... gift suggestions for bookish folks
'tis the season
It’s been a busy couple weeks! I hope the end of November has treated you well, whether that means quiet time spent at home or travel to see loved ones, big elaborate dinners or simple bites.
For me, I spent the weekend before Thanksgiving participating in WriterFest here in Nashville, a conference for writers of all stripes to gather and learn and be inspired by industry experts, authors, songwriters, poets, and other writing professionals. I participated on a “Creating Your Characters” panel with fellow authors Julian R. Vaca, Kristy Cambron, and Deborah Goodrich Royce (moderated by agent Natalie Kimber of The Rights Factory). We had a marvelous time chatting about how we each approach the character construction process, crafting authentic dialogue, and how to thoughtfully approach diversity in our work. It was a great discussion, and I always love getting to hear how other writers go about wrestling their ideas onto the page, because everyone does it a little bit differently and I never fail learn something new.
WriterFest ended with an absolutely splendid party on Saturday night, and then on Sunday I flew out with my husband and kids to Pensacola, Florida, where we spent the night (and finally caught a showing of The Marvels, which was great) before driving two hours out to Rosemary Beach to spend a very chill Thanksgiving with my side of the family. We spent the week playing games, walking on the beach, snuggling with my newest niece, and making a ton of food that we still somehow managed to polish off before we left Friday night.
The only downside was that I kicked off our beautiful beach vacation by getting food poisoning. In hindsight, maybe that mall food court lo mein prior to leaving Pensacola was not the wisest decision I have ever made.
While the rest of my family headed back to Nashville, I flew up to Philadelphia to attend my 25th high school reunion. I’ve never attended any of the previous reunions and had no idea what to expect, but figured that 25 felt like enough of a milestone to try it out. Plus a few of the good friends I’ve stayed in touch with would be there, so worst case scenario, we’d have a nice time hanging out with each other and ignoring the rest of our classmates… you know, kind of like we did in high school.
As it turned out, the reunion was sparsely attended (there wasn’t a ton of notice or communication, so it’s kind of impressive anyone showed up at all) but still fun, and I did actually manage to have few conversations with people I have not heard a peep from in 25 years, so that was nice. A small group of us went out for dinner beforehand, which was an added bonus. My friend’s mom drove us, in order to provide us with a truly immersive back-in-high-school experience.
I then just lazed around my sister’s house for a couple days, getting in as many baby snuggles as possible, before finally heading home. Like an idiot, I booked a 6 am flight, which required me to wake up at 3:30 am, a time which I refuse to technically even call “early morning” because it is still fully night. I realize this was by far the cheapest flight option, but still, I would like to have some strong words with my past self.
Anyway, I am now back home with my puppies, as is only right and good, and it has come to my attention that I should probably start buying presents for all eight thousand members of my family. And as I peruse wishlists and update my gifts spreadsheet (of course there is a spreadsheet; there is always a spreadsheet), it occurs to me that maybe some of you are in the same boat.
Now, I cannot advise you on what to buy your Aunt Shirley with the taxidermy hobby and the bad ankle, but I do have some idea of things that people who like books and/or writing tend to like (I know there are a million online gift guides for writers, but having browsed a few of them, I find their recommendations iffy at best.)
While I realize my evidence is rather anecdotal with a hefty sprinkling of sampling bias, I think odds are high that someone on your list is into one or both of these things! (Or maybe that person is you—I mean, you did sign up for my newsletter, after all—in which case feel free to forward this along to the recipients of your choice as a gentle hint.) So for the reader/scribe in your life, here are a few gift suggestions.
NOTE: They probably don’t need more notebooks. Or pens. Or mugs. That’s not to say you can’t get them these things, or that they won’t enjoy these things, but every writer I know already owns way more items in these three categories than they will ever actually use. Case in point: I don’t even use notebooks and I have three within arm’s reach of me right now.
1. Books
This is a no-brainer, but maybe you’re under the false impression that there is such a thing as having “enough” books. No. Books are the opposite of notebooks and mugs. You can’t have too many, especially if you’re a writer. (And if you’re writing, you need to be reading.) I have a Bookshop.org storefront with a lot of my personal favorites, but you can also check to see whether your gift recipient has a Goodreads page to get an idea of their taste, or ask a bookseller at your local indie to recommend a title.
(Psst, if you want a signed copy of my book, I believe Parnassus Books still has a few in stock! Or if they run out, I’m always happy to run in and sign some more; just contact the store to request it and they’ll let me know.)
2. A Comfy
Yes, this thing looks ridiculous, but just trust me on this. Your favorite writer/reader wants one of these, even if they don’t know it. The name is well-earned. Also writers are always cold. I don’t make the rules.
3. Cozy socks/slippers
There are plenty of awesome bookish clothing retailers out there, such as Jordandene or Caffeine and Curses, but shirts and pants can be a pretty personal decision since we all have our own preferences when it comes to fit/style/fabric/etc. Cozy socks and slippers are much more forgiving on that front, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a writer/reader who doesn’t like soft options for keeping their feet warm. Personally, I’m a big fan of Bombas products, and for every item sold, they donate another to organizations supporting people experiencing homelessness.
