It Is Time...

Brace yourself…because pumpkin everything is coming!

Fall is just around the corner and my excitement for my favorite season and one of my favorite holidays is mounting! So, I’ve decided to open my upcycled book pumpkin orders today! These are some of my bestselling products and I always end up with a bunch of orders in September, so I’m hoping to hopefully spread out some of that congestion with an earlier ordering option!

My pumpkins come in 4 different sizes and 4 different color options, so hopefully we’ll have something just right for your bookish fall/Halloween decor needs! I try to keep these orders open through Thanksgiving, but depending on how many orders I get, I may need to limit the number available later in the season. So I would suggest ordering some of these right away if you want to get them!

I will also slowly be adding my other fall and Halloween product listings between now and September, so be on the lookout for those soon!

In other news I am excited to announce that I’ll be a vendor at Coulee Con, a regional gaming celebration based in La Crosse, WI, over this coming weekend, Aug. 19-21! Online badge sales will end on Tuesday, Aug. 16, although you will be able to purchase badges at the event starting on Friday.

If you’ll be attending, be sure to stop by and say hi at our booth! This will be my first bigger event over an entire weekend, so I’m very excited and nervous all at once! We’ll have plenty of video game inspired items as well as general bookish, geeky and fantasy products as well. I’m even working on a few completely new products that will hopefully debut at this event! Anything left over afterwards will be added to the website, just in time for the holidays, so keep an eye out over the next few weeks.

Rabbits in Children's Literature

Easter is almost here, and I’ve been thinking lately about how rabbits are such a common theme in so many children’s books - from the works of Beatrix Potter to The Velveteen Rabbit, Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, The Runaway Bunny, Alice in Wonderland and beyond, it seems like there’s a surplus of fluffy bunny characters.

The easy explanation to that would be that rabbits are small, fluffy, and cute, making them appealing to many children. Rabbits are also one of the most common animals in the world and live on every continent except one, so they would be a common, easily recognizable animal regardless of where young readers are from.

In this feature from The University of Cambridge, Dr. Zoe Jaques notes that the reason animals are often used in moral tales (think of Br’er Rabbit and The Tortoise and the Hare) and children’s literature in general is because of “the sense that there is a special closeness between children and animals that is lost in adulthood.” There’s this idea that growing up and abandoning childhood things (such as stories of anthropomorphic animals dressed in their own little clothes), establishes a firmer boundary between the fantastical world of childhood and that of serious adulthood.

Though Jaques points out that there are far less young adult and adult fictions that focus on animals, even some of the stories that technically are classified as children’s literature are quite memorable indeed and can be enjoyed by an older audience, including adults. The stories of Redwall and Watership Down for example, may strike a first impression as children’s stories, but they are definitely intended for an older audience than that of Peter Rabbit and The Runaway Bunny and they tackle much more mature concepts.

Rabbits are said to symbolize a variety of things, from sensitivity, gentleness, new beginnings, birth, new life and good luck, just to name a few. Many of those traits or aspects would seem to align well with childhood and young children as well.

So, needless to say, I don’t have much beyond conjecture and opinion for why rabbits are so common in children’s literature, but I have to admit that I do have a fondness for them, which is why I just had to make an upcycled book sculpture rabbit (as evidenced in the photo above). I had also planned to get some Velveteen Rabbit and Peter Rabbit products done in time for Easter, but that just didn’t happen this year…maybe in 2023…

Which rabbit from fiction is your favorite?

Strong Literary Women

Happy International Women’s Day! Today is a day to appreciate and shout out all the women in our lives - including the fictional ones!

Below is a list of some of the literary women (and girls) that I truly appreciate, even though I may not always like or agree with them…which is true in real life as well. We don’t always have to agree or even get along with other women or people in general in order to appreciate and support them!

