Welcome to the Literary Traveler Holiday Gift Guide. We want to help you find a gift for that special person who loves to read and loves to travel just as much. We tried to highlight some fun and useful gifts that might get you inspired and thinking about traveling. We have the perfect gifts for the literary travelers on your list who have been itching to take a trip. Give gifts that inspire: a book, a travel journal or even a new ebook reader, and you’ll be remembered by the readers on your list all year long.
The Amazon Kindle E-reader
The Amazon Kindle ($399) is a new device we are promoting on Literary Traveler. If you don’t know it yet, the Kindle is the new electronic reader from Amazon.com. They have been working on it for the past three years. It allows you to download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. You can read War And Peace on one charge. The Kindle has a screen that reads like real paper and it operates on a wireless network so you can download books from wherever you are. Currently there are over 90,000 books available for download and each Kindle holds 200 books. A quick note – the Kindle is out of stock, so put your order in now, they are sold on a first come first serve basis.
City Notebooks from Moleskine
If you have not heard of Moleskine, there’s one waiting for you with your name on it. These were the notebooks used by Picasso, Van Gogh and Ernest Hemingway. They have a new series of hybrid guide books / notebooks – City Notebooks ($12.99). Each notebook is designed for a different city. They contain maps of the city and individual zone maps of city sections, along with a street index, and a list of metro stations. There is plenty of space to capture your own stories with over 70 blank pages, and plenty of customizable tabs to create your own personalized travel journal. Each notebook has an elastic closure, 228 pages, with up to 44 color pages thread bound. There is an inside accordion pocket and three ribbon placemarkers, each in a different color. 9 x 14 cm (3 x 5″).
City Notebooks are available for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome, Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Florence, Venice, Montreal.
Scrabble Travel Folio Edition
This edition of Scrabble lets you take your words with you. It’s small and portable and allows you to maintain play when you are on the go. You can stop in the middle of a game (the tiles snap into the board.) The game comes with a soft zippered case, a game board, 100 tiles that snap in, 4 plastic racks, a score pad and can accommodate between 2-4 players. ($13.49)
The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places
In the spirit of whirlwind travel writing comes The Conde Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys: Great Writers on Great Places ($10.88). Written by various authors, the book highlights the excitement of traveling to different parts of the world, and the invaluable knowledge one receives from travel. Twenty-one stories in total, the reader gains varying perspectives on traveling. The perspectives themselves enrich each destination, such as Italy and Japan. A reader can discover the beauty and soulful nourishment of food in Provence, France, or take a walk through the world-famous Japanese gardens, overtaken with cherry blossoms in the right season. If you travel frequently, or yearn to travel more, this book will inspire you to get out and explore the world.
Solitude Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones from TravelSmith
Have you ever been traveling and the noise and commotion of going from place to place doesn’t allow you to read or to concentrate? Silence is golden with the Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones by TravelSmith ($199). They can be used to stop background noise and they can be used for your mp3 or DVD player. The require two AAA batteries (not included). Includes a hard-shell carrying case.
Kerouac On The Road: The Original Scroll
Perhaps one of the most exciting books to come out this year is On The Road: The Original Scroll ($17.33). Yes, it is true, that Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road on a 119-foot scroll in three weeks in 1951. There are no page breaks or paragraph breaks. Fans now have a chance to read the original draft. Some surprises include passages that were edited out of the first edition. Readers have found the book “very real” and quite manageable despite the lack of paragraph breaks–some even prefer this original draft. It is the ultimate way to reconnect with On The Road, the book which inspired so many travels, or to get introduced to Jack Kerouac for the first time.
The Bloomsbury Bookbag Tote from Levenger
All readers are on a quest for the perfect tote bag. The Bloomsbury Bookbag Tote exceeds one’s expectations ($58). The strong canvas material makes it effortless for carrying heavy loads, while the leather straps allow for comfortable carrying. The six outside pockets are ideal for toting around your favorite literary reads. Additionally, a rare feature for a bookbag, it comes complete with: a Levenger note pad, a Book Bungee bookmark, 75 3 x 5 cards, two sets of Book Bumpers, Aero Clips, marking flags, and a pencil. Overall, a perfect gift for the literary traveler.
The XShot
The XShot is an extendible arm that you can hold out (from 9 to as far as 37 inches) to take pictures of yourself and friends when you are traveling. (Camera not included) The distance allows you to capture the background as well. It’s almost like a handheld tripod. The co-founder of the XShot, found it difficult to take pictures of himself and his wife while sightseeing. He would hold the camera and extend his arm as far as possible to take pictures of himself and his wife but the result was always disappointing. See the results for yourself. It’s an easy way to capture the memories from your travels and the backgrounds too.
Kid’s Trip Diary
Kids can record their own traveling adventures and make a treasured memory book with this trip diary ($6.95). A great travel companion that enhances children’s excitement about new places, this activity book offers plenty of writing and drawing space and supplies a keepsake section for ticket stubs, pictures, or other souvenirs. Helping children become involved in the early planning stages, this journal helps ease anxiety and motivates kids to research their trip so they are excited when they arrive at their destination. Interactive text prompts children to learn more about their travels, and new games and puzzles will add many happy hours to vacations.
Finish Your Novel in Style – Harry Potter Style
If you are stuck on the last chapters of your novel or you need to get the right gift for that hard working writer to help them finish their own novel, give them the gift of inspiration. Send them to the hotel Balmoral in Edinburgh where JK Rowling finished the final installment of Harry Potter, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, in room 652 on January 11th 2007. Rowling actually signed a marble bust in the room. If you go, don’t get any ideas about leaving your autograph though, the hotel said it does not encourage guests to write on hotel property, but they made an exception for Rowling.
The Balmoral is a majestic hotel that overlooks Edinburgh. The Balmoral hosts the most sophisticated and glamorous black-tie Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh (New Year’s Eve). Dance the night away, sing Auld Lang Syne, and on the stroke of midnight, watch the breathtaking festive fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle. It might be too late to book for 2007, but you’ll have a head start on 2008.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Literary Traveler!