark. According to the site, once you clip it on your book, you “never have to touch it until you’re ready to put it in your next book. Spring tension lets the corner “finger” follow along, page by page, as you read,” so you never lose your place. The one thing I’m not sure I like is that it looks like it pulls at the book a bit. But it intrigues me, and is a great price–$6.95 US. Canadian and international customers can order from here for $6.95 US, and UK customers can order it from here for £4.99.

This I Read Banned Books Bracelet will appeal to many book lovers, librarians, and writers. $20.00 US

A librarian, especially, or a book lover with fond memories of libraries might get a kick out of these library-card book plates. They’re printed onto sticker paper, so you just have to peel them off and stick them on. $9.00 US for 18 bookplates.

A neat fantasy poster for book lovers who love fantasy or love to dream might be this “On the Way” poster by Quint Buchholz. And the price is great, too, at $19.95 US.

This is an interesting idea–a seatbelt light. If you know a booklover who is the passenger in a car, then this might be perfect for them. They can easily read a book while riding in the car, without disturbing the driver. $8.98 US

I think this Books To the Ceiling bookmark is awesome–a fantastic illustration and poem, and a great priced bookmark at $1.75 US. Comes laminated. You can also buy it as a small poster for $11.95 US, as a medium poster, or as a large poster for $19.95 US.

This Book Lover Gold Watch may appeal to the booklover, writer, or librarian that you know and love. With miniature books, a pen, and glasses within the watch, this shows a love of books, reading, and writing. $44.95 US

Bookends can be a neat gift, though a little pricey. These Library Book Bookends ($69.99 US) both really appeal to me, and make me want to straighten the books and not have them sitting like that. If your book lover is one who likes to keep their books neat and tidy or in good shape, this *might* not be the right bookend for them. But if they just love books, well, it might appeal.What’s neat about the Just Bookends store is they sell a TON of bookends. You have so many choices, here. So you can match a theme to your booklover. I saw some other bookends that were personally appealing to me, such as a Boy Reading bookends ($99.00 US); a frog bookend ($109.99 US); and Heads Up Rabbit bookends ($89.00 US).

The ALA store has many fantastic bookmarks based on children’s books and children’s favorite characters. You get 100 of one kind for $8.00 US. If you booklover is a fan of one of those books or characters, I’ll bet they’d love a stack of high-quality bookmarks. I would. I’ve actually purchased a set for myself. Some of their bookmarks include Curious George; Guess How Much I Love To Read (from the picture book Guess How Much I Love You); If You Give Kids Great Books They’ll Want to Read Them Again and Again (from Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie); Lemony Snicket “It is an Unfortunate Event to Lose Your Place”; Mutts from Mutts but also from The Gift of Nothing; “Share a Book” from Mo Willems’ Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!; “Say Goodnight With a Good Book” from Goodnight Moon; and many, many more.

These Standing Librarian Bookends ($79.99 US) may appeal to both booklovers and librarians. A little pricey, but neat.

These Bookworm Bookends, featuring children reading while sitting in comfy chairs, really appeal to me, though they’re a bit pricey at $199 US

These Librarian Socks, with images of open books all over them and a big proud “Librarian” at the top may appeal to the librarian you know.

Want more ideas of some great gifts for book lovers? See my other posts on this:

• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 1
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 2
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 4

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I’ve put together some more gifts for book lovers. It’s such fun to find neat gifts for people who love books. I’m window-shopping. Okay, screen shopping.

These Literary Boxes–boxes made to look like old books, where you can store your treasures–look pretty neat to me. Functional and aesthetically pleasing. They come in a set of 2 for $39.00 US.

The Levenger Book Bungee Bookmark. I personally lust after one of these. The bookmark marks your page, and keeps your book closed (and so undamaged), even in a bag. They’ve also got a number of colors, some of which are very attractive. You put the plastic marker in the book, and wrap the elastic cloth around the outside, which also means that the bookmark can’t fall out. They fit both hardcovers and softcovers. They’re only $8 US (but when they ship to Canada, the shipping is something like $30. Ug!).

I love all things books. And functional household items that relate to books and still look aesthetically pleasing make me feel good to look at.Enter the book cutting board.It looks like a book, is functional, and still manages to look beautiful to me. It’s available at the Library Shop–$35 for the small one, and $50 for the large. Perhaps a bit pricey, but I love looking at it online. And I’ll bet the booklover you know will love it, too.