So, without further ado, here are some of my most appreciated literary ladies:

Ella of Frell

Elizabeth Bennet

Alanna of Trebond

Eowyn

Annabeth Chase

Ginny Weasley

Hermione Granger

Lucy Pevensie

Aelin/Celaena

Katniss Everdeen

First up is Ella of Frell from Ella Enchanted, which is a lovely middle grade fairy tale twist by Gail Carson Levine. Ella is cursed with a gift of obedience at birth and hilarious and sometimes unexpectedly deep hijinks ensue. This is such a lovely, heartwarming story about learning how to support and save yourself. As for the movie…it’s kinda like Bruno in Encanto…we don’t talk about it!

Next is Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Elizabeth is a character who overcomes a set way of thinking and is able to realize faults about herself and how she looks at the world (and other people). That’s a difficult thing to do and I love when literary characters accomplish it! She’s also sassy, headstrong and a bit perverse just for the sake of it, which I also appreciate.

Alanna of Trebond is the main character in The Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce, who writes amazing female characters, often for middle grade books. These were the first books I remember reading as a kid about a female who took charge of her life and did what she wanted, overcoming the obstacles set in front of her and making tough choices about learning to let go. I think there’s such a great sense of the reality and sometimes difficulty of life in these books, (even though they’re definitely in the fantasy genre) that isn’t always done or done well.

Eowyn is one of my all-time favorite female characters from The Lord of the Rings and in general. She starts out so resigned and hopeless about so many things which puts her on a certain path for maybe not the right reasons, but she is also able to realize that about herself and develop as a character before the end of the story.

Annabeth Chase from the Percy Jackson books, by Rick Riordan is another great middle grade female character. She’s smart, independent, levelheaded and loyal, as well as stubborn, a bit judgmental and proud, but she learns to recognize and acknowledge her mistakes and flaws. Since the Percy Jackson world of books is so extensive, you really get to watch Annabeth grow, change and develop along with the other characters in the series, which is always something I enjoy.

Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter series is a character that is introduced as a background, victim and develops into so much more later in the series! You see her through Harry’s eyes and watch as she is able to overcome her own insecurities and awkwardness to become a strong, funny, willful, athletic, badass young woman! I love that we are able to see her come into her own true character that was stifled in the early books and grow beyond the victim personification. Also, the movies, in my opinion, really didn’t do a great job of showing the potential of her character, sadly.

Hermione Granger, also from Harry Potter, I think personifies so many of us female bookworms. The ones who did well in school, were always a little afraid to break the rules and stray outside of the well-established lines, and didn’t always have many friends or was that popular. That’s definitely a specific type in YA, but Hermione also grows beyond that characterization and develops into a strong, extremely capable character who isn’t afraid to do what she needs to do, while rocking most of it at the same time! I also love seeing Hermione deal with and overcome the prejudices within the wizarding world against muggleborns.

Lucy Pevensie is my favorite of the Pevensie siblings in The Chronicles of Narnia. She’s the one to first venture into the wardrobe and discover the world of Narnia and best embodies the innocence, wonder and true belief of childhood. She was also known as Queen Lucy the Valiant, which I just love. She’s just as brave and true as her older siblings, and even willing to fight as a small child, if need be, but she’s also the one gifted with the power of healing and seems to be the most compassionate.

Aelin Galathynius/Celaena Sardothien from the Throne of Glass series is such an interesting character to me. I have a serious weakness for assassin type characters and stories, so I just loved Celaena from the start. She’s initially portrayed at times as almost a shallow, silly, selfish, and rude character in some ways, who is nonetheless incredibly deadly and capable and has gone through unspeakable horrors herself. As the books develop (confession: I still haven’t completely finished the series!), you learn more and more about her and why she is the way she is. I think many of the aspects of her personality and character that people sometimes have issues with are mostly a front that she uses to avoid her own trauma and issues, but eventually she comes to terms with those things. I think her struggles and weaknesses are also incredibly realistic in a lot of ways. How often do we avoid anything to do with the things that bring up bad memories or experiences in real life or avoid doing something we know we should, because it’s just hard?

