JOURNAL OF THE MONTH
I’ve been saving this gem for last, and boy was it worth the wait! Journal of the Month is a subscription service-a literary Birchbox, if you will. Each month, you or your lucky gift recipient will receive a new (and surprise!) copy of a participating journal. What a fabulous and thoughtful treasure for the writer in your life. There are six available plans.
GO HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
THE UNEMPLOYED PHILOSOPHERS GUILD:
I only discovered this site a few days ago [thanks for the intro, Acid Free Pulp], and it was instant love. Although it’s not dedicated to books, the literature section is full of fun, whimsical, affordable items!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Alice’s Enchantmints. $3.00. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
Much Ado About Nothings. $6.50. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
Zora Neale Hurston Card. $3.50. Image from The Unemployed Philosophers Guild.
DETAILS:
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
FIFTH STOP: THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
SIXTH STOP: BAS BLEU
ODYSSEUS’ JOURNEY INTERACTIVE MAP [COURTESY ESRI]
Is this map amazing, or is it amazing?
CHARLES DICKENS
Charles Dickens
REASON: Is it possible to get through winter without pulling out a volume of Dickens? What a desperate, weary, chilly world his characters inhabit! It is enough to make the pages freeze mid-turn.
“Bleak, dark, and piercing cold, it was a night for the well-housed and fed to draw round the bright fire, and thank God they were at home; and for the homeless starving wretch to lay him down and die. Many hunger-worn outcasts close their eyes in our bare streets at such times, who, let their crimes have been what they may, can hardly open them in a more bitter world.”-Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist
If you missed My Top Six Cold Weather Writers, go here.
For Honorable Mention: Christina Rossetti, go here.
Thanks to Tom Gething for reminding me that Charles Dickens deserves a place on my list!
Happy Birthday, dearest Emily!
Birthday Girl Emily Dickinson (Born 10 December 1830).
FIVE EVERYDAY FACTS ABOUT EMILY DICKINSON:
EMILY ELIZABETH WAS A MIDDLE CHILD, SANDWICHED BETWEEN OLDER BROTHER (WILLIAM) AUSTIN AND YOUNGER SISTER LAVINIA (NORCROSS).
SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER SIMPLE WARDROBE OF MOSTLY WHITE CLOTHING.
EMILY HAD A PET NEWFOUNDLAND DOG NAMED CARLO.
SHE WAS A GIFTED BAKER.
EMILY WAS A DEDICATED AND WELL-EDUCATED GARDENER.
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”-Emily Dickinson
BAS BLEU
Bas Bleu is my favourite stop for smartly bookish gifts (and incredibly well-curated reading material). I’ve been a dedicated fan for a decade. Haunt their site for a few minutes, and you’ll understand why!
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Reading Woman Wall Calendar. $14.99. Image from Bas Bleu.
Shakespearean Insults T-Shirt. $24.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
Dictionary Cat Print. $13.95. Image from Bas Bleu.
DETAILS:
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
FIFTH STOP: THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
Don’t forget: today is Read Tuesday, the bookish equivalent of Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Please consider supporting some of the wonderful participants by buying their books (all at reduced prices).
BROWSE THE READ TUESDAY CATALOG HERE.
My friend Kevin’s amazing action-adventure book for young readers, Legends of Steragos, is available for Kindle ($2.99) and in paperback ($6.38).
Remember: ‘Tis always the season for giving the gift of reading.
Edith Sitwell, a most unusual poet and highly colourful character, died on 9 December 1964. She was 77 years old.
Edith Sitwell by Roger Fry, 1915
“I have often wished I had time to cultivate modesty…But I am too busy thinking about myself.”-Edith Sitwell
THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
This site is a book nerd’s paradise. Beware: it is a serious time waster for that very reason. On the plus side, their collection of literary goods is so wonderfully exhaustive that it is a one-stop shop for reading accessories. I hope you are wearing your comfy clothes, because you’ll be here awhile.
(MORE THAN) A FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Frankenstein Literary Transport Mug. $12.80. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald Poster. $17.63. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
On Writing by A.L. Kennedy. $30.57. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
I Capture the Castle Strong Canvas Shopper. $17.63. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
The Novel Cure: An A-Z of Literary Remedies by Ella Berthoud & Susan Elderkin. $28.96. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Emily Dickinson Soft Toy. $27.28. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
Watership Down T-Shirt. $32.11. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
The Wizard of Oz Jigsaw Puzzle. $20.84. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
East and West Egg Bestie Necklace-The Great Gatsby. $56.34. Image from The Literary Gift Company.
DETAILS:
FIRST STOP: EDWARD GOREY HOUSE STORE
SECOND STOP: JANE AUSTEN GIFT SHOP
THIRD STOP: OUT OF PRINT CLOTHING
FOURTH STOP: THE READER’S CATALOG
9 Layouts of Famous Houses From Classic Literature [COURTESY HUFF POST BOOKS]
These are cool.
A Small Press Life: Books. Art. Writing. Life. Tea. 