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I joined Instagram about two months ago, and I’ve been enjoying the vibrant book community there. It’s fun to see others’ photos of books, and to share my own–and also, I have to admit, it’s fun to share photos of my little dog Petal as well. (grinning)

I love how easily I can share my photos through Instagram on Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr. It’s also been lovely to connect with some of my readers who were on Instagram, but weren’t finding me through other social media. I love the posts, tweets, private messages, and emails I get from readers; they’re so rewarding. And I love seeing photos of my books out there with readers!

Two of the great bookish photos I saw people recently taking on Instagram were #bookthroughphone and #bookishstar. So of course I had to join in the fun and post some with my own books. I’m sharing a few here with you–and one or two of Petal. (smiling)

STAINED as #bookthroughphone. It took me a few tries before I got it to work. I had fun!

SCARS as #bookthroughphone. Not perfectly matched up, but pretty close. I think it’s kind of cool; kudos to whoever thought this up.

My #bookishstar
Books from top left clockwise: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield, Stained by Cheryl Rainfield, Scars by Cheryl Rainfield, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, When She Hollered by Cynthia Voigt, Are You Alone On Purpose? by Nancy Werlin, Please Excuse Vera Dietz by A S King, Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn.

And here’s a few of Petal. She is such a sweet, happy girl.

Petal loves to roll around–on the grass, the hall carpet, the couches.

Petal LOVES catching her ball.

And here’s Petal, all a blur as she catches her ball–even with her hair (and ears) in her eyes.

I hope you enjoyed these photos. What do you take photos of the most? What or who do you have the most fun taking photos of?

Books saved me.
They drew me in,
their paper arms enfolding me,
their words wrapping around me,
absorbing my pain,
transporting me to other places,
other worlds,
where I could forget
just for a little while
the darkness that filled me,
the pain my lungs drew in and out.
Books allowed me to breathe.

Books saved me.
They showed me people who cared
when no one in my life did.
Showed me the tender side of people,
moments of kindness and empathy
when all I knew was cruelty.
Books allowed me to believe in the good in people.
They showed me, too, secret agony and grief
when I was so wracked in pain
I wanted to die.
Books whispered “You are not alone.
You will survive.”

Books saved me.
They gave me precious minutes, hours,
time elongated,
escape from the torture and abuse
I was living. They allowed me to dream,
to hope, to see beyond my dark world.
Hope that bolstered my soul
with paper and ink and words that swirled inside me
making me stronger, more whole,
feeding me when nothing else did.
I’m not sure I could have survived
if I hadn’t had books.
Books saved me.
I hope they’ll save you, too.

© Cheryl Rainfield, July 8, 2014.

I love finding book- and writing-related gifts for book lovers, writers, editors. It’s such fun! And I enjoy them myself. I hope you’ll find some of these items appealing for the book lover in your life.

Of course, one of my favorite gifts to receive (or give) is a bookstore gift card. And it’s super easy to buy gift cards online, especially if your book lover has a Kindle Amazon Gift Cards or a Nook (B&N Gift Card).

But there’s so much else that is appealing for book lovers! Check out these finds:

Rory’s Story Cubes

This looks like a fun writing game to play, as well as a possible tool for writers who are stuck. “Rory’s Story Cubes is a pocket-sized creative story generator, providing hours of imaginative play for all ages.”
Amazon, $6.71



BananaGrams

If you haven’t tried BananaGrams yet, and you love word games, check it out! It’s a lot of fun.
Amazon, $13.50



Stack of Books Book lover Necklace

This looks beautiful to me.
Etsy, $25



Book Lover’s Calendar for 2012

Amazon, $12.99

Mary Engelbreit&

I *love* finding book- and writing-related gifts for writers, book lovers, editors–anyone who loves books and words! Here are a few gift possibilities:

Keyboard Pen

This is likely to appeal to writers more than readers. A pen with a QWERTY keyboard wrapped around it! It’s expensive at $62 US, but may be an enjoyable gift for some writers and computer geeks.