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is one of those characters that I respect and can even relate to, even though there are many things she does and decisions she makes that I don’t always agree with or like. I think she’s a very, very true and accurate portrayal of what a person would potentially have to become in order to survive in a world like the one depicted in her books, however. It’s not pretty and it’s not always “right”, but it’s realistic in my opinion. Would I be able to make all the right choices for the right reasons in that same position or would I become something even worse? Food for thought. The Hunger Games always made me a bit uncomfortable to read, because sadly, with my own pessimistic and fatalistic view of the world sometimes I can see the reality of how easy it would be to get to that point as a society…which is scary, but done so, so well by Suzanne Collins. Katniss is a cold, cynical, stubborn, opportunistic character alot of the time, but those are things that she has had to become to survive, and deep down, she’s still a good person, who tries to do the right things (most of the time) in the best ways that she can, but she’s still a person with weaknesses and flaws who sometimes just reacts badly to the things that happen.

So, who are some of your favorite literary females?

Black Friday Shopping Guide: Small Bookish Shop Edition

So here we are, just a week away from the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite small bookish & geeky businesses as well as their planned deals for the upcoming shopping extravaganza!

While small shops like these ones can’t necessarily afford to slash prices like Amazon and Target, they still try to offer deals in some form for their shoppers and these hardworking business owners, who are often handling most if not every aspect of their business, will truly appreciate your support and also provide specialty, unique items that just can’t be found on the shelves of your local Target or listed on Amazon.

If you’re looking for that perfect, unique gift for a reader or geeky bookworm on your list (or you just want to treat yourself!), please consider checking out these amazing shops - all of which I personally support and own items from.

Repurposed Words By Reese

Repurposed Words By Reese is my own shop (full-disclosure), where I create paper goods, décor, and more from upcycled book pages and other repurposed and recycled materials. From bookmarks and prints, to ornaments, wreaths, and book sculptures, I love taking damaged, unloved books and materials and upcycling them into something new so that they can be loved in a different form! I also love working on custom projects featuring your favorite book or quote!

Repurposed Words By Reese will be offering 15% off sitewide (excluding custom items) with code: BLKFRI15 from Friday, Nov. 26 through Monday, Nov. 29 and will be including a free small gift for every customer who signs up for the Repurposed Words By Reese newsletter with the same email that is linked to their order. To access an even deeper site-wide discount, be sure to join my Facebook group: Repurposed Words & Whimsy!

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Serpent & Flame

Serpent & Flame (formerly 42 Nerdtastic Place) creates bookish and fandom scents, offering candles, wax melts, sprays, bath & body care and more! Owner and creator, Amanda Mayer, started her business as a hobby in order to celebrate and share her love of fandoms and being a nerd, before going full time with the intent to bring joy to others through olfactory senses while celebrating the uniqueness of individuals.

Serpent & Flame will be offering a 15% discount from Friday, Nov. 26 through Monday, Nov. 29 with code: BF2021 and will be holding their monthly restock & holiday release at 7 PM CST on Friday, Nov. 26. Rep codes will also be applicable during the sale and you can use my code: WORDS10 to save an additional 10%!

Amanda has a running list of the products and scents that will be available in the Black Friday restock and you can check that out in advance on her blog! There will be gift sets, Winter collection scents, sprays, 4 oz candle tins, 7.5 oz candle jars, bath soaks, and 13 oz double wick candles.

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In The Reads

In The Reads offers beautifully bookish and affordable artwork that brings to life the worlds within your favorite books, TV, and films. Owner and artist, Lauren Stewart, is known for her “Tolkienized” maps of both fantasy and real world locations that she has crafted in the style of JRR Tolkien. The name of In The Reads has also become synonymous with beautiful, quality woodmarks or wooden bookmarks, all of which feature Lauren’s artwork or that of a collaborating artist.

In The Reads will be hosting a Buy 2 Bookmarks, Get the 3rd Free sale from Friday, Nov. 26 through Monday, Nov. 29 at 11.59 pm Mountain time. The promo will apply to up to a total of 12 bookmarks using the following codes:

3 bookmarks: BUY2GET1
6 bookmarks: BUY4GET2
9 bookmarks: BUY6GET3
12 bookmarks: BUY8GET4

Codes will apply to bookmarks only, with the exclusion of misprinted bookmarks, which are already offered at a discounted price.

