December 17, 2014
Local Gift Guide For Book Lovers
In case you’ve lost track of time, Hanukkah has begun. Christmas is rapidly approaching. If you’ve still got outstanding gifts to select, you might need some help.
We’ve scouted some non-book options for the avid readers in your life — and since you’re running out of time for them to ship if ordered online, we’ve selected items available at local brick and mortar shops in and around the District.
Some of our favorites:
The Library of Congress gift shop is bursting at the seams with ideas and options for gift giving, including a selection of Out of Print tees. For the romantic on your list, the shop is the only place to find infinity scarves printed with text from classic novels. Open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Saturday at 10 First Street, SE, Washington, D.C. 20540 (on the lower level near Library exit).
The Folger Shakespeare Library has a selection of gifts for devotees of the Bard, including many mugs and a delicate silver bangle inscribed with one of his more famous quotations. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays at 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.
Over at One More Page Books in Arlington, you’ll find a selection of T-shirts with quirky declarations ($16) and first edition matchboxes featuring first edition covers of classic books—perfect for party favors or stocking stuffers. The store also stocks wine and chocolate if you need a quick hostess gift. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays at 2200 N. Westmoreland St. #101, Arlington, Virginia, 22213.
What goes better with a good book than a nice cup of tea? Not much. Teaism has four area locations; attached to their Penn Quarter outpost is a shop that carries teas, mugs and any and everything else you might need to brew a cup or pot of tea. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Penn Quarter outpost: 400 8th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. (All locations).
If you read a lot of books, you’ve got to keep track of them all. D.C. institution Politics & Prose — which celebrated 30 years in business in 2014 — has you covered. They carry a great selection of journals, including Shinola notebooks, which come in a variety of colors and sizes in both hardback and soft cover. Plus, the company’s aim is to provide quality, affordable craftsmanship from the USA. You’ll find them alongside an array of items — including totes, T-shirts, mugs and prints suitable for framing — your bookworm will love. Open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays at 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20008.
It’s cold outside and one way to keep warm is by donning this whimsical dinosaur ski cap from the Museum of Unnatural History in Columbia Heights. All proceeds from the store are used to support 826DC’s numerous writing programs for students in the District of Columbia. Open noon to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays at 3233 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20010.
With outposts in D.C. and Baltimore, Trohv offers, well, a treasure trove of gifts. For the bibliophile in your life, they offer an impressive array of stationary, a “Great American Authors 2015 Calendar” and snuggly travel blankets for curling up with a good book on the go. Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays at Trohv DC, 232 Carroll Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20012 . Open 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays at Trohv Baltimore, 921 W. 36th Street Baltimore, Maryland, 21211.
We know we said no books at the outset, but what if you could arrange for a carefully selected title to be sent to someone’s door for the next six months or year? You’d be a gift giving rock star, that’s what. KramerBooks in Dupont Circle is launching “Post Script,” subscriptions that — for 6 or 12 months at $150 and $300 respectively — include a book and fun surprises each month, just in time for the holidays. Open 7:30 to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 24 Hours Fridays and Saturdays at 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.
Last, but certainly not least, this wouldn’t be a proper public radio gift list if we didn’t include a tote bag. NPR headquarters in D.C. houses NPR Commons, a shop that offers the NPR book tote and many other goodies for the radio junkies in your life. Open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1111 North Capitol St. NE, Washington, D.C. 20002 (enter through main lobby).
And if there’s no avoiding having some books on your list, you’re in luck: We’re compiling our favorite books of 2014 at 1 p.m. Dec. 18.
Now, go win the holidays. Happy gifting!