This Conceal Bookshelf looks like a unique and aesthetically pleasing way to store your books. You probably can’t have too many on one shelf, but for a small section of books somewhere in your house, it looks pretty good. And the price is great: , and $13.95 US for the large.

These page points by Levenger are supposed to be able to mark the passage in a book and leave no mark. (I don’t know for sure, since I’ve never tried them myself, but they sound great.) They’re paper-thin, and you can use them as often as you want, or leave them in the book permanently. $10 US

A good booklight can be wonderful. I have a booklight that looks just like this (though it’s silver), and it is light to carry because it uses two thin lithium batteries, is thin, compact, and easy to fit into your bag or purse, and bright. Slim LED booklight from Bas Bleu. $14.95 US.

This BookLust reader’s journal is one of my favorites so far. Remember what you read and what it meant to you. Based on Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl. $12.95 US

This Edward Gorey cat pin, with a cat relaxes on books, may please your book lover. On the reverse is engraved, “books. cats. life is sweet.” $54 US from the Library shop.

This House Without Books paperweight has a lovely saying etched along the bottom–”A house without books is like a room without windows.” The paperweight is pewter. $40 US

This “Book Buddy” holds the book for you in your lap at the right angle, and holds the pages for you while you read. Apparently, it’s easy to turn the pages. I can see that this would be especially useful with a hardcover book, since those tend to be heavy. Navy Stripe Book Buddy II, $29.99 at Bas Bleu.

A Jumbo Box of Picture Books Classics on DVD! It includes over 30 great picture books, including Crockett Johnson’s Harold and The Purple Crayon; Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are; Harry Allard’s Miss Neilson Has a Field Day; Kevin Henke’s Chrysanthemum; and many more (30 in total). I think this is a wonderful gift for anyone who loves children’s picture books, or writes them. Personally, I’d love to have my own set. $59.95 US

A good reading lamp is important for readers and booklovers. Verilux lamps are supposed to be among the best; they simulate the natural spectrum of daylight, providing glare-free “indoor sunlight.” Verilux lights emit a bright white light that shows true colors, reduces eyestrain, and are flicker-free. I have two of these lamps (one desk lamp for my writing, and one next to my couch for reading), and the light is indeed like sunlight, and different than other lamps. My eyes seem to hurt less, too. The standing lamp is $119.95 US, and the desk lamp is $79.95. There are also other styles available.

If you use matches a lot, or maybe even if you don’t, you (or a booklover you know) might like this Match Book Box. I think it’s cute. The price isn’t so cute–$29.95 US–but it’s fun to look at.

There are three Edward Gorey sweatshirts here related to books. My favorite is the one with a girl riding on top of a book over waves, and the text says “Explore with books.” There’s also one that says “So many books, so little time,” and one that says “There’s no such thing too many books.” So many books is $32.98 US for the sweatshirt, and $17.95 US for the t-shirt. The “explore with books” sweatshirt is on sale for $17.98. Everything else is sold out.

This pewter pencil paperweight seems like a great gift for a writer (I’d love one). Engraved on the pewter pencil are the inspiring words “Make your mark.” $16.00 US

Want more ideas of some great gifts for book lovers? See my other posts on this:

• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 1
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 3
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 4

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I’ve pulled together some great gifts for book lovers, or the writer or librarian in your life. I hope you’ll find some things that please you. I sure did.

