Throughout the month of December I will be posting some gift ideas that are related to books and writing. Unfortunately, not all of the gifts I will be posting are available outside of North America. I thought it would be fun to do something like this, since I like buying gifts for people so much. And just buying things in general.
Some general ideas for gift giving:
1. Shopping at an independent bookshop not only helps a smaller business, but it can also make your shopping easier. Although they have a smaller selection than stores like Barnes & Noble and Indigo, you can often find things you wouldn’t find anywhere else (such as a set of Dorothy Parker martini glasses I once found.) Try specialized bookstores such as The Cook Book Store and Mabel’s Fables in Toronto or Books of Wonder in New York.
2. There is literally a moleskine for everyone.
3. If your friend is on goodreads, take advantage of that. You can look at the books they’ve read and see what they like.
4. If your friends and you are strapped for money, you could discuss exchanging used books instead of new presents. A spending limit of $5 could still buy a book or two.
5. The most frequent gift-giving mistake is to assume that because you like something your friend will like it too. I am the worst for doing this.
6. Signed books make a special gift. You can find them online, or check your bookstores for upcoming events to see if an author your friend likes is coming to your local bookstore. My bookstore still carries signed books from authors that were there in the summer.
