Are you wondering what to give to that wonderful word nerd in your life this holiday season? 
You could browse at Barnes & Noble and find some beautiful journals, bookmarks, or book lights. If you love bookstores like I do, you can already smell the coffee and feel the crisp pages of new books under your fingers.
As tempting as it sounds to indulge your senses at the store, I urge you to also consider these distinctive gift ideas I found on-line.
Some Cool Gift Ideas
An Invisible Floating Bookshelf – barnesandnoble.com The shelf attaches with hardware to your wall and grips the cover of a single book. You can then stack other books on top of it, up to 20 pounds. Wouldn’t this look so cool in your family room- books as art. Warning- don’t make it too heavy; one reviewer complained that hers fell out of the wall!
2. Book Lover Design Kit– barnesandnoble.com This kit comes with book themed stamp designs, as well as a stamp pad and stationary. You can use it to personalize book marks, book plates, and cards, all with a book lover’s theme.
(Honey, are you reading? I want this. Maybe for my birthday. Hint, hint.)
3. Personal Library Kit – amazon.com My friend Caroline gave me one of these for my birthday several years ago, and I love it. (See picture at the top of the post.) I use it to keep track of my most cherished books- I can stamp or put a book plate with my name inside, and keep track of who I’ve loaned my books too. Because, as I word nerd, I love sharing my books, and this is a benefit to buying printed books instead of ebooks. But, I want those books back! This is the perfect gift for the word nerd who craves organization. (Ok, fine, I’m anal. I admit it.)
4. Little Librarian– amazon.com Same idea as number three, but for a child in your life who also loves books and organization.
I hope that helps! If you have any other great gift suggestions, please leave them in the replies below!
A Gift For You!
As the year ends, I’d like to thank my readers with the My Favorite Things Giveaway! Readers leaving a reply will enter into a drawing to win one my favorite books of 2012.
The details:
- You may enter by commenting on the blog between December 7 and December 19.
- Your comment must include your favorite book from 2012 and a short explanation of why you recommend it.
- Available anywhere Amazon ships.
- I will announce the winner on December 21.
- The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
If you don’t want either of these two, I’ll send you a B&N gift card and let you choose your own. I’m hoping that this giveaway will help us all find great books to read in 2013! Thanks for sharing your favorites!
Love all of this stuff! Thanks for being out there doing your word nerd thing.
Jane
Oh Julia, I love papers and pens and pencils and inks and journals so, so much! There’s a store here in Oxford called Scriptum. They sell those beautiful marble paged, leather, Italian journals and fountain pens and purple ink and millions of different kinds of pen nibs… I could do so much damage there!
Me too Veronica! Despite the digital age, or perhaps because of it, I still love the crisp pages of a journal. And purple ink! I’d love to visit that store!
I’m going nerdy history…nonfiction: Lost Kingdom by Siler. http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Lost-Kingdom-by-Julia-Flynn-Siler-review-2446729.php
I’m so thrilled by all of the new archival material coming to light. Also more than delighted that Julia Flynn Siler used a more extensive archive to write her book than had been the earlier custom.
Thanks for including the link, Lori. Having been to Hawaii and learned just a little about its tragic history, I’m very glad you shared this review. It’s also good to know that you, a resident with some knowledge, are impressed with the author’s attention to detail. Sounds like a good read! Thanks for adding to the non-fiction submissions!
I came to repay the visit you paid to my blog – the one about movies based on books. Thanks for your kind comments.
I love your word nerd stuff and am looking forward to reading The Fault is in Our Stars – if I win it from you, so much the better. Ha! I would probably pick The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick as my book of the year – I like how these two wounded people heal each other. That sounds pretty trite but there’s such a breadth of original humor as well as pain beyond might sound like a cliche story line.
Sim, Thanks for offering another great reading suggestion- I haven’t heard of Silver Linings, but I’ll have to check it out. And I’ll hope you win The Fault… It’s also a thoughtful blend of humor and pain. Glad you like the blog!
Oh. My. Gosh.
I am a word nerd. I adore all of these gifts. If I had the money, I’d have a real library in my home.
So would I Erin! I just read an article about a woman who collects children’s books- in the age of digital publishing, perhaps printed books are becoming collectibles. Maybe we should start?
Cool ideas, Julia! I’m excited to get a Kindle Paperwhite. I love the feel of paper, but this will come in handy when we travel.
Susan, I don’t know what a Kindle Paperwhite is. I’ll have to research this- of course you’re one step ahead of me in the gadget world! Thanks for sharing.
Oooh great ideas! I love that invisible bookshelf!
I’d have to say my favorite book of 2012 is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. (I know, me and everyone else in the world.) I was just completely engrossed in it, and the ending left me thinking about it for weeks. The Night Circus is a very close second!
Another vote for Gone Girl. Clearly, I have to add this to the TBR list! Glad you liked The Night Circus too!
What fun gift ideas and what a fun giveaway idea!
My favorite book of 2012 was “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. The story is told from the alternating view points of Nick and Amy, a happily married couple. Or are they? Because Amy is missing…what happened to her, and what does Nick have to do with it? Just when you think you know what’s going on, Flynn turns the tables on you. I love that moment: “Whoa. I did not see that coming…at all.” I could not put this book down!
Thanks Muddy. I’ve seen so much about this book- I heard the author interviewed on NPR over the summer and have wondered about the book ever since. Thanks for the recommendation. Hope you can use the gift ideas.
How nice! I love that library kit – definitely going in my Amazon wish list. As for my favorite book of 2012…so hard to choose (and remember). I think I’d choose Charles Duhigg’s Habits book. It made a profound impact on me and spurred me into writing and publishing an article. Wahoo. Thanks for the giveaway and Merry Christmas!
Ah hah! Adding a non-fiction to the group. I remember your article about it- a good one that got me thinking as well. You’re welcome, and Merry Christmas to you!
Ohh, Word Nerd’s Favorite Things! You’re like Oprah!
I really want to win “The Fault In Our Stars”.
My favorite book this year was The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks. Each chapter is framed around the story of one building from a tiny town in the Arkansas Ozarks, and the book traces the (fictional) history of the town and its founding family from it’s origins to the present day.
Wow! I like being compared to Oprah! Thanks for your suggestion- I’ve never heard of this book, but it sounds interesting. I don’t know anything about the Arkansas Ozarks.
One gift I’ve loved is a book journal. In my book journal I make a few notes after I finished reading a book and keep track of book recommendations from other people. I can also list authors I love so that I remember to check out more of their books at the library.
It’s a great way to keep track of what I’ve read and what I want to read.
Great idea. And I’ve seen such beautiful journals at B & N that would make this a perfect gift. Thanks for sharing.
Great ideas Julia, thanks. 🙂 I really think #2 would be great for my older son. 😉 Thanks for the inspiration. 😉 Love, Hester