The BiblioPhile Gift Guide
Looking for the perfect gift for the bibliophile in your life? Look no further. As a life-long book lover, I've received more than my fair share of book-related gifts. I'm here to navigate you past the duds and straight to the winners to help you make Christmas morning a little more special for the reader in your life.
The Don'ts
Books
I know it sounds crazy to advise against a book purchase, but unless the book lover has given you a list or you are a book lover yourself and know your book lover's tastes and prior reads, there's a big potential for going wrong with a book purchase. I've gotten many books that hold no interest for me, and many more that were repeats in my already ample collection. Both are disappointments. A gift card to a book store is a much better option. Bibliophiles love to browse the bookshelves, looking for a new find, especially if they have "free money."Book-Specific Board Games
Sure, your nephew is a Lord of the Rings fanatic, but unless he has several Lord of the Rings fanatic friends or family members he simply won't have anyone to play the game with. Also, many of the current book-themed games on the market are actually movie-themed games and that can be irritating for book purists. The games look fun and sound exciting from a marketing standpoint, but the ones I've played have been either too difficult, too boring, or too book-specific to play with a group.
The Dos
Reading Pillows
My reading pillow may very well be my favorite possession. Before I bought it, I loved to snuggle down in bed with a good book, but could never get comfortable enough to enjoy the experience to its fullest potential. The reading pillow makes it so much simpler--instead of squirming around searching for the perfect position, I can lose myself in my book. The only downside? Realizing it's past midnight and I have an early day the next morning.
Word-Oriented Board Games
Most bibliophiles enjoy challenging their brains with a good word game. The readers in your life probably already have Scrabble, but they probably don't have Jot. Jot may require you to make new words, but it's not like other word games you've played. It's fast-paced, creative, and more fun than you can shake a stick at. I've added it to my Christmas list. I also really enjoy Balderdash and Catch Phrase, both of which require quick-thinking word play. Liebrary is another new book oriented game on the market that looks like it could be a lot of fun. It's similar to Balderdash, but instead of making up word definitions, players make up first lines of books.
Magazine Subscriptions
Magazines let your book lover do what she loves to do--read. A magazine subscription is safer than a book purchase because even if the person has already read the magazine, the contents change every month. It's much easier to find a general-interest magazine that will suit your giftee than a general-interest book for him or her. I'd recommend looking for niche magazines that your giftee may not have considered before. If you have a science fiction lover in your life, you might consider Locus. A mother with children at home might really love Brain, Child. Other top picks include Crime Time for mystery lovers, Romantic Times for romance lovers and Mental Floss for anyone who likes to learn quirky facts.
Special Books
I know I said books were on the "don't" list, but if you know your book lover really well there are a couple of very special items you can buy that will move you up to the top of his or her Super Great Person list. It is too late to order these gifts this holiday season, but make note of the ideas because everyone has birthdays. A signed copy of a book by a favorite author is easier to obtain than you might think. Many, many, many authors will sign a book if you send it to them. They will often even personalize it. Do some detective work and find out your bibliophile's favorite author, then hop on google and find that author's webpage. Usually you can find details about signing options there. If not, and you carefully read the FAQ and other information, shoot the author a polite e-mail and he or she will probably respond with instructions.
If the book lover in your life is unimpressed with the glam of a signed book, you may be able to impress him or her with a book that isn't yet released in your country. There are three book zones--the US, the UK, and Australia--and there is sometimes a gap of a year or more in release dates of certain books between the zones. Do a little snooping and find out if your reader is longing for a book that the Australians have been reading for a year. The Internet makes ordering simple, though it is not necessarily cheap.
Stocking Stuffers
If you need little bookish gifts, look no further than the sales counter at your local book store. Beaded book marks look like they'd be easily lost, but they are actually the perfect size and weight for use in a hard cover book. I lose everything, but I can manage to keep track of my beaded bookmarks. Cloth covers for paperbacks are also a great choice. They protect the books and usually come with a ribbon bookmark sewed right in. Cute or sophisticated bookplates let your bibliophile tastefully lay claim to his or her books. A little book light might be a nice novelty, though I haven't had much luck with them from a practical standpoint.