Oh WordPress. I disappear for eight months and you completely change the blog post interface. This is making me feel old.
Anyway, anyone up for a #firstworldproblem?
I’m not one of those people who plan out their present list well in advance. My present-buying technique basically revolves around wandering around the shops to find something that I think the recipient will like (usually a few days in advance), and then tossing in a couple of (small-denomination) gift cards in case they think it’s the worst present ever.
Obviously, the first part is out of the window this year. And buying gift cards online turns out to be way more complicated than I thought. I had no idea so many stores don’t actually offer gift cards online. Or if they do, you can only spend them in-store. Or only online. Or they expire in six months. Or something else. And let’s be honest, I’m hesitant to splash out too much on gift cards because who knows if the store is still going to be around in six months’ time with the way the economy’s going…
So all of this basically means I’m having to spend a bit more time thinking about gifts this year. And with potentially longer than usual delivery times, being a lot more organised. (Which is why you’re getting this post mid-November.) Unfortunately, not everyone is as into books as I am, else present-buying would be a lot simpler. But hey, if you do have a book-loving friend in your life, here are my ideas!
Disclaimers: All links are non-affiliate/non-sponsored. I’ve bought from these sites before and had good experiences, YMMV. Also I’m based in the UK so while I found shipping costs/times reasonable, obviously this will vary based on where you live.
Know someone who has an e-reader (or is getting one for Christmas)? TashaTwo’s Etsy store sells great e-reader sleeves for people who are a fan of minimalist design. I’ve bought both Kindle and tablet sleeves from her, and can vouch for the quality. I love the pop of colour against the neutral gray sleeves, which stops them from looking a bit too dull. And they’re perfect for travelling – the padding provides protection without adding too much bulk, and the outside pocket keeps charging cables handy.
The Bookishly Classic Book crate is a lot of fun if you’re looking for a subscription (or one-off) box idea. I love the concept of book boxes, but find I end up giving away a lot of the accompanying items because they’re not my style or I can’t find a use for them. The Bookishly items tend to be a bit more relevant and I’ve just noticed they’ve a Build Your Own Crate option which looks perfect. Also if you know someone who journals, they have a Journal for Life option which means that if you pay a nominal sum when buying a journal, they will send out a new journal every time you finish your existing one – this is such a great idea.
Limited edition books are everywhere, and can be gorgeous presents. I’ve definitely caved a couple of times *eyes stack of books with spray-painted edges* Goldsboro Books specialise in first-edition, signed books, which can be stunning and more reasonably priced than you may think. For example, this is marked as a flawed version, but you can see how beautiful their edition of Kester Grant’s COURT OF MIRACLES is (I’ve the Waterstones edition myself, and it is very lovely as well if not as fancy as the Goldsboro version – oh, and I loved the story too, Grant took Les Misérables and truly made it her own). If you’re feeling flush, they also do a Book of the Month subscription. I’ve been eyeing their Science Fiction & Fantasy Fellowship monthly subscription for a while (which is currently waiting list-only) as some of their previous editions have been amazing.
What do you think about these ideas? Any other gifts you would suggest for a book-lover?
Me and My Books 