One of the perfect and most enjoyable gifts for a book lover is, in my opinion, a gift certificate for a bookstore. It’s such a delight to spend someone else’s money on books–and to know that you can go wild and choose whatever you want. Even $10 can get a paperback children’s book, though of course $20 to $100 or more is a lot more fun. And you don’t even have to leave the house to buy one! You can get a gift certificate online from Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, and Booksense.com, as well as the many small independent bookstores that you can go to in person.
I love this sterling silver book locket sold at the Literary Site. It looks like a book, it opens, and you can have a small photo of someone you love inside. Just as good, the Literary Site will fund one children’s book for each locket purchased–so you can donate to charity while buying a cool gift. Also neat is that the locket was “fair-trade imported from a company that offers skilled craftspeople a safe environment and fair wages.” $9.95 US.
This Emily Dickinson scarf looks absolutely beautiful to me, in color and style–and though it’s hard to see from the photo, there are many of her poems printed on the scarf. So you can read them any time, or just know you’re wearing her poetry. It doesn’t list which poems, and I wish it would–but I think it’s a neat idea. It’s made of silk, and double-layered for warmth. $33.95 US
I think this bright red umbrella that boldly says “READ” on it is pretty neat. You can purchase it from the US ALA Store ($18.00 US), or from the Canadian OLA store ($23.22 CAN)
This small READ tote looks lovely to me. It’s about the size to carry your lunch or a paperback or two. $18.00 US from the ALA Store, and $23.22 CAN from the OLA Store.	The large READ tote is also nice, and you can carry more; you can use it as your daily carry-all. $25 US from the ALA Store, and $32.25 CAN from the OLA Store (guess they haven’t adjusted the dollar, yet).
This Read charm bracelet is also available from Signals.com. I love how it looks–but it seems a little pricey to me. $59.95 US
If you love libraries and the old catalogue system, or the person you’re shopping for does, then this might be the perfect gift–a CD organizer and storage system that looks like an old library catalogue. Also from Signals.com. $179.95 for 12 drawers, $239.95 for 24 drawers.
This will probably appeal to many book lovers–a book journal specifically for writing down the books you’ve read–or the books you’ve read and loved. Never forget your favorite books or authors again–and always have a book to recommend to others. Of course you could use any journal, but there’s something neat about a journal that is just for books. (I wish it came in other colors, but that’s just me.) $19.95 US.
Check out these Book earrings from the LiteracySite.com. I don’t wear earrings, but I love these little books. I suppose you could take off the earring part and just admire the little books. Or if you know someone who likes earrings and loves books, maybe these’d be fun. You’d also be supporting a good cause while buying a gift; the Literacy Site will fund 1 children’s book for each pair of Paper Book Earrings purchased. $14.95 US.
The Literary Site has a Peace bookmark made from cruelty-free leather (from animals that have died naturally) that sells for $4.95, and again they’ll fun 1 children’s book for each bookmark made–so you can support a good cause while purchasing a gift.	They also have a “Read to Succeed” pin for $8.95.
I love these library bookends from Shakespeare’s Den. They’re about 6 ¼” high by 4 ½” wide by 3 ½” deep, and weigh 7 lbs 9 oz, so they’re sturdy enough to hold your books in place. $39.95 US.
This beautiful quotable candle isn’t specifically book-related, but book lovers love words, and this quote is just beautiful. The quote is: “Dance as though no one is watching, Love as though you have never been hurt before, Sing as though no one can hear you, Live as though heaven is on earth.”The Quote Candle Holder is reusable, and the candle will burn for approximately 50 hours. $21.95 US
As a writer, I absolutely love this shirt! It might make a great gift for a writer you know. It says “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.” $16.95 US for the t-shirt, $26.95 US for the sweatshirt.
And this shirt, is, I think, a neat gift for a librarian or word lover: “What’s another word for thesaurus?” $17.95 for the t-shirt, and $27.95 for the sweatshirt.

Want more ideas of some great gifts for book lovers? See my other posts on this:

• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 2
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 3
  
• Gifts for Book Lovers, part 4

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I’m not into perfume. I like natural scents, and am particular. But I love the names of these perfumes that Elizabeth mentioned over at Fuse #8! These perfumes almost make me wish I liked perfume. Fun, fun, fun!

	Paperback (don’t you just love the name?) by Demeter is supposed to be “sweet and just a touch musty,” inspired by a dusty old copy of a Barbara Pym novel. How neat to have something inspired by a book!
	In the Library, a Christopher Brosius scent, inspired by his favorite novel, smells like an old book with Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish. I *love* what Christopher says about In the Library and scent: ” Whenever I read, the start of the journey is always opening the book and breathing deeply. Don’t you find there are few things more wonderful than the smell of a much-loved book? Newly printed books certainly smell very different from older ones. The ink is so crisp. I’ve also noticed that books from different periods & different countries also have very different smells.”Now that’s a true book lover.
	The Neil Gaiman Collection. Perfumes by Neil Gaiman inspired by the characters from his books American Gods and Anansi Boys. The proceeds from the perfumes go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which works to preserve and protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community.

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I love book related items; both the reader and writer in my delight in them. And I thought this book bedcover looked both unique and interesting.

This “Bedtime Stories” blanket by designer Tiago da Fonseca has several linen sheets that have a bedtime story on it that you can actually read! You take a layer off (or add one on) to become cooler or warmer. A true booklover item. I love how it looks, and I like the idea, though I don’t think it’d work for me. I love books–holding them, the way they smell, turning the pages…. (Being a writer, I also wonder about the quality of the story–did a writer write it? What’s the content, the genre?) Still, it was fun to find and look at. I hope you enjoyed looking at it, too.

