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Darling readers, as we are now knee deep in the holiday season, I’m very much looking forward to spending part of my Thanksgiving weekend with the March sisters and yesterday morning the music director at my church gave me a sneak preview by including “Our Hymn of Grateful Praise” during service.  I’m thinking of the 1994 soundtrack, the book, and maybe a movie (2019 or 1994, perhaps 1950) too if I can swing it.  It’s not just that I want to be ready to discuss all of life in and around Orchard House with you on Friday, December 11 at 7:30 p.m. CST at Virtual Book Club.  It’s also that I need a solid dose of normalcy in this weird and wonky year.  We hope this classic and some good bookish conversation might also be good for your soul and that you’ll join us.  Please register, so we can also have the joy of anticipating seeing your face!  

What else is this week saying to me?  Well, my mom, brother, and I (yes, the sometimes overprotective one that is more Sherlock than Mycroft, and also usually more Leonard than Sheldon – bazinga bubba!), had a long-standing tradition of Black Friday shopping in the early hours of the day.  It’s been on again, off again over the past decade or so, but more solidly off for the last couple of years as many stores have shifted their sales to be online as well.  Right now, I’m glad for it.  I’ll be in the warmth of my home, not worried about anyone’s cooties or attitude but my own, shopping to my heart’s content.  I’ve already started (and didn’t realize the awesomeness I’d already acquired from the local buy, sell, trade group for my kids thanks to an amazing friend and neighbor cleaning out – y’all, this is going to be a second year of awesome kid gifts from this source!) and have several more ideas to get me really going!  Some of my people will be receiving books and / or bookish things, and others will not.  If you’re looking for bookish gifts for the people in your life, we’ll have some tips for you today.  

But first, I want to chat about Thanksgiving, families, and what we should be arguing about over our turkey, dressing (not stuffing, gross), and sweet potatoes.  Some clues first, it’s not politics, it’s not who is wrong on the internet, and it’s not when to put up Christmas decor.  It’s who gets to break the wishbone and BOOKS.  IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT BOOKS.  But really, since the final round for the Goodreads Choice Awards is going on through November 30th, if there are readers at your Thanksgiving festivities, you should be talking about this!  In all honesty, there are a few trusted sources I consulted for thoughts and opinions when I was contemplating my vote at the ballot box this year, and if you don’t talk about books with your family, then you should.  If readers at your festivities aren’t on Goodreads they should be, so they too can vote and so you can see what books you have in common to discuss (and to find which books you might want to give them that aligns with their loves and possibly their TBR).  You might be surprised at who’s reading what, or who you might inspire to read something different!  And if an argument gets started, don’t you want it to be about something that might end up expanding your TBR rather than something that sends people to different rooms for their post dinner football and / or nap?!  I’m here for any conversation that expands my TBR, especially if it helps me find a title I enjoy and can discuss with a loved one, but be careful dear readers, don’t should on your reading life just because a loved one enjoyed a book. Make sure it’s a good choice for you too!  

As for me and my Thanksgiving argument discussion plans, I’m looking forward to a thorough discussion of The Lazy Genius Way and really all things lazy genius because Kendra Adachi’s wisdom has been pumping through my headphones for the past several days and I converted my sister over the summer and I can’t wait to talk to her more about it!  We might also discuss romance novels, although we have different tastes within the genre but I think she might adore Kathyrn Nolan’s Codex Series, and we’ll see what else comes up.  

Now, for gifts ideas.  

Bookmarks are always a hit at our house.  We have three baskets placed around just for the boys to find a “quitter strip” whenever their awful parents make them close their books to do things like eat, shower, and sleep.  I know, we’re the worst.  Last Christmas, we gifted these timer bookmarks which were a huge hit.  These joke bookmarks appeared in Easter baskets and may make their way into holiday party goodie bags care of the blog’s favorite room parent (that’s me, I’m claiming it).  For an older reader, there are inspirational bookmarks and positive self-talk reminders.  If you have a reader who likes to annotate (or who would like to, but then it’d mar their book, or the library’s), perhaps book darts or my personal favorite, Post-It Note page markers.  

In case we haven’t mentioned this, we’re both office supply nerds.  My kids are required to get Ticonderoga pencils for school, so you know they’re teacher approved, and they also have these fun neon pencils and these neat looking black ones, if the standard yellow is something you can deviate from at least for a bit.  We all adore these amazing cap erasers, which I most definitely ordered last week and then texted my pencil loving co-worker a picture of when they arrived, along with a promise to share.  Speaking of, while Ashley adores pens for her calendar, I need pencils for mine.  I adore ordering from CW Pencil (who I just adore and isn’t sponsoring this, although we’re open to that).  I wish I could tell you what to get, but I can’t.  I can tell you that I consistently order enough (between me and my aforementioned co-worker) to get free shipping and we have both been super pleased so far with the variety of items I’ve gotten.  They have gift sets and sampler sets galore!  Samplers include options like musicians, lefties, puzzles, and more as well as some more general options if someone on your list just loves office supplies or pencils in general.  

