Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Bookish Items to Add to My Collection

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

So many delightful bookish things are out there…it’s really a pity I live in a studio apartment at the moment. There’s not much room for collecting things (even when they are adorable). But these are 10 items I think would be worth the space!

I have some bookish socks already because they are an excellent stocking stuffer and friends and family tend to get me them as gifts, which I love. I would definitely add these library card socks from Out of Print to my collection.

Typically I have a hard time with perfume. I tend to be allergic to a lot of things and have to be really careful with what scents I pick to not end up with an instant headache (like I just did recently after I thought the Lush perfume I bought was fine.. whoops). But I’ve never had a problem with the perfume from Black Phoenix Alchemy. I bought one perfume and two samples from them and I can wear everything without headaches!

While not all their perfumes are bookish, many are directly inspired by books or poems like their Alice in Wonderland collection. Others are inspired by dark, gothic, or magickal themes or films (be aware that some are more risque than others and may not be appropriate for under 18). There are so many fun scents and they’re reasonably priced, but they make limited batches so be aware that the scent you want may be out of stock. My favorite perfume I’ve tried so far is Bess, which is:

“Inspired by the tragic, ill-fated love of Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester. This is our modernization of a 17th-century perfume blend favored by British aristocracy: rosemary, orange flower, grape spirit, five rose variants, lemon peel, and mint.”

The biggest problem I have with this company is that their website is extremely difficult to navigate! They organize by collection rather than scent or scent profile. I would start under the “beloved favorites” section or just browse and see what rabbit holes you fall into…

Obvious State designs beautiful minimalist prints, postcards, notebooks, and more out of Portland Oregon. As someone who is…ahem…obsessed with notebooks, I’m always looking for more. These recycled beauties are small enough to fit in a purse or a pocket.

This is the Women Writers collection.

50 postcards based on commissioned book plate designs? Yes, please! I use postcards for their obvious purpose, but I also use them as cards, hang them on my walls, and generally love looking at them.

Okay so this is not a particularly minimalist selection, but when you love Jane Austen–why not dress up like Lizzie or Emma?

A lovely cotton regency dress made to order from Recollections Dresses on Etsy (note that it does have a zipper, so not historically accurate but it’s so pretty and I don’t have to sew it!)

When in doubt I don’t think you can go wrong with a From the Page literary candle. I particularly like their definition candles. How to choose between abibliophobia and bibliophagist?

The fact that I have nowhere to put this diorama when I’ve finished doesn’t make me want to complete this kit any less….

I also am a sucker for a good literary pin, like this simple bookstack from Etsy. And I’m always on the lookout for more stickers to add to my water bottle or more literary tshirts.

What are your favorite bookish items in your collection? Any of these items catch your eye? Let me know in the comments!

When You Need a Good Book: Readers’ Advisory

In my reference class this semester we’ve been talking about how to find books for patrons in need of a new great read. The holidays are fast approaching and maybe you’re planning on getting a book for yourself or for someone else this holiday season. Need a good recommendation? You can drop a comment on this blog post, and I’ll give you personalized book recommendations!

Let me know:

  • Is this book for you or someone else?
  • What’s something you/your recipient has read recently and enjoyed?
  • Are you looking for something similar or a little different?

Feel free to share as much detail as you’d like. You can also let me know if you’d prefer a new release or something you’ll be able to find in paperback or used.

Here are my favorite online retailers:

  1. You’re local bookstore! Check your local bookstore’s website and see if they’re offering pick-up or if they’ll ship directly to you. Many will be happy to order a book specially for you.
  2. If you can’t get to the local bookstore, try Bookshop.org. They give 30% of book sales directly to local bookstores. You can search for your local bookstore and make sure that they are supported.
  3. For used books: thriftbooks.com. I love that I can search for exactly the books I want or need and choose their condition. Shipping tends to be quick.
  4. For pretty UK covers: Book Depository. If average book covers leave you underwhelmed, try this seller. They offer free shipping on all orders. Order by December 9th for delivery by Christmas.

Top Ten Tuesday: 12 Bookish Gift Finds from Etsy

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature from The Broke and the Bookish.

Today’s topic is a holiday gift freebie, and since I’m an Etsy seller and love books and gifts that are not books but are related to books, I decided to merge the two topics together to create today’s post. Support small business owners and local (and not so local) artists this holiday season!

