Holiday Gifts for the Nerdy, Book-Loving Woman

Here are some ideas for gifts you can give to the bibliophile woman in your life, limited, of course, by my reading preferences. Warning: I haven't labored over this, I'm just throwing out some ideas I had. I'll add more if they come to me. This is by no means a comprehensive gift guide!!

1. The Woman Who Will Always Be Little Red Riding Hood

 Book: Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale

 Gift: Gorgeous Linzor Hood from Anthropologie: Perfect for lunch with Grandma or a date with the huntsman—or wolf, whichever she prefers.




2. The Woman Who Loves His Dark Materials Series by Philip Pullman 

Book: The His Dark Materials Omnibus just released Dec 6, 2011.

Sure, it must be REALLY heavy, but that cover is to die for. I'm drooling all over my keyboard as we speak.

Gift: (Not exactly for grown women, but is this not SO incredibly cool??) Netto's Polar Bear Rocker

3. The Woman Who Wants to Be Karou

Book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Wait for my contest, which will feature a hardcover signed copy OR buy it yourself, if you haven't already!

Gift: A wishbone necklace (readers will know why.)

You can find many lovely versions in silver or gold on Etsy. I like this one by Lisa Loren (shown).


4. The Woman Who Will Always Love Fairy Tales

The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm published by Taschen Books. Gorgeous book for a long-time fairy tale reader, or a first timer.

[Edited 12.15.11]
Gift: When shopping for the fairy tale girl, the question is not what to get, but where to begin? She may be shy, she may be demure. She may kick around in old jeans and never wear makeup. And yet, secretly, she is a princess.

Oh, I just upped the ante now, didn't I? You're shopping for a princess! But don't despair. Here are several ideas that will surprise and delight her.

1. An extravagant headdress: Don't think it's her style? That's only because she's in disguise. She may never dare to wear one of these lovelies at a ball for fear of giving herself away, but there's nothing wrong with dressing up for a Saturday night in with a good book!

Here are a few headdresses I like:

a. Star Chylde Golden Crystal Stars and Bronze Chain Headpiece Headdress by Raven Eve Jewelry on Etsy for $38.00.

b. Blue Bead and Silver Chain Headdress by BOHOBO Collective on Etsy for $48.00.

2. Shoe Clips: Because every princess needs a special pair of shoes and these clips ensure that even the simplest peasant flat has a bit of faerie godmother magic.

Pom Pom Shoe Clips from BHLDN (available in many colors)for $25.00

3. Toadstool: Maybe she's a wild woodland princess, who doesn't like fancy shoes or jewels. In that case, perhaps she'd like a toadstool of her own!

Mushroom Pouf at Anthropologie for $138.00. (It's 15" high)

5. The Dragon Rider...I mean, Reader Despite the obvious fire hazards, bibliophiles and dragons can't help but fall in love. Every book-loving woman needs a trusty dragon companion, don't you think?


Book: There are too many to list! The dragon-loving reader might feel a kinship with Cimorene from Dealing with Dragons and the rest of the series by Patricia C. Wrede (now available as a boxed set), or perhaps at heart she's a dragon rider of Pern in Anne McCaffrey's beloved series. Then again, she might, deep down, be Danaerys from George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, or September from Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.


Gift: Handknit Dragon Hatchling by Sweet Bauer Knits on Etsy.

6. Women Who Run—I mean, read—with Wolves 

Book: She might be Team Jacob, or maybe she prefers Sam from Maggie Steifvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls, or maybe she's a fan of Nick from Carrie Jones' Need series. Maybe, she loves them all. It takes more than one wolf to make a pack, right?

Gift: For this woman, why not give her a wolf of her very own? Through the World Wildlife Fund, you can adopt a gray wolf for as little as $25.(Image borrowed from the WWF site)