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If you love books, or want to give a gift to a book lover, an attractive book plate can come in handy. Or one that has meaning to you, because of the author, illustrator, or character mentioned or shown in the bookplate. There are some nice free printable bookplates online, many of which relate to children’s illustrators or authors, or are actually created by (or for) them.

bookplate by Penny Dale

bookplate by Mick Inkpen

My Home Library, established by children’s author Anne Fine, is a fantastic resource for free quality printable bookplates–bookplates by well-known (and lesser known) children’s illustrators and authors (mainly from the UK), including illustrators Quentin Blake; Polly Dunbar; Aliki; Shirley Hughes; David Melling; Marie Louise-Gay; Jane Hissey; Mick Inkpen; Helen Oxenbury; and children’s authors Debi Gliori; Ian Beck; Raymond Briggs; and many, many more. There are more than 200 free bookplates here. There are large bookplates (for picture books, etc), medium bookplates (for hardcover novels), and small bookplates (for paperback novels). The majority of the bookplates are in black and white, and look like ink drawings, but there are also color plates found here. Some of the more well-known illustrators are only found in the color section. Some bookplates are quite beautiful, some are instantly recognizable as the artist, all are interesting and all from children’s authors or illustrators. What a find!

My Home Library also has a few free printable bookmarks (6 black-and-white and 4 color).

You can find 6 beautiful color printable bookplates at the Bookhive.

There are some lovely bookplates here designed by New Zealand children’s illustrators.

Graham-Cameron Illustration has 10 free printable bookplates in color, created by children’s illustrators.

Children’s author/illustrator Jan Brett has 3 lovely color bookplates that you can print off. She offers them in .pdf format, which means they’re higher quality.

Children’s illustrator Bridget MacKeith has 4 color printable bookplates for you to print.

Children’s author Anne Fine has 4 free printable bookplates on her site.

PizzaByTheSlice has 4 black-and-white printable bookplates, 2 cat related, and one Christmas related.

Paul Jennings offers 4 free color printable bookplates with images from the covers of his books.

Other Book-Related Printables:

Susan Taylor Brown has a beautiful reading door hanger that you can download and print off; teaching guides; and a coloring page.

Random House UK has a lot of free book-related printables. I thought the best of them were: Teenage Advisory Total Trivia Flyers; Eric the Red - Spot the Difference; How to Speak Moo activity sheet. They also have ecards, desktop wallpaper, and some screensavers.

Phoebe Gilman’s site (The Balloon Tree (one of my favorite picture books), Jillian Jiggs) has an activity book where you can print off some black-and-white illustrations of Jillian Jiggs to color, a bookmark to color, and a word search.

For quality, free printable bookmarks, see my posts here and here.

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I love bookmarks. I’ve said it before, here, but there’s something that feels good about having a bookmark that is visually pleasing, that says something meaningful or that speaks to you, or that has a character from a book you love, marking your place in a book. And free bookmarks? When all you have to do is print them from the comfort of your home? Send them to me.

If you, too, like bookmarks, why not check out some of these free printable bookmarks:

These bookmarks by ActivityVillage look like they’re done in watercolor, with bright yellow stars on blue backgrounds, a large heart, a spiral, a crescent moon, all with inspiring quotes. They look lovely.

If you’re into Harry Potter, you might enjoy these printable bookmarks from the movie, or these other Harry Potter bookmarks.

If you like Dr. Seuss (I love Dr. Seuss) or Cat in the Hat, you’ll enjoy this bookmark or this Oh the Places You’ll Go. You can also find a lot more Dr. Seuss printables here, which, while they aren’t bookmarks, are book related.

(If you really love Dr. Seuss, you might want to check out these Dr. Seuss bookmarks that you can buy (and that look like high-quality graphics at a reasonable price–$1.49 each.) I don’t get anything from this; I just thought it was a find, since I love bookmarks.)

For nature lovers or people who like photos of cute animals, there are these animal (and insect) photo bookmarks, with many to choose from, including butterfly, dolphin, rabbit, turtle, frog, and more, all from billybear4kids. The photos are lovely, though I wish each said something else besides the name of the animal.

If you like Arthur books or Garfield, then you’ll like these bookmarks.

This friendship bookmark shows a rose and a quote about a friend. While not entirely my taste, I can see that they look pretty nice. They’re found here.

Whew! That should keep you busy for a while. Hope you found a bookmark you like.

Know any other great free printable bookmarks? Let me know.

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