One of my favorite things about Christmas shopping is trying to find that perfect gift for each family member. It’s exciting to find something that you know will surprise them and even elicit an “ooh” or an “aah.”

Over the weekend, I cruised the Internet in search of fun and/or unique gifts for the bookworms on your list. I’ve posted a five today, and I’ll post five more on Thursday. Take a few minutes and check it out. It was an exercise in self-control to not buy some of these for myself. Enjoy.

I Read Banned Books bracelet

We’ve all read “banned books” whether we knew it or not, and this bracelet makes a statement. It highlights books that have been banned in libraries, and featured titles include Huck Finn, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Howl, Alice in Wonderland, Go Ask Alice and Annie on My Mind.

I found a few different variations of these online. Some have adult titles, and others feature teen titles. While I found the one described in the above paragraph on Amazon, you can google “I read banned books bracelet,” and they’ll pop up in other locations, too.

Amazon customers said in reviews that it’s not the best piece of jewelry because it wasn’t put together very well, but they so admired the message they still recommended it.

Just know up front that it won’t ever be a family heirloom, but it is a fun inexpensive conversation piece.

Dark and Stormy Night board game

This game looks like a lot of fun and could be played with family, friends or at your book club.

Here’s the description from Levenger where I found it:

“The object of the game is to correctly guess the title or author of eight books after your opponent reads you the opening lines from the clue cards. The clue cards also contain the answers, so when it’s your turn to read one, you’ll have a chance to refresh your memory. And probably learn about some more good reads.

You may be surprised by how much you remember, especially with a dozen categories to pick from. Up to four people can play. Invite the kids—there are clues for them, too. As for “It was a dark and stormy night,” Snoopy’s favorite opening line was originally penned by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton in his 1830 novel ‘Paul Clifford.’ Who knew?”

Book Bungees

These just looked handy. Levenger says this about them:

“(It) marks your page and keeps your paperbacks and hardcovers from  opening accidentally and getting damaged. Simply place the plastic  marker in the book, close the book and wrap the elastic around the  outside.”

I’m always looking for a bookmark, and while I generally lean toward  something prettier, the practicality of these appealed to me. And at five for  $20, they make a great stocking stuffer, one for everyone in the family.

The Prompt Copy of A Christmas Carol

Even though “A Christmas Carol” is not one of my favorite books to read, I enjoy the story, and I think this is one of my most unique finds.

From Levenger again, here is the description:

“Charles Dickens could not only write a crackling good story, he could perform it. And so in 1853, he took his ‘A Christmas Carol’ show on the road, first in Britain and then in the U.S. audiences loved it. Dickens didn’t simply read from his book. He transformed it into a stageworthy script—cutting, pasting together pages of excised passages, adding stage cues for himself, rewriting, then cutting some more.

Such an annotated stage copy is called a prompt copy. There is only one such copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’ created by Dickens himself, and The New York Public Library has it. We partnered with the Library to bring you, for the first time, a full-color facsimile of it, revealing all of Dickens’s handwritten markings. A new introduction by Library curator Isaac Gewirtz gives the backstory on how Dickens used this book, and a transcription of his emended text means you—or a showman you love—can read aloud ‘A Christmas Carol’ much as the author did. It’s a rare Christmas treasure and a new way to savor this timeless tale.”

The Book Lover’s Cookbook

I’m not a good cook, but I thought this would be fun – another way to bring books to life.

Here’s a description as it appeared on Amazon:

“For anyone who has ever wanted to taste the food that plays a role in their favorite books, this charming volume provides the recipes. Wenger and Jensen, both chefs and avid readers, have pored over volumes from “Little Women” to “The Importance of Being Earnest,” found food-related passages and devised recipes for each. For example, Catch ‘Em to Eat ‘Em Chicken and Dumplings was inspired by this passage from Frannie Flagg’s “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café”: “Even at 11, they say she could make the most delicious biscuits and gravy, cobbler, fried chicken, turnip greens, and black-eyed peas. And her dumplings were so light they would float in the air and you’d have to catch ‘em to eat ‘em.” Scattered between recipes and passages are quotations from    authors about food and writing.

I left you guys hanging on the gift list for readers this week. But I soon realized it was going to require a little more research time than I had this week. You know how that goes.

I’m putting a list together this weekend, though, and I’ll share it with you all on Monday.

Have a great weekend!