In The Reads will also be debuting a new subscription style box called Page & Parcel on Black Friday that was created in collaboration with @paperbackbones, which will include more than 7 total Middle Earth themed items valued at approximately $90! The box will go live here on Black Friday!

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Charming Kate’s

Charming Kate’s is a jewelry shop owned by Katie Holland that offers a variety of unique, beautiful jewelry pieces, many of which are inspired by fiction and pop culture! The bangle bracelets that cleverly represent beloved stories and characters are my personal favorite items in her shop!

Charming Kate’s will be hosting a Semi Custom and Mystery Box Sale in her Facebook group: Charming Kate’s Creation Station from Friday, Nov. 26 though Sunday, Nov. 28 and you can learn all the insider information by joining the group in advance!

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Northanger Soapworks

Northanger Soapworks is a shop that offers handmade soap and accessories, as well as other self-care and home products for the Jane Austen addict! Owner and soapmaker, Laura Hansen, notes that the shop was born out of her own addition to Jane Austen and classic literature and that she aims to create one-of-a-kind products that “lift you from the modern world” and transport you to your favorite literary settings within the world of Austen.

Northanger Soapworks will be kicking off a 2-day sale event on Friday, Nov. 26 (also the date of the famed Netherfield Ball in Pride & Prejudice!) by offering 20% off the entire shop. A free lip balm will be included in every order while supplies last and free shipping will be offered on all orders over $60 (for US domestic orders only)! This event will run through Saturday, Nov. 27 - but several of the shop’s winter collection products are starting to run low in stock - so get your orders in quick!

Reading With the Seasons

It’s Spooky Time!

It’s October! Which means it’s finally socially acceptable to embrace all things Halloween - not that I let socially acceptable norms stop me…I am definitely one of those people who jump, feet first, with no life preserver into all things fall and Halloween as soon as the calendar pages turn over to the “ber” months! My house has been decorated for Halloween since the first week of September.

Theme reading engage!

Now, normally I’m not much of a theme based reader. I tend to go with whatever grabs my interest at the time and I’ll occasionally go through a spurt of similar genres or topics, but typically my reading follows no real rhyme or reason….that is until fall hits and I want to read all the dark, gothic, semi-spooky (but no straight up horror) books I can get my hands on. Then I move straight into wanting wintery and Christmas books, it just feels so right!

My October TBR

This year I may have gotten a little ambitious with my October TBR list, but I guess I’ll get to what I get to, right?

I went to my bookshelf (and smaller shelf, and the random stacks sitting all over my house…) and pulled the following for this year’s October TBR:

• The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White - this one has been on my list since last year, but I just haven’t gotten to it, although I am very excited to finally jump in. It sounds amazing!

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - I’ve read this before and it’s actually one of my favorite classic gothics, but I feel like to truly appreciate The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, I need a refresher, so I’m looking forward to revisiting this one first.

• The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo - Another retelling (give me ALL the retellings I’m obsessed really…) that I’m excited to get to, especially since the original Sleepy Hollow story was a serious snooze fest for me, I just could not get into it…which is why The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is not on my list here, even though I do feel a tad guilty for not revisiting the original source material…

• Give The Dark My Love by Beth Revis - This one is another victim of my excited binge buying that got left on the shelf for waaay too long, but I’m really hoping to get to it this year. It does sound amazing!

• European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss - I read the first book in this series last year during the fall season and really enjoyed it and all the references and call backs to so many of the classic stories, but when I picked this one up after, I just couldn’t seem to get into it as enthusiastically and ended up putting it down and just not picking it back up. I’m hoping to revisit and finish it this time around!

• The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - I’m not planning to get through all of these, but am hoping to jump around and peruse through a few poems/stories I haven’t read yet!

• Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror - This is another collected works Barnes & Noble special edition. It contains the original Sweeney Todd tale, which I’ve been meaning to read for a while, but it’s my long shot “if I have time” addition to this list for sure!

So those are my reading plans this month in a nutshell…what are you hoping to read?

Musings on a Hobbit Way of Life

Happy Hobbit Day!

