present ideas for readers

I've got a slightly smug face on as I've only got one Christmas present left to buy, but if you're struggling to think of something to buy for the reader in your family I've got some ideas.

List under the jump:-

Bookity

With Christmas coming up (hey, it's officially December, it's ok to talk about it now) I thought I'd start giving you some gift ideas for your bibliophile friend.

I was given this bracelet for my birthday by my smallest sister- but this is the first time I'm showing it off on the blog.
 

It is available on etsy  and The Literary Gift Company. It designed by Bookity, who makes handmade jewellery from damaged books.

My particular bracelet is made from Kafka of The Shore by Haruki  Murakami. I'm a big fan of his work, read my reviews of The Underground  and  Tsukuri Tasaki and His Years of Pilgrimage. There are plenty of other authors to choose from including Tolkien, Austen and Agatha Christie.  

The bracelet feels tactile, the inside is smooth. The only downside is, that the clasp is non-adjustable.  

P.s Happy Birthday to my big sister!

Bookish Birthday

Yay! It's my birthday today and at the grand age of 26 I feel I am officially a grown adult woman. So to honour the occasion I've put together a small ideas for the literature-lover in your life.


1. Doubleplusgood necklace, quoted from Nineteen Eighty-Four, £28.00, sold here   

I'm a fan of Orwell, so things makes my list. Also it's bang on trend at the moment as delicate gold  accessories are going to be massive this summer.

2. Bookish....and proud of it notebook, £7.99, sold here

I'm always slightly cautious when I get a new notebook as I don't want to spoil it with my dreadful handwriting. Both these notebooks would be perfect for readers to write reviews of make lists of what they want to read next.

3. Old Junk, Penguin Notebook, £8.99, sold here 

4. Roland Dahl Matilda t-shirt, £19.99, sold here 

I think Matilda is my favourite Roald Dahl, but the Fantastic Mr Fox and BFG are also pretty wonderful.

5. Game of Thrones, Westeros leggings, $85.00 AUD, sold here 

Possibly over-priced (and I'm not totally sure I could pull these off) but as a huge GoT fan I had to include these snazzy Black Milk leggings. The print also comes in a dress.  

6. From small seeds necklace, £20.00, sold here

 Staying on the Game of Thrones theme, I think the tree on this locket look like it belongs in a weirwood.

7. Personalised Penguin Kindle Cover, £19.99, sold here

This is so cool! You could use the details of your fave book, but  I think I would be tempted to use my own name as the author, or is that a bit sad? I really love the classic penguin design, when I went to a charity shop I had to really resist buying a bulk lot of these orange and white books, but as I didn't actually want to read any of them it felt a bit fake.

If you want to find my previous gift ideas see here:

• presents for readers 
• presents for tea-drinkers 
• presents for writers
• presents for potterheads  
• presents for feminists 

Or if you are on a budget or fancy giving a home-made present, check out my DIY ideas here:-

quote bunting 

framed penguin postcards 

I'm off to enjoy my day! 

mother's day book list

It's mother's day this Sunday, and although my family don't celebrate it (not that we don't appreciate our mum) I thought I'd put together a list of books that put parent/child relationships at their core.

So, if you want to gently steer your mum away from Maeve Binchy or Joanna Trollope have a look under the jump for my suggestions:-

last minute crimbo book ideas

If you're stuck for ideas for a present to give your book-loving friend/relative, hopefully this list will give you some inspiration. 

Scarlett Thomas' The End of Mr Y and Donna Tartt's The Secret History are perfect presents for university students. The End of the Mr Y, is a thrilling adventure that includes a cursed book, time travel and literary theory. The Secret History is a great one for classicists, eccentric misfits at prestigious New English collage engage in a Bacchus frenzy. The Secret History is one of my all time favourite books, the charismatic students, intelligence and arch wit of this novel make a lasting impression.

Scarlett Thomas, The End of Mr Y (ISBN: 9781847670700)

If the intended recipient has an interest in queer literature, Giovanni's room by James Baldwin is a good place to start. Passionate and beautifully written the novel focuses on the relationship between an American man living in Paris and an Italian barman. For a list other recommended LGBT novels see here.