4. Candles
They can be book-themed, of course, but honestly anything that looks pretty and smells yummy is going to be a win. We’re just all about the cozy vibe over here in book world.
5. Fingerless gloves
You may be noticing a theme here, but whether you’re typing or writing longhand or reading a book, your fingers are probably chilly. Fingerless gloves are excellent solutions to this problem, since they don’t impede dexterity but do keep your hands from going numb. I’m not going to link any in particular because there are one billion people on Etsy selling these (or they’re simple enough to make yourself, if you’re so inclined).
6. Bookends
Since writers and writers will inevitably own many books, we also like pretty things to help us display our books. You can get bookends in a wide variety of styles, and it’s a fun way to incorporate your recipient’s other interests into their book collection. Look, I even found an option for Aunt Shirley! *shudder*
(RIP my algorithm ads)
7. Weighted blankets
So many of us writers tend to be anxious folk, and there’s just something about a soft weighted blanket that can help calm frayed nerves. The calculation to determine the ideal weight for a weighted blanket is 10% of body weight + 1-2 lbs. (As a math problem, this looks like ([weight] x 0.1) + 1 or 2.) I’ve personally been eyeing the Bearaby knitted blankets for a while, but there are a ton of options available from other sellers at much lower price points.
Do not, and I cannot stress this enough, ask your recipient their weight. Just take your best guess.
8. Literary artwork
There are so many visual artists out there making awesome creations inspired by books. Browse your recipient’s Goodreads page or social media to figure out some of their favorite books, then search for artists incorporating those books into their work (case in point: check out the amazing piece Bookomatica did for I’ll Stop the World in the image below). Or you can get them a beautiful, bookish piece of art that isn’t tied to a specific literary work. There’s no shortage of lovely artwork that helps highlight a love of reading and writing, and most of us enjoy decorating our creative spaces with beautiful pieces that tie back to our interests.
9. A back massager
Listen, I love turning into a sentient puddle as much as the next person (okay, fine, probably more than the next person), but the human body was not meant to sit for as long as many of us do. Especially us reading-and-writing folk. Whether we’re devouring books or trying to create them, we are most likely sitting for long periods of time, and our backs almost definitely hurt. There are a ton of various in-chair back massagers on the market (we have this one and I love it), but the bottom line is your recipient probably has back problems and you can probably help. (Alternatively, a gift card for a massage may be appreciated, but not everyone enjoys being touched by strangers, so tread carefully.)
10. A creative retreat
If you can swing it—and especially if you are married to or otherwise partnered with a writer—most writers would be absolutely thrilled to get away for a little while for some solo reading and writing time. Yes, I did say “solo,” meaning that you and/or any kids in the picture would not be accompanying them. So if the writer in your life typically handles the daily household/childcare tasks, prepare to step into those roles. The purpose of gifting a creative retreat is to give the recipient an opportunity to focus solely on their own stuff, without any of the distractions of their everyday life, including what the family is eating for dinner and who has a doctor’s appointment and what the names of little Timmy’s teacher is.
The specifics of what your recipient would appreciate the most will of course vary from one person to the next. Maybe they will want to plan it all themselves, or maybe they’d love for you to plan it all and just point them in a direction. Maybe they’ll leave for a week, or just overnight. Maybe they’ll fly; maybe they’ll drive to a place close to home. You (hopefully) know best what your loved one will enjoy, but I’m pretty sure that when it comes to writers, the basic concept of having some time away to devote to our interests sounds divine to most of us.
Bonus: Gift someone else their book!
Perhaps it should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: of course one of the most awesome things you can do for a published writer is to buy their book (and if you enjoyed it, write a review!), but around the holidays, it’s so incredibly special as an author to hear that someone has decided to gift your book to their loved one. So if you’re giving books as a gift this holiday season, feel free to tag the author and let them know! It will probably make their day, and you didn’t even have to wrap it.
One day I should probably do a newsletter about the ins and outs of tagging/contacting authors, but today is not that day. For now, let me just say that if you do reach out to an author to tell them that you’ve bought their book as a gift for someone else this holiday season, you do NOT need to mention that
you also have a copy but haven’t read it yet
you read it and didn’t like it but think maybe someone else would
you started to read it then decided it would be a better fit for someone else instead
you read the description and it didn’t appeal to you but you thought someone else might like it
you read a pirated copy first
I promise, they do not need that information. But if you have also enjoyed their book, or you had it recommended to you by someone else, or you just stumbled across it and it sounded like just the thing your recipient would enjoy, or have other kind things to say, feel free to include that! We authors can be fragile folk, but kindness is always appreciated.
Anyway, those are my top ideas for the reader and/or writer in your life. Would any of these appeal to you? And what’s on your wishlist this holiday season?
Until next time (cover reveal for You Shouldn’t Be Here is so so so close, so maybe that will be soon), here’s to warm toes, crackling fires, and the smell of snow.
As an author who makes fingerless mitts, I can confirm that writers love and need them.