So here are twelve gifts (because I couldn’t narrow it down anymore) that you can buy for the bookish person in your life, and as a bonus they’re all under $50 and most are under $30.

poepemberley

Who doesn’t need an articulated Edgar Allan Poe paper doll? The shop ArdentlyCrafted has super fun paper dolls of all kinds. Some of my favorites besides Poe are: Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, Oscar Wilde, and Luna Lovegood. There’s also a bunch that aren’t literary but are just good fun. I think these would make great stocking stuffers. The dolls come cut and assembled. ($12)

If you like Jane Austen, you need to visit the Etsy shop PemberlyPond. Based in Italy, this shop specializes in bookish prints, but I love getting postcards like these Pride & Prejudice postcards. You can send them, you can frame them, and they’re a great way to give cost-effective art pieces. I also love: The Wizard of Oz poster, I Love Mr. Darcy pin, and The Great Gatsby illustrated cards. ($13.10)

For the crafty person on your list, a literary embroidery kit or pattern could like this one from thimbleandthistle could be the perfect thing. If you’d rather just get the embroidery done for you (less hassle, no knots–she offers that too). Some of my other favorite hoops: Custom Couple’s hoop, monogram embroidery, Custom Baby Name. ($18 for kit, $5 for pattern)

You can write notes down on any old sticky note or piece of paper, but the perpetual note taker in your life might appreciate the super fun printable note paper designs from the India-based SkyGoodies. The download comes with four designs, my favorite of course being this one. Other cool things from this shop: 2017 landscape calendar, 2017 printable desk calendar (you fold it up and it looks like a typewriter!), paper rickshaw model. ($5.99)

wildthings

These great Where the Wild Things Are blocks from StorybookBlocks are perfect to help mold the little voracious-reader-in-training in your life. Everyone likes blocks, and what could be better than illustrated blocks that are fun to play with and bring stories to life? The blocks are coated in a mouth-safe varnish and have safe sanded edges, plus the book comes with it! My other favorites: periodic table blocks, Rainbow Fish blocks, and Eloise book blocks.($38)

A mug might be an obvious choice for a book lover (what better way to hold their tasty reading beverage of choice?), but this Shakespeare bone china mug is anything but ordinary. I love the designs from ChaComLetras, and besides this mug I really love: the Alice in Wonderland notebook set, the Charles Darwin Mug, and the dinosaur print handkerchief.

The committed reader might forgo food and sleep occasionally in order to finish the last few chapters of their book, but now they can deal with chapped lips or other scented dilemmas, like the need for roll-on perfume without abandoning their precious books. FromthePage sells a whole bunch of great-looking things for book lovers including soy candles (the Christmas at Hogwarts candle sounds awesome), lip balm, and beard oil (the Merlin’s Beard one is hilarious). ($9.99)

I’ve fallen asleep on my fair share of books, and I can attest to the fact that they’re rarely comfortable. But sleeping on this Harry Potter book pillow from BrassingtonHollow is sure to give you nothing but good dreams. My fiancé hates pillows, but I think even he would enjoy these. Other favorite pillows from this shop: Hocus Pocus spell book, Lord of the Rings, and Wind in the Willows.

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Book lovers wear their obsession on their sleeves. And sweaters. Now you can wear your favorite books with pins like this Literature Ladies pin from LiteraryEmporium (pins). I’m also obsessed with these other pins: I Love Big Books, I Read Banned Books, as well as their literature pocket notebooks.

If you or a friend runs your book collection like a small library, you may really like this Ex Libris custom book stamp so that people remember where to bring their books back to when they’re finished. I really like this one from thesmallobject, but they have other awesome stamps including: custom return of address stamps (with a custom house drawing), custom drawings, and other custom book stamps. ($30)

The Globe Theatre is legendary for any Shakespeare or theatre afficianado, and now you can build your own paper model of the iconic landmark with a kit from PaperLandmarks. A great gift for the literary lover meets crafter in your life. Other models I like from this shop: Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, Pont du Gard Bridge ($17.46).

 

Chances are, you have a picture of your ideal bookshelf, and there’s also a good chance that Jane from janemount has painted it. This Shakespeare book print is great for the reader in your life. Other favorites: Custom bookshelf painting, Ideal Bookshelf Mug 1993-2013, The Great Gatsby pin.

 

Let me know what your favorite bookish gift is in the comments!

None of these quite your speed? If you need a custom calligraphy quote from your recipient’s favorite book, you can check out my Etsy shop. I’m accepting orders for Christmas internationally until December 1 for Canadian orders or until December 15 for domestic orders. Sorry I can no longer guarantee other international orders will arrive for Christmas. ($30 for custom original calligraphy artwork, $3.50 calligraphy bookmarks)

*Just a disclaimer that I have no affiliation with any Etsy shop (besides my own) and that I’ve never made an order from any of these shops, though they all have great reviews and really cool products.*