These stickers are perfect for grammar nerds, or anyone who can’t bear to see punctuation and grammar mistakes in signs, menus, etc. (Think editors, writers, word lovers, some book lovers.)

Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham note pad

This notepad especially appeal to children’s writers and to anyone who’s ever read and loved Dr. Seuss. I know I want one! $3.99.

Books Fall Open, You Fall In bookmarks by Mary Engelbreit

Book lovers and writers often like bookmarks. I know I do–especially ones with beautiful art and sayings.This bookmark by Mary Engelbreit is my new favorite. I love the saying and the fantasy-like appeal of books. You can buy a pack of 36 for $3.29. Or, you can buy a teacher’s set of four different Mary Engelbreit bookmarks (I’m assuming at least 20 of each style) for $10.99 at Amazon.com.

Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are stationary set

Writers love to write–and readers often do, too. And getting a letter in the mail from a friend can feel so good! This stationary set featuring Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are looks pretty appealing to me. It’s especially timely with the release of the movie. It includes 12 sheets of writing paper and 9 postcards. $9.95.

Yoropen - the Ergonomic Pen

Do you write a lot in your day? I sure do. Writing can cause strain on your hand and wrist. These pens are supposed to be ergonomically designed to create more comfortable, strain-free writing, and to be especially helpful for anyone with hand pain like arthritis. The way the pen’s designed prevents your fingers from slipping down the barrel, gives you a clear line of vision when you’re writing, and has an adjustable grip that makes it good for both right-handed and left-handed people. I’ve never tried one yet, but at $3.00 for a standard Yoropen, you can bet I’m going to! The standard pens come in blue, pink, and black barrels with blue or black ink. They also have more expensive pens, pencils, and pens for children.

Spot Me Bookmark

Spot Me Bookmark is an interesting bookmark–it allows you to mark the last sentence that you read, so that you don’t lose your place or have to re-read paragraphs when you come back to the book. You move the arrow slider to mark the sentence. $1.99

Scroll Pen: Paper In Pen

How many times have you scrambled to find a piece of paper when you want to jot down something? This pen solves that problem. It holds a roll of paper in its barrel. You don’t even have to tear the paper off to write on it; just pull the bottom of the pen off, and you have a pen in one hand and the other half with the paper in the other. $35. ($10 for 3 scroll paper replacements.)

Click Clack Read tote bag

I *love* Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin’s funny Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. So finding this tote bag was delightful. It’s got a great message on it, too–appealing to readers and writers–”Click Clack Read.” Help save the earth by not using plastic bags, and show the world how much you love to read–and read children’s books!$18.99

Charlotte’s Web tote bag

Or how about a Charlotte’s Web tote bag? I love that illustration; it takes me back to the book. $19.50.

For more tote bags and t-shirts featuring characters from children’s books and work by children’s illustrators, check out wonder-shirts.com. Includes illustrations and characters by Betsy Lewin, Mo Willems, Kevin Henkes, Rosemary Wells, and more.

You’ve Been Sentenced!

This game sounds like a lot of fun for word and book lovers and writers. From the site: “Short lumpy worms momentarily filled the dugout.” No, it’s not a baseball team’s nightmare, it’s an example of the crazy sentences that you might come up with while playing the entertaining game You’ve Been Sentenced. This game consists of 540 5-sided sentence-building cards that will give you endless sentence possibilities. The point of the game is to try to use as many cards as possible to create a coherent yet zany sentence. The whole family will be in a fit of giggles as you all read your sentences and justify their meanings. For 3-10 players. $21.75

USB Vacuum Cleaner for your keyboard

I don’t know if this actually works, but I could sure use one. How about you? Cat hair, crumbs, they all get in my keyboard. $10.00

Harry the Dirty Dog Mini Cube Puzzle by Mudpuppy

Harry the Dirty Dog is often a favorite picture book–it’s definitely one of mine. So it’s neat to find this jigsaw puzzle featuring the book. $8.99

You can also get an Eric Carle mini cube puzzle - Chameleon, a Goodnight Moon Puzzle, Where the Wild Things Are Floor Puzzle ($18.00), Guess How Much I Love You mini cube puzzle, Madeline 24 Piece Floor Puzzle ($14.99), and more.