Books can be hard to gift, but as a reader I have to say, something fun is always welcome, even if it takes me an age to get to it.  Something that a reader in my life has read and thinks I’d enjoy is always a cherished gift!  Take the conversational opportunities of the Thanksgiving festivities to see if they have books they’re looking forward to (and perhaps putting off purchasing for now) or check out their Goodreads to see what they’re reading and loving (or not loving) for inspiration too.  If you’re nervous to purchase a book, consider a giftcard to a local indie bookstore and a list of a few potential purchase suggestions you considered for them.  Gift cards can be thoughtful gifts, when well-considered.  Also, dear readers, put books on your wishlist if there are titles you’re wanting!  Don’t hesitate on this one because if someone is giving you a gift, they want you to like it, so your wishlist is likely a go-to!  

I do have one specific book suggestion to share.  If you have young adventure seekers at home, I cannot suggest Lonely Planet Kid’s Wild Things enough!  Earlier this fall I searched for dragons on my local indie’s website and purchased this as a result.  Our whole family could not be more pleased.  We’ve done crafts, the boys have had adventures.  The gnomes that live in our back yard currently have a fortress of leaves that helps them guard the monk bats (half monkey half bat – I picture the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz but that is unconfirmed).  Sometimes the boys have to take their swords (sticks + twine + a page in this book + a little help from dad) and go help the gnomes maintain order.  It is amazing and such good inspiration for outdoor creative play (like when their energy level was too much for me yesterday at 7:30 a.m. +and I told them to leave my house)!  We have several of the other Lonely Planet Kids titles on our holiday wish lists, but this is the one that started it all!

Do you have a gift you’re pumped to give this season?  Are you stumped by someone on your list?  We’ve love to hear about both in the comments, and just maybe we’ll have an idea or few to offer you!

~Nikki

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (If you didn’t sing that in your head I don’t know if we can be friends…) I love giving gifts to show how grateful I am for the people in my life, but this Enneagram Type 1 needs to make sure that the receiver will appreciate the gift that is given. Mostly because it annoys me when I prepare a wish list of epic proportions, hello my entire pinterest lifestyle and amazon wish lists that are available publicly if you are so inclined, and my gifts are not from said lists. It’s really easy to figure me out, people. (I’ve been told I am an excellent thank you note writer, all thanks to my mom!) So, instead of sharing specific items that bibliophiles will appreciate, I’m going to share some of my personal favorite creators of bibliophile gifts and sundry for you and those book lovers in your life, big or small.

Out of Print: You’ve seen us at Virtual Book Club repping our Out of Print swag. [Nikki here: I’m seen in the background of online school in their shirts on the regular – teachers approve!] (All purchased with our actual, earned dollars because we love them so much! But, we have used a coupon code on each order.) We love them because not only are the images and quotations licensed from the publishers and authors, Out of Print donates money to literacy initiatives and books to areas in need. An excellent way to do double duty on your giving! Check out their story here.

NerdyInk: Tee-Shirts and Prints and Fandoms, Oh My! This family run business started in 2015 as a subscription box service, and in January of 2020 changed their business model to allow us to purchase their amazing items a la carte! Happily they still offer fans curated bundles at a discount. Follow their instagram @nerdyink for item sneak peeks and general shelfie love.

Ideal Bookshelf: Artist Jane Mount will create your personal ideal bookshelf as a painting or a print, or you can order prints of your favorite genres or themes, like this one that Ashley loves of multiple versions of Little Women. There are also mugs, totes, shirts, and our personal favorite, PINS! Because who doesn’t need a little more flare in their life? (As of this writing, there is a Buy 4 get 1 Free Pin deal happening on the website. Y’welcome.)

FrostBeardStudios: I don’t know a reader who doesn’t also enjoy a scented candle to enhance their reading life. FrostBeardStudios is a Minneapolis based business making soy-wax candles in our favorite bookish scents: Oxford Library, Bookstore, and Rainy Day Reads being three of their permanent bestsellers. They offer a Candle of the Month Club subscription to fill your home with literary scents all year-long. Also check out their seasonally themed collections.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention how our Amazon Kindle Fire Tablets have changed our reading lives, or how a Kindle e-Reader could be an excellent choice for the young or young-at-heart  book-dragons in your life. Consider the gift of a Kindle Unlimited Subscription, which is good for more than just digital books, like magazines and some audiobooks as well! There are two deals currently available – 2 Months Free or 6 Months for $29.97 as of this writing.

And, for the gift recipients that have everything they need and most anything they want, why not donate to a non-profit in their name? Besides donating to the recipient’s local library, consider the American Library Association – I am specifically interested in their Disaster Relief Fund efforts.

Gentle Reminder Dear Readers, we always want to help you shop local by suggesting you purchase from your local independent bookseller, and help us out here at Heart.Wants.Books. by clicking that affiliate link to find them online. Many of your indie bookstores carry items by Out of Print, Ideal Bookshelf, or Frost Beard Studios among other bookish creators, so try to shop there first and do double duty when patronizing on Small Business Saturday or any day of the year!

Add your favorite bookish creators and places to shop on the world wide web in the comments and on our socials to share the reading love!

~Ashley

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