Today, September 22, marks the birthdays of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, important characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books. As a complete and utter book geek, I cannot let the day pass without comment or celebration.

I’ve been pouring through my Lord of the Rings and Shire themed cookbooks (yes, I have several!) for weeks trying to decide on the perfect recipes for today (and for our upcoming weekend celebration with family), because like any self-respecting hobbit, I know the most important part of a celebration is the food!

Celebrating a Simple Life

Though I tend to be one of those people who overthinks things and always wants everything to be just so (which combined with my procrastinating tendencies can make things interesting!), I realize that kind of defeats the purpose of celebrating a hobbit way of life.

Hobbits appreciate the simple things in life and take things as they are. Solid nourishing fare, good company and a slow day of comfort and appreciation are what the folk of the Shire value.

I often find myself rushing around, trying to do ALL the things and make sure they’re perfect, which can lead to me missing out on the actual enjoyment of the day, whether it’s a special event or just a simple day at home with my toddler. Sometimes I need to remind myself that it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t always accomplish everything I think I should, and that things don’t always have to be perfect.

After all…”It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.”

Live Like a Hobbit

So, I hope that whatever you are up to this Hobbit Day (and the first official day of autumn), even if you’re not celebrating or even aware of the geeky ramifications, that you remember to slow down and enjoy an hour, the day, the week, whatever you can. At least for a little while, try to live like a hobbit.

2019 Bookish Holiday Gift Guide

20 Small Shops & Independent Artists
You Should Check Out on Small Business Saturday

One of the biggest holiday shopping weekends is almost upon us – from the day after Thanksgiving to the following Monday, shoppers will be on the look out for as many deals and steals they can possibly get their hands on.

One part of the weekend that has become more celebrated in recent years is Small Business Saturday – the day set aside for those smaller shops, either local or online, that can’t afford to slash prices like Amazon and Target, but will actually appreciate your business even more, and can also provide unique items tailored specifically to your interests!

This is especially true in the world of bookish merchandise – those big box stores and online retailers don’t often have a ton of options for very niche interests, like readers often have, so hunting down those smaller, unique shops that offer one-of-a-kind or specialty items is definitely worth it!

To highlight some of my favorite small shops and artists that offer products inspired by books and bookish fandoms, as well as some I’ve recently been introduced to, I’ve put together a list of 20 great bookish and nerdy businesses and artists you should definitely check out for your holiday shopping this year on Small Business Saturday.

If you’ve got a bookworm or literary lover in your life (or are one yourself) these shops and their featured wares would make fantastic original gifts!

Web & Moss

Web & Moss is the studio of artist Lindsay Holladay, who creates gorgeous illustrations inspired by literature and nature. For any booklover, the highlight of her Etsy shop will be the amazingly detailed literary windows series, which features the view through the windows of famous literary homes and locations such as: the wardrobe into Narnia, windows into each of the four Hogwarts house common rooms, the Darlings’ window, Bag End, Lallybroch, and so many more! She offers individual prints as well as bundles and also recently released holiday cards featuring some of her winter themed literary windows (Narnia, Little Women, Little House in the Big Woods, Anne of Green Gables).
From Nov. 25 through Dec. 3, Web & Moss will be having a 20% off sale on almost everything in the shop!

Northanger Soapworks

Northanger Soapworks (a local Wisconsin business) is the shop of Laura Hansen, who has titled herself “Jane Austen’s Own Soapmaker.” Laura offers handmade soap and accessories, as well as other self-care products specifically for Jane Austen lovers. Northanger Soapworks aims to create unique products that will whisk you away from the all too often hectic, untidy rush of modern life and transport you to the elegant world of Jane Austen. Laura has released a variety of fantastic products in her winter collection including: a Jane Austen Christmas Gift Box that features five bar soaps and a lip balm, a Pemberley’s closet wax sachet that can also be used as an ornament, and a Sense and Sensibility candle called The Air is Full of Spices.  Northanger Soapworks will be offering a 20% off sale from Black Friday, Nov. 29 to Cyber Monday, Dec. 2 with code “black20” and will also have special deals each day during that timeframe.