Creative Whack Pack

This looks like a fantastic tool, not only for writers, but also for anyone who wants to think creatively or problem solve. The deck is illustrated and comes with 64 cards with creative thinking strategies that will “whack you out of habitual thought patterns and enable you to look at your life and actions in a fresh way.” This is on my wish-list now! $16.

See also the Creative Whack Pack site.

Crossword 4-Function Pen

Another pen likely to appeal to some writers, and to crossword puzzle enthusiasts, is the crossword pen. Its exterior is covered with a crossword puzzle, and it has four options: it has a pen, a highlighter, a pencil, and a PDA stylus. To change the options, hold the pen horizontally and rotate it until the icon for the desired function faces up, then click on button #1. $35.

This comparison study of 7 different booklights convinced me that the next booklight I buy, I want to be Zelco Itty Bitty Slim Book Light. It clips onto the spine of the book instead of the pages, so doesn’t hurt the pages. The LED light is bright and shines directly where you want it, on the pages, and should last for decades. $35. at Amazon with free shipping included.

Here’s something new, at least to me–a camera disguised as a book! The camera takes film, so it isn’t digital, and I would guess it’d appeal to people as a curiosity or something fun. I’m not sure I’d ever use it–or want to pay the $75 price tag–but I like looking at the photo; it makes me grin. Maybe it’d appeal to a book lover you know.

What do you think? Appealing, or not?

The camera is created by Superheadz, who make toy cameras. You can buy one from here.

Thanks to NotCot for the info.

Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch bookmark: Reading Is a Gift

Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch is a favorite of many. I love this bookmark–and what a great message–”Reading is a gift.” 36 bookmarks for $2.99.

For more book lover and writer gifts, see my posts:

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 1

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 2

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 3

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 4

Gifts for Book Lovers and Writers, Part 5

More Gifts for Readers and Writers

Even More Gifts for Book Lovers and Writers

A scarf made from words

Favorite Picture Books as Audio Books at Great Prices

Reading can help reduce your stress by as much as two thirds (or 68%), even if you only read for six minutes. And reading works better and faster than other methods to calm frazzled nerves such as listening to music, going for a walk or settling down with a cup of tea. These are some of the findings by Mindlab International at the University of Sussex, UK.

Wow! What a validating finding about reading! I’ve always been drawn to books, to reading–perhaps especially during years when things were hard (okay, that’s my entire childhood and beyond). So perhaps I knew instinctively that books could help calm me. I do know that they helped, on many levels.

Dr. Lewis, who conducted the test, was quoted as saying: “This [reading] is more than merely a distraction but an active engaging of the imagination as the words on the printed page stimulate your creativity and cause you to enter what is essentially an altered state of consciousness.”

I wholeheartedly agree with that.

How about you? Do you think books help reduce your stress?

What a lovely thing to now be able to tell people–books help reduce stress! I think we should all spread the word!

Check out the article for more information. It’s a great read.

Did you know that there are a number of songs inspired by books? Yep, there are! How cool is that? Josh over at Brews and Books has posted about a few songs that refer to books–modern and classics–as well as plays. Some of the books I didn’t know and wouldn’t have recognized, but others I did. (Now give me children’s and YA books, and I could do a lot better. Speaking of which, the title of “Green Eggs & Hamlet” seems to me to refer to the Dr Seuss book as well as Shakespere’s play Hamlet. What do you think?)

Since I read Josh’s list and saw his mention of Batman, I can think of another comic-related song right away (what can I say–I also love comics!):

Superman (It’s Not Easy) by Five For Fighting
“I can’t stand to fly
I’m not that naive
I’m just out to find
The better part of me

I’m more than a bird…I’m more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It’s not easy to be me”

The whole song is clearly about Superman. I found myself grinning delightedly the first time I heard it. There are also quite a number of other Superman songs, according to Wikipedia.

Do you know a song that’s inspired by a book or play? If you do, head on over and leave a comment.

