As the holdays approach, Becky Meloan provides some gift ideas for the readers in your life...
by Becky Meloan
1. Book Cover Art T-Shirt
Celebrate the classics! Out of Print features t-shirts, accessories and stationery for adults and children. All items incorporate iconic and often out of print book covers. Check out the kid’s Caps for Sale t-shirt, the Pride and Prejudice tote bag, and the Fahrenheit 451 iPhone case. Give a nod to traditional books with a Moby Dick cover for your shiny new e-reader. Prices range from $4-$42.
http://outofprintclothing.com/
2. kate spade new york Illustrated Library Books Mug
Made by Lenox, this porcelain mug is perfect for pencils or bookmarks as well as coffee. These mugs are selling out fast and can be hard to find, but Macy’s still has a selection. When those are gone, try e-bay! Price $20.
3. Your Ideal Bookshelf Painting
Artist Jane Mount will paint a custom bookshelf based on the books you select: favorite books, childhood books, books that inspired you. The artist calls it “an intimate form of portraiture.” Custom original paintings start at $220 with presentation gift cards available. Prints and note cards are also offered in popular themes: Harry Potter, Cooking, Tolkien, and more, and start at $15.
http://shop.idealbookshelf.com/
4. The Louvre: All The Paintings by Erich Lessing and Vincent Pomarède
It may be a book, but it is so much more. All 3,022 paintings found in the permanent collection at the Louvre are included in this official museum publication, with annotations. Art historians discuss four hundred of the most significant paintings. Included is a DVD-ROM, which is browsable by artist, date, school, art historical genre, or location in the Louvre. A useful delight for those planning a trip to the Louvre, and a must-read for those who are not lucky enough to visit in person. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, $75
http://www.workman.com/products/9781579128869/
5. The Men of the Stacks 2012 Calendar
Meet Brett. Brett is the director of the Collingswood (NJ) Public Library, a part-time PhD student in Library and Information Science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, the treasurer of the New Jersey Library Association, Chair of the ALA Future Perfect Presidential Task Force, and a co-founder and editor of In the Library with the Lead Pipe. Brett is also Mr. March in the It Gets Better Project’s “The Men of the Stacks” 2012 Calendar. Conceived to highlight real librarians, this project aims to dispel the perception that librarians are only little old ladies, instead showing these men as they see themselves. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar are being donated to the It Gets Better Project. Cost $15.99
6. Book-a-Month from Politics and Prose Bookstore
Enroll a lucky person in this program from Politics and Prose, a popular DC-area independent bookstore. Tell the staff about your reader’s interests and hobbies, their favorite books, writers, or literary genres (or have P&P contact the recipient directly). Staff members will carefully select a book each month and ship it straight to the recipient. You can choose to have books sent every month or two, for 6 months to a year, or longer. The only cost is the price of the book plus shipping. Discounts are available with membership. The Book-a-Month program is available for children as well as adults. Collectors and fans of current titles may also like to be enrolled in another Politics and Prose offering, the Signed First Editions Club. Score: Independent Bookstores: 1, Amazon: 0.