Burial Grounds Coffee Co.

Burial Grounds Coffee Co., owned by Angie Hiller, offers small batch roasted coffee with a dark side! Burial Grounds specializes in creepy and geeky coffees, drink mixes and confections and has a variety of bookish inspired brews to fuel those all-night reading sessions! Coffees are offered in sample sizes for trying out, pounds, and also ongoing subscriptions. Themed boxes and sets, latte and cappuccino mixes, and occasionally confectionary delights are also offered by Burial Grounds. Lord of Night – a blueberry infused coffee inspired by Rhysand from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series – is one of Burial Grounds’ bookish blends. Bellatrix, White Walker, and Cthulu-ccino are a few more bookishly inspired products that are available.
Burial Grounds Coffee Co. will be having a sale event that starts at midnight on Black Friday, Nov. 29.

In The Reads

In The Reads, owned by Lauren Stewart, aims to provide beautifully bookish, affordable artwork that brings to life the worlds within your favorite books, TV, and films. The signature product of In The Reads is their wooden bookmarks or woodmarks – which feature a large selection of Lauren’s artwork. Some of her larger series include weapons & wands from fantasy series such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter as well as maps from Middle Earth. She has also expanded her product line to include prints, pillows, mugs, enamel pins, concrete coasters and more.      
In The Reads will be having a sale from 10 am (Mountain time) on Black Friday, Nov. 29 to midnight on Cyber Monday. Most bookmarks will be listed at 15% off ($5.99) and seasonal autumn bookmarks will be $4.99 and any order over $30 will receive an extra 20% off!

Brassington Hollow

Brassington Hollow is a small shop that creates book pillows with a cover that actually opens to reveal the text of the book’s first page and inside cover art! Owned by Shanon Smith, each of Brassington Hollow’s products are completely handmade and she also takes custom requests! However due to high demand, she currently does have an extended shipping time of 10-12 weeks for any of the books listed in her shop, but these incredibly unique items would definitely be worth waiting for to literally be able to cuddle up with the pillow version of your favorite book! From classics like Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein to newer favorites like Harry Potter and The Selection series, there’s a large assortment to choose from, plus there’s the option to choose the exact book you want made into a cozy pillow with a custom order.

Tinted Prose

Tinted Prose is the shop of Sam Beard, who hand paints book pages, turning the very tomes into one-of-a-kind works of art. Stained pages have become such a popular feature for favorite books and special editions in the past few years with book boxes and authors working to provide those options to readers, and Sam offers a variety of ways to purchase beautifully customized books from sending her your own books to be painted or purchasing books directly from her shop as finished painted copies or to be painted in any way you choose - although her custom spots are all filled up for the rest of this year!
Tinted Prose will be having a mini restock of finished painted books that will go live on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30.  

Repurposed Words by Reese

Repurposed Words by Reese (a local Wisconsin business) is my own shop (shameless plug) that I’ve recently started. The online store will officially launch on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, and will offer bookmarks, home décor, ornaments, gifts and more - all created from actual upcycled book pages from old, out-of-date and damaged books in addition to other repurposed and recycled material. Each piece will be completely unique and one-of-a-kind. Initial products will include vintage dictionary page bookmarks (perfect stocking stuffers) and Harry Potter book page ornaments.
Repurposed Words by Reese will be offering a BOGO half off bookmark sale as well as a small free gift to the first 10 orders starting on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30 and going through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2.

Mallemir

Mallemir, owned by Amber Elkins, offers unique, affordable bookish jewelry and bookmarks inspired by fantasy, fandom, and fictional characters. The variety of products in Amber’s shop ranges from necklaces, bracelets, bookmarks and rings and encompasses generally bookish items as well as those representing fandoms from fairy tales to Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and beyond. Her products are high quality and still incredibly affordable, plus Amber goes the extra mile and makes a point of trying to personalize the packaging and presentation for each order based on what you’ve purchased. It truly does make a difference to know she’s added those special touches.
Mallemir currently has most jewelry marked down to 50% off and all card stock bookmarks are BOGO free with the code: HOLIDAY.