And hey, if you know of songs inspired by or that include references to children’s or YA books, let me know! I love the idea.

I wonder if anyone’s created a Harry Potter song, or a Twilight inspired song? I bet they have!

I’m one of those readers who likes to read in quiet. But some readers enjoy soft music in the background. If the reader you’re buying for is like that, then they might enjoy Brahms for Book Lovers: A Cozy Companion for Reading.

$6.99 at Amazon.com.

Does the reader you’re shopping for read in bed? Then they might enjoy this Book Lover’s Bed Tray for hands-free reading, and a place to put their tea.

$44.95 at Stacks and Stacks.

I love this mug and what it says: “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” Perhaps your book lover will, too.

$19.95 at Zazzle. (Okay, okay, I admit it–I also love the colors.)

Also from Zazzle, this book lover magnet looks fun to me. It says “I read and read and read and read…” in rainbow colors.

$4.35 at Zazzle. It’s also available as a mug and a t-shirt.

Book boxes are boxes made out of real books. I have mixed feelings about this; they both appeal to me, and upset me (taking a real book and cutting into it). SecretStorageBooks offers many books that have secret compartments, where you can store things–and they have children’s books, including Anne of Green Gables, and Harry Potter. When I thought about cutting up Anne of Green Gables I winced, but somehow a secret storage compartment seemed to fit Harry Potter.

The book boxes range from $17.50 to $40 according to size, though most seem to be about $25 to $35.

I love rubber stamps, and finding some with characters from children’s books feels delicious to me. Kidstamps has 39 rubber stamps featuring characters from various children’s books, including Where the Wild Things Are; Charlotte’s Web; Clifford the Red Dog; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; Frog and Toad; and more.


Prices range from $5.00 to $8.00–quite reasonable.

Kidstamps also has a section of book-related stamps that would be great for book lovers, under “Books and Libraries.” Some are clearly library related (”I love libraries”) and some are perfect for book lovers–”Give us books, give us wings,” Paddington carring books and saying “There’s no such thing as too many books”, Amelia Bedelia saying “Reading is Fun,” “Read to Your Bunny”, Kevin Henkes characters reading, cats in and on books, and many more. (Don’t forget to click on the numbers at the top of the page to see more items.)

Prices range from 7:50 to $8.50

Also from Kidstamps are rubber stamp bookplates–always reusable, and a great way to mark your book as your own before you lend it out. (I have one with Franklin the Turtle, which I love.) There are some picture book characters featured here as well. They’re $9.00 each.

The Book Lover’s Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages That Feature Them sounds like a fun way to interest your book lover. The book, created by two chefs and book lovers, connects passages about food from famous books, and ties them to recipes the chefs created. Two recipes I enjoyed reading about in the reader comments on Amazon.com were Turkish Delight (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe) and Not Violet, but Blueberry Pie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) because I love those books.

The cookbook starts at around
$2.00 used from Amazon.com./a>

This book lover “Do Not Disturb” pillow could be cute and useful, especially for a young book lover, or anyone who wants to read in peace.

$16.95 at Amazon.com.

I hope you find something here that your book lover will enjoy, or that it gives you some good ideas.

For more book lover and writer gifts, see my posts:

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 1

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 2

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 3

Gifts for Book Lovers, Part 4

More Gifts for Readers and Writers

A scarf made from words

Favorite Picture Books as Audio Books at Great Prices

Penguin UK has launched a dating website for book readers. Their tag is “PenguinDating–where book lovers meet.” It’s an interesting idea–readers are often passionate about reading and the specific books they love–so why not see if they can find a match?

Photo: Bitzi @ Flickr

According to the Bookseller, Penguin says the site offers readers “a place to meet and indulge in the age-old art of writing love letters.” Members will write about the last book they read in their profile, and can search other people’s profiles for mentions of their favorite books.

That sounds neat to me. I love writing and reading letters, and if you’re looking for love, why not try to find it through one of your passions, if books is one of yours? Somehow it sounds more appealing to me than those regular match sites, which often look quite unappealing to me. It’s the book focus that makes it seem nicer, some how. Though it’s the kind of thing that I think should be free.

