It's Kimberly's turn to suggest some great gifts for booklovers. Take it away,
Kimberlybuggie!
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Here it is! The holiday guide. 'Tis the season for Christmas shopping. I'm almost done (thankfully) but I am sure some of you are just starting out! (I know this, because it has not yet crossed my dear husband's mind.)
Here are some suggestions for the book lovers in your life!
Must have books for the year:
I loved Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen - I love a good Robin Hood story and this one has just enough twists to keep it fresh. Scarlet is a modern girl in a long ago time, and her strength and fearlessness is something to be admired.
Another wonderful book is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo--YA fantasy at its finest! *Alethea's note: Yep, we all three picked Shadow and Bone for our top of 2012 lists, so I had Kimberly recommend some more books too.
New Girl by Paige Harbison - It's a dark and gothic retelling of the classic book Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier. More suitable for older readers, the story takes place in a boarding school, and the author isn't afraid to shy away from sensitive topics. Delicious, creepy and a solid retelling for fans of the original. Couldn't put it down.
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead--a book that is thought provoking days after finishing. I can't really explain why I love this book without giving anything away. Stead is a superb storyteller whose characters really evolve through the book. You know them them by the end, these complicated and flawed kids.
Wonder by RJ Palacio - A beautiful tale of Auggie, a young boy who is physically deformed. Auggie sees life and love more clearly then others around him, and this loving book is filled with heart. You won't want to miss this well written contemporary story.
Food for my belly? Yes please!
A friend of mine is in love with a beautiful tea company from Canada called
David's Tea. And with good reason. Their large selection of fine teas are well made and heaven in a cup. Check them out! They ship to the US.
Also, I was in NYC last week and got to try the most delicious chocolate!
No Chewing Allowed offers truffles and hot chocolate packets. NOT TO BE MISSED. I might have ordered some for myself as a gift. Just saying.
You can find more reviews from Kimberly at
The Windy Pages. This list is cross-posted there.
So are
our lists good for figuring out what to give other people, or are they better for figuring out what you want to get for yourself? Answer in the comments on any of the three posts and you might win a set of Alethea's
book geek buttons!
It's my (Alethea's) turn to give some great gift suggestions for booklovers.
Must-have books published this year:
Top of my list was
Shadow & Bone by
Leigh Bardugo, which Thuy already picked yesterday, haha! So I had to come up with more choices.
This was a really hard choice--there were so many great picture books this year! This and Penguin & Pinecone are great choices especially if you want to let someone know that you think of them as your friend for always :)
Get the
audiobook if you can! It's SO good. I didn't expect there to be an actual murder in this middle grade mystery novel, but there is. It's equal parts funny and sad, and thoroughly entertaining.
I love, love, love
Jane Eyre, but a lot of the adaptation/spinoff novels are hokey.
The Dark Unwinding gives Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece a respectful nod while still remaining original and enthralling on its own. Give this to someone who loves gothic romance, steampunk, and swooning.
Must-have Classic:
Signature Shakespeare
The Signature Shakespeare series, illustrated with intricate papercuts by Kevin Stanton, debuts this year with four volumes including
Hamlet,
Macbeth, and
Romeo & Juliet. I love
Much Ado About Nothing's gorgeous, bright colors! (You can find
more photos at Elsa Mora's papercutting blog) For fans of art and theatre, this is a double-duty gift.
Bookish Things:
"booklover" on Etsy
I like
Etsy's search function a lot. You can find handmade things for people who love not just books, but specific books, too! One of my favorite searches is "
booklover", which also turns up my book buttons :) but I love it because I can find cool, unique items like the elastic bookmark above. I've bought everything from Kindle covers to Love your Librarian t-shirts for my bookish friends from Etsy sellers. Just be mindful that shipping takes time, so order early especially if it's shipping overseas.
Book-related jewelry
I don't wear jewelry, but if I did, I would love to get one of these awesome pieces! Viviane at
HebelDesign creates pieces inspired by fantastic YA novels, like Morozova's Collar inspired by
Shadow & Bone. One thing though--she can't guarantee holiday shipping, so order soon and be prepared to give your gift recipient an IOU in case it doesn't arrive in time.
There are also designs available for
Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone novels, and through January 31, 2013, she will be giving all of her proceeds to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.
For the picture book lover, there's
Oliver Jeffers's line from
Digby & Iona, just be prepared to dig deep into your wallet. They are pricey!
Food... for your Belly, not your Mind!
Cookie Butter - If you didn't already know about this product, you are going to want to kill me in a minute. You can find this as
Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter or
Biscoff Spread (in creamy and crunchy--I have it on good authority that crunchy is better), and since it's basically crushed cookies with the consistency of peanut butter, you can bake with it or just spread it on whatever happens to be around. I usually just grab a spoon and tamp down my self-loathing. Luckily, this is easier to do when your mouth is full of cookie butter. Also, easy to eat while holding a book.
Seriously, just wrap it up and hand it over. I've mailed it to a friend without even a note of explanation. It's gift-giving gold.
Bakerella has a recipe for
Cookie Butter Fudge, if you really have to get fancy with your gift-giving.
I have to thank my husband for finding this one.
Adagio makes fandom blends of tea. Whatwhat?!? *mind blown*
Come back on Friday for more great gifts for booklovers!
So are
our lists good for figuring out what to give other people, or are they better for figuring out what you want to get for yourself? Answer in the comments on any of the three posts and you might win a set of Alethea's
book geek buttons!
Thanks to
Thuy for kicking off a short series of posts with
gift recommendations for all of your favorite book lovers.
Must-have books published this year:
Extra Yarn - written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Jon Klassen
Adorable story, awesome illustrations, and it's about knitting. LOVE.
Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo
One of my fave reads this year. Also has a fantastic cover.
Cinder - Marissa Meyer
Another fave this year. Love the twist on this classic fairy tale and
Cinder is a character I think a lot of people can relate to.
Must-have classic:
A twist on a classic. Like a lot of folks, I am a fan of the Grimms' original fairy tales and I am dying to see Pullman's take on them.
Bookish things:
Downtown Abbey Seasons 1 & 2 - I know you can stream the series online but let's face it, this is something that I want to have in my collection.
Nan Lawson prints - I love Lawson's quirky yet cute style and she makes prints of subjects that many bookish/sci fi nerd would love.
Food for... your belly, not your mind:
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Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies
Used with permission from RecipeGirl.com |
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies - The holidays are the perfect time for baking. I love a good warm cookie with ice cream, and this recipe from
RecipeGirl for a skillet cookie looks delicious. Reminds me of the pizookie from BJ's, which is pretty much the only reason I go there. But, with a bit of work, you can make your own delicious skillet cookie at home. And have it all to yourself. :) Or, you know,
give someone the means to do that.
Alethea's note: This is perfect for the booklover who doesn't want to get cookie grease all over their book or eReader, because you eat it with a fork or spoon (and a huge dollop of ice cream)
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| say "twee!" |
Come back tomorrow for more great gifts for booklovers!
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omg i love speculoos. laura's husband brought some back from spain a couple of years ago and we all got addicted to it. reminds me that i need to buy some more. awesome list. i love that shadow and bone necklace, too!
And you friend is very grateful for the cookie butter. She's currently concocting recipes in her head.
There is a Speculoos cookbook that has recipes for all kinds of stuff including how to make the cookies and cookie butter. I bought one for a gift but now I am in trouble and totally need to buy myself one :D