James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room (ISBN:780552990363)

For those with an interest in travel or for those who are about to embark on a gap year I would recommend the following: Marching Powder by Rusty young, a cautionary tale of a young man  who is caught trying to smuggle cocaine out of Boliva and is sent to the infamous San Pedro prison. Pedro Juan Cutierrez's Dirty Havana Trilogy can be found in youth hostels the world over, a condemnatory expose of poverty, vice and tourism in Cuba. Shantaram recalls the epic adventurers (though it is debatable how much is true) of the author's, time in India during the early 80's. From escaped convict, to slum doctor, to Bollywood actor to Mujahedeen fighter, Gregory David Robert's story certainty isn't dull.

Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram (ISBN: 9780349117546)

Next on my list of suggestions are two book by two very different Japanese authors, Haruki Murakami and Koushun Takami. Norwegian Wood is one of the more accessible Murakami novels, as it is less surreal compared to his other fiction. It is a simple and beautiful story of first love, mental illness and Beatles music. Takami's Battle Royal is the original Hunger Games, a class of schoolchildren are forced to fight each other on a remote Island.

Haruki Murkami, Norwegian Wood (ISBN: 9780099528982)

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danilewski has a cult following and is very difficult to summarise, I've never read anything like it. It is a twisting, experimental labyrinth of a book. Fantastic for students that have had to sit through lectures on 'the uncanny' or fans of post-modernism. House of Leaves starts with a simple narrative about a house that is bigger on the inside than the outside, but turns complex, bewildering and frightening. There are lots of different editions of this book, but  I recommend buying the full colour.

Mark Z. Danieleski, House of Leaves  (ISBN: 9780375703768) 

Mark Z. Danieleski, House of Leaves  (ISBN: 9780375703768) 

Mark Z. Danieleski, House of Leaves  (ISBN: 9780375703768) 

Hopefully this has given you some ideas, only 3 more days to go!  If you are in need of more inspiration, check out this list of novels to give a fan of war books or gift ideas for a feminist, Potterhead or writer. Or if you've got a book in mind, check my review tag, to see what I thought

Literary Clothing

I've previously mentioned in other gift guides places to buy literature related clothing, and I've just found another one to add to the list:- The Affair. This company takes a more abstract approach rather than bog-standard book covers printed on t-shirts.

George Orwell, Animal Farm

The t-shirts retail for £29.90, which is quite responsible considering that they only produced in small runs. Also at the moment they're doing a really good deal of 3 mystery t-shirts for £44.8

If these aren't your style, but you still fancy some novel clobber, have a browse on these sites:-

• TruffleShuffle: for Roald Dahl, Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter t-shirts and hoodies
• Out of Print Clothing: literature related apparel, bags and accessories- I can't decide if my favourite is the 1984 t-shirt, or the Great Gatsby jumper. If you want to buy Out of Print Clothing in the UK have a look on amazon
• The Literary Gift Company: so many great titles to choose from, including children and adults books
• Litograph: These are really clever, the entire book it printed on the t-shirt with an illustration. For example Bullfinch's mythology is illustrated with a picture of Medusa. 
• Skreened: 'I party with Jay Gatsby' is my favourite t-shirt slogan, they also have Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mocking Bird and The Perks of Being a Wallflower items.
• Red Molotov. This Atticus Finch one is my favourite.
• Rupert and Buckley. This t-shirts include funny literary puns, 'Annoy me and you'll get the Bronte of my sisters', 'I'm no plain Jane I'm Austentatious! 

She wants the D(estruction of the patriarchy). Gifts for feminists

Ok, slightly specialised, but still here is a list of gift ideas for the feminist reader in your life.

1. If you're after a fiction book good authors to try (my favourites in brackets);

•  Margret Atwood (The Handmaids Tale, actually any of her books are winners, my review of Madaddam)
•  Angela Carter (The Passion of New Eve)
• Toni Morrison ( Jazz)
• Octavia E. Butler
• Sarah Waters (Fingersmith)
• Suzanne Collins (for your adolescent feminist, Hunger Games)     

This list is in no way comprehensive, and also there is plenty of non-fiction book on feminist thought out there. People worth checking out include, Judith Butler, Pat Califia and Patricia Hill Collins.

2. A Book from Persephone Book store (here) a specialised bookshop dedicated to neglected (mostly women) mid-twentieth century fiction and non-fiction. Organised by categories such a 'Suffragettes', 'A Woman's Place' and 'Gender and race'. The covers are also beautiful and simply designed.