Anna Rafferty, Penguin’s online marketing manager, told the Bookseller, “At Penguin we believe that the books we cherish and read over and over, those that we feel a deep emotional connection with, say something defining about us and the type of people we are.” I agree with that wholeheartedly.

It looks like PenguinDating is UK based, so people in other countries may be out of luck. I also wonder if they include lesbian and gay book lovers, or if the site is strictly for heterosexual book lovers. I’d like to think that they don’t exclude.

What do you think? Is PenguinDating appealing? Unappealing? Don’t care?

Thanks to the swivet for the link.

Gifts for book lovers and writers are fun to look at all year round. So I’ve compiled some more.

This Book Lust Journal by Nancy Pearl looks like a great way to keep track of the books you love, write down favorite passages or thoughts after you read the book, or to think about how the book reflects your life. The template encourages all this, and functions as an easy-access reference tool to return to previous entries you’ve written. There are also templates to record books on your “To Read” list, and keep tabs on books you’ve lent out. $10.95

Like this Cat In the Hat mini mug at $3.99.

Or these super-cute canvas storage boxes made to look like popular Dr. Seuss books. These are definitely on my wish list. $49.99 for the set of three.

I think this Booklover’s Holiday Calendar is pretty neat–fun and inspirational at the same time, with a clear love of books. Behind each window of this non-sectarian calendar is a literary quote about reading, writing, and all things literary by Virginia Woolf, Henry David Thoreau, E. M. Forster, E. B. White, Will Rogers, James Baldwin, and others. It includes quotes such as “In literature, as in love, we are astounded by what is chosen by others.”—Andre Maurois and “What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers.”—Logan Pearsall Smith. It looks like it goes through all the letters of the alphabet. $7.95 at the Readers Catalog.

I think this button would appeal to a lot of readers, writers, and librarians:At $1.00 each from Barrel of Monkeys on Etsy, it’s a great deal.

I absolutely *love* these If You Give a Mouse a Cookie pajamas, though they’re a bit too expensive for me. They come as a mother-and-child set; $100 for both. It also comes with a copy of the book. $10 from the sale goes directly to First Book, which gives books to children from low-income families who might not otherwise own their own books.

This small, sturdy pad–the Jotter–seems like a perfect gift for writers (I know I’d love one), and, at $6.95 each and free shipping in the US or Canada, it’s inexpensive, too. It’s a small size, so easy to slip into a back pocket or bag, has a chrome cover to keep the pages uncrumpled, and comes with a small pen. Oohhh, I think I’m going to go buy one.

Designer Stephen Reed created alphabetical paperclips, where each clip has a letter of the alphabet on it. The intention was to organize more easily–collecting multiple papers whose topic begins with the letter–but to me, it’s a delightful way to celebrate letters, words, and writing and reading.

You can buy them on a UK sites SPC for £14.50 (they’re listed under new spring products); Back4; and Magma.

Found via Not Cot

Freckleface Strawberry
By Julianne Moore
Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Copyright 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59990-107-7
Ages 0-5, 40 pages, $16.95
Hardcover
Available October 2007

Freckledface Strawberry is about a seven-year old girl just like everybody else, except for one thing: she has red hair. Not only that. She has FRECKLES!

Where did they come from? Nobody in her family has freckles. How she got them is a mystery! No matter where she goes, people always have something to say about her freckles—that she’s dotted, that she’s dirty, that she looks like a giraffe, but even worse… that she’s a FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY!

Freckleface Strawberry must do something to get rid of her freckles. And fast. She tries various funny ways to get rid of them, before realizing that maybe, just maybe, freckles are not that bad after all. What’s even more… maybe freckles are what make her HER.

This is a picture book that will be thoroughly enjoyed by all, especially by children who have freckles. The story maintains the right pace to keep the momentum going and the colorful illustrations have a wacky quality that suits well the tone and add to the humor. Julianne Moore has created a cute, fun story based on her own childhood experience . I look forward to reading more books from her.

Review by Mayra Calvani

*This review was previously published in Armchair Interviews