December is upon us and that means the holidays are nigh, a time of thanks and family and introspection – and, of course, the giving and receiving of big, juicy gifts. We here at LitReactor would never leave you high and dry, so here you are: the most covetable book gifts available this holiday season. Feel free to thank us with any of the items on this list.
1. The Complete National Geographic, Every Issue Since 1888
What a perfect gift for nerds! While this gift technically counts as software, how else could a National Geographic fanatic get their hands on every single issue over the past 124 years? The software allows you to browse each issue as you would if you had them in hand, or to use advanced search functions to find exactly what you seek. And the gift comes with the book High Adventure: The Story of the National Geographic Society.
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2. The Complete Wreck (A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13)
Children worship the Lemony Snicket books, and for good reason. This clever, mysterious series is gripping and totally unconventional, unlike anything else out there, and wildly compelling. The box set is gorgeous, elaborately designed with elegant pages and striking covers. A true gift for any lover of the series or especially a child unfamiliar with Snicket’s unusual world.
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3. The Enchanted Collection (The Heirloom Collection)
This beautiful boxed set includes five of the most magical, captivating books of youth: Black Beauty, Little Women, The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland and The Wind in the Willows; each with their own lavish cover, four-color illustrations, and ribbon markers. Want the young lady in your life to stop reading Twilight? Introduce her to the classics instead!
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4. Harry Potter Page To Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey (Collector’s Edition)
Buy me this! No seriously, please buy me this. I know it’s $600, but hey! It’s originally $1000, so this is actually kind of a steal! This totally insane set comes on its own beautiful cloth-covered shelf, like something right out of Flourish and Blotts. It includes collections of brand new photographs and art from the Harry Potter film series, a gilded portfolio of prints ready for framing, and eight stunning books covering the entire production of the Harry Potter films. And holy cow, a replica of The Monster Book of Monsters! I need it, man.
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5. Kindle Fire HD
I know, it’s not cool to talk about eReaders around here, but I want to make a case for the Kindle Fire. I’ve had mine for a year and have read at least twice as much for it. There’s something to be said for the instant gratification of a Kindle – the moment I hear about a book and want to read it, it’s there in hand, ready for me to dive in. I’m also much better at keeping up with comics, movies, and television than I used to be. But the main benefit here is the ease of reading. Not to mention the fact that I no longer need to pack an extra suitcase just for my books when I go on vacation! And don’t worry – I still buy books from bookstores all the time. I just buy the prettiest books that look great on my shelves, and save the cheap paperback-type books for my Kindle.
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6. Lego The Hobbit: An Unexpected Gathering
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters next Friday, and what better way to celebrate than with a Lego reimagining of the bewildering dwarf party Bilbo hosted at Bag End? Legos aren’t just for kids – well, maybe they are, but I love them anyway. There’s something infinitely soothing about the completion of an intricate Lego tableau, and if that tableau is representing a scene from one of your favorite books, so much the better.
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7. The Lincoln Bicentennial Collection: 3-Volume Box Set
For the Lincoln lover among us – or even the Lincoln lover, a passionate fan of the wonderful Spielberg film who can’t wait for the movie to come out on video. Abate their anticipation with this imposing set, a collection of works by and about our beloved 16th President. The set includes Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858 and 1859-1865, as well as The Lincoln Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Legacy from 1860 to Now.
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8. Major Works of Charles Dickens
Too pretty to be believed, this collection of Dickens’ greatest works will mollify even the most rabid Vic Lit consumer. The strikingly bound set includes Great Expectations, Hard Times, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Bleak House and A Tale of Two Cities, each with their own exquisite cloth-bound cover.
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9. The Oxford Companion to the Book: Two-Volume Set
Oh wow. This extensive set is the first Oxford Companion of its kind, going macro in its coverage of “the book,” following the evolution of the book all over the world from ancient times to today. It discusses bibliography, printing, editing and textual criticism, and even dives into the eBook. An entirely necessary gift for any serious bookworm.
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10. The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Book For Every Day
Right now Amazon is offering 40% off on all of the biggest and best books of 2012 as chosen by editors, and wouldn’t it be fun to reward the book-lover in your life with a new novel every day for the Twelve Days of Christmas? Beginning on Christmas day, give your favorite little nerd copies of books like Jami Attenberg’s The Middlesteins, Dave Eggers’ A Hologram for the King, Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies, and Junot Diaz’s This Is How You Lose Her.
What’d I miss? What belongs on this list? What do you personally covet this holiday season? Lay it on me in the comments!
About the author
Meredith is a writer, editor and brewpub owner living in Houston, Texas. Her four most commonly used words are, "The book was better."
