Gifts for the Readers and Writers in Your Life - Part One

It's about time for me to begin searching the nooks and crannies of my house for the holiday gifts I've been buying throughout the year. I still have a few folks left, but my recent online searches have me convinced that it will be easy to please the readers and writers in my life. Here are some of the things I've come across that may make my gift list this year.

New York Review Watch - The band may be plastic, but who could snub a watch with the Bard on its face? This one features a caricature by David Levine.

Writer's Pencils - Alright, I know a lot of folks write on the computer, but there are a few dinosaurs like me who write and revise on actual paper. These pencils are inscribed with quotations by O. Henry, Ring Lardner, Confucius, Beatrix Potter, and Charles Baudelaire on the craft of writing.

How to Write a Story Necklace - Hanging from a silver chain is an antique typewriter with the beginning of a story about a curious penguin. If necklaces aren't your thing, there's always the option of a brooch.

Great Poets Coffee Mug - Enjoy a cup of joe, tea, or whatever your poison accompanied by the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes.

Women Writers Umbrella - Forget about that plain black umbrella--think how stylish you'll look with Austen, Plath, Dickinson, Hurston, Woolf, Alcott, Shelley, and Bronte keeping you dry.

In My Book Greeting Cards/Bookmarks - I first saw these in the gift shop of the Library of Congress and fell in love. I'm particularly fond of "In my book, you're a mystery," which features an image of Stonehenge.

A Reader's Diary - Maybe I'm just getting old, but these days I need to write down the titles of the books I've read (though the really amazing ones stand out), as well as the ones I want to read. This terrific little pocket diary is just the thing to keep book lovers organized.

Dark and Stormy Night Board Game - Bring this to your next book club meeting and have a little fun when the discussion winds down. The object of the game is to correctly guess the title or author of eight books after hearing only the opening lines.

Raval Page Flags - My books are littered with with Post-It™ notes and loose sheets of paper where I've tried to mark important passages. For the reader in your life who must mark everything, these page flags are just the ticket.

Journals Galore - I'll admit it. I'm a journal junkie. The writer in your life may just harbor this secret passion as well. Some of my favorites include Scintillating Observations, Nepalese Traveler's Journal, The Big Empty Sky, Giraffe Journal, Chapter Books (Set of 3), and Recycled 3-Pack Notebooks.

The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them - Good food and good books--need I say more?

Okay, I'm done procrastinating for a while. I'll be back with some more ideas in the next week or so. Until then, feel free to share some of your own ideas. I'd love to hear them. And if you have time, you may want to check out last year's list of gift ideas.