If you don't want to get your favourite feminist a book, here are some other suggestions:

3.  Feminist Brooch (£9.00 from here). Also comes in a snazzy necklace.

4. Feminist Killjoy Banner (£8.63 from here)

5. Margaret Atwood Print (£9.58 from here)

6. 'she is too fond of books and it has turned her brain' Notebook (£7.95 from here)

7. Uterus Plush ($20.00 from here)

8. Feminist Embroidery Hoop (£14.93 from here)

9. 'well behaved women rarely make history' tote bag (£9.59 from here). A nice Christmas idea would be to buy a bag like this, and then pop a feminist novel inside.

10. NUWSS replica badge (£13.50 from here)

11. A Room of Ones Own print (£19.95+ from here)

Gifts for Writers

Sorry, I've been a bit quiet this past few weeks, but I'm back (yay!) and here to help with some present suggestions as it's not long now until Christmas (double yay!).

I'm intending to do a whole series of present ideas, and first up is gifts for writers:-

1. Write Brooch. (£14.99 from here)

2. Vintage Typewriter, typewriters make beautiful home decoration (or you could write your first novel on one). Ebay  is a good place to start, with typewriters going for about £30, charity shops and carboot sales are also good places to go hunting.

picture taken from pintrest 

3. 'I could have been a novel' notebook (£6.99 from here)

4. Typewriter Print (£12.78 from here)

5. Working Fountain Pen Necklace ($30.00 from here) 

6. Scrabble Ring (£0.99 from here) as they're so cheap you could buy a few, have your initials or maybe 'write' or 'type' go across your knuckles.

loads more ideas after the cut......

James W. P. Campbell & Will Pryce - The Library: A World History

I'm starting my Christmas wishlist already with James W. P. Campbell and Will Pryce's The Library: A World History. (ISBN:  978-0500342886). The images in this book in look absolutely stunning, and are guaranteed to give you wanderlust.  

The Tripitaka Koreana at the Haeinsa Temple in South Korea. image taken from here. I used to live in South Korea- such a missed opportunity that I didn't visit!

 George Peabody Library, Baltimore

The book is a little bit pricey (£38.99 currently on Amzon) but would make a fabulous gift for a bibliophile. 

edit: just like to point out that the fabulous photographer Will Pryce took all of these stunning pictures. 

Retro from Scratch

Thought I'd share this with you Retro from Scratch, handmade stationary and bunting made from up-cycled vintage books.

picture taken from here

With the new school/ uni term just starting the bunting would be a good idea to jazz up your dorm room or use one of the notebooks in your seminars.

Etsy shop

Roald Dahl T-shirts

TruffleShuffle have got some awesome Roald Dahl T-shirts for adults and children. They're going on my wishlist and would be perfect as gifts for fans of Dahl's delightfully funny and wicked children's books.

The BFG was my favourite Dahl book

picture credit

 but I think my favourite T-shirt design is for Matilda. I really like Quintin Blake's illustrations   

Picture credit

The Lady of the Hundred Dresses

Before I pack it away, I wanted to show the birthday card my mum got me:-

A card that looks like a library book- very cool in my opinion. Perfect for a fashionable reader, this card can be purchased at Waterstone's. Apparently, The Lady of the Hundred Dresses is an actual book, I might have to try and track down a copy.   

Presents for readers

Today is my birthday (yay!), and as I will be jollying around Lisbon this is a scheduled post of suggestions for presents for bibliophiles:-

One. 

How about a good book? hahaha pretty obvious, but why not? If you're stuck for ideas, have a look at my recent reviews and see what I did/didn't enjoy. Another useful place to look is goodreads which has a massive archive of reviews. Alternatively go out there and get some human contact, your local bookseller will have loads of recommendations. 

Currently on my wishlist are:-

image from Amazon.co.uk

1. The People of Forever are not Afraid- Shani Boianjiu. A coming of age novel about young women doing their national service in Israel 
2.  We, The Drowned- Carsten Jensen. A literary voyage about a crew of Danish sailors in 1848 
3. The Lost Books of the Odyssey-Zachary Mason. Continuing my current hobby for Greek epics. 
4. Far From the Tree- Andrew Solomon. Non-fiction, examining genetics and parenting     

Ok if a book is too obvious or you're not sure what the person you're buying for has read, I have plenty of other suggestions after the cut....