Tookish Candle Company

Tookish Candle Company is a small handmade soy candle business that came on the scene in 2017 and quickly grew in popularity with their uniquely amazing scented candles evoking the worlds of Middle Earth, Narnia, the Wizarding World, and more. Casi Stansbury owns and runs the business with her husband and since opening they have scaled back a bit in production and only have select pre-order restockings during certain times of the year. Luckily, Tookish Candle Co. recently held a restock and still has some candles available, including Godric’s Hollow and Tea with Tumnus – two scents that are perfect for winter!  

Little box of Joy

Little Box of Joy is a unique business that creates personalized book boxes tailored to your specific interests and reading preferences! The owner, Gretchen Dee, sends everyone who purchases a box, a questionnaire asking about their favorite books and authors, reading habits, interests, hobbies, and more in order to get an idea of how to put together the perfect book box for them specifically. Little Box of Joy offers several different size boxes to fit everyone’s budget. Currently Little Box of Joy does not have a website – but anyone interested in ordering can contact Gretchen at gretchen@gretchendee.com or Little Box of Joy’s Instagram account.
Little Box of Joy will be having a 20% off sale from Black Friday, Nov. 29 through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2.

Bookish Star Designs

Bookish Star Designs creates multiple fantastic fabric products including mug rugs and pin banners (though these will soon be discontinued), but the signature product of this shop are the rice bags.  Owner, Laura Helweg, creates comforting rice bags that can be used for heat or cold to help soothe away aches and pains and to just help you relax. She has a huge variety of fabrics available – many of which are literary inspired – including this fun Little Women print! There are four different sized rice bags available as well as eye masks! Laura also offers a quarterly box featuring a variety of rice bags with exclusive prints and scents as well as other goodies.
Bookish Star Designs will be holding a huge sale starting at 8 am (CST) on Thursday, Nov. 28 and lasting until midnight on Nov. 29 – the entire shop will be 15% off, all pin banners will be 25% off, old style mug rugs will be $5, all past summer & fall boxes will be $25, past exclusive sets from the last year will be $15, and the first 10 customers will receive a free mug rug.

Close Quarters By Amanda Zieba

Amanda Zieba (a local Wisconsin author) recently released her new book: Close Quarters, a story about Kelly, Lindsay, Mia, and Harper, who grew up not only as cousins but as best friends. Kelly has always been the dreamer and Lindsay the one with all her ducks in a row. Mia claimed the role of wild child the day she was born, and Harper will forever be the baby. Separately they are flawed, but together, the Ames cousins are convinced they can do anything. Then, without warning, their grandmother, the infamous Midwestern literary critic, Ingrid Ames, dies. Suddenly, they each find themselves unsure of how to move forward without her guiding presence in their lives. As they attempt to pick up the pieces after the funeral, the cousins come together to open a bookstore in her honor. Unfortunately, their vision of tribute seems to be jeopardized at every turn. A surprising pregnancy, mysterious deliveries to the store, a deployment, and — most unexpected — time with each other, threaten to collapse the entire operation. This novella explores the tribulations of being a woman in today’s high expectation world, the complexities of close-knit families and the power of friendship.
Close Quarters can be purchased online at Amazon or locally in the greater La Crosse, WI, area at Local Maven in Holmen, WI, or at Olive Juice Quilts in Onalaska, WI.

Grimoire Tea

Grimoire Tea is where tea meets fandom, resulting in delectable loose-leaf tea blends that are hand-crafted with organic and fair-trade teas and ingredients and have a deliciously nerdy twist! This shop is the undertaking of a husband and wife team who have turned their love of loose-leaf tea and fandoms into a successful (and delicious) business! Many of Grimoire’s large list of teas are the result of literary inspiration – including Bah Humbug, a Christmasy black tea blend that is a 2019 holiday exclusive.  Samantha Alley, owner and the main face behind the shop, offers frequent shop restocks as well as a tea of the month that is constantly available throughout its designated month.
Grimoire Tea will be hosting a Small Shop Saturday Sale on Nov. 30 during which all teas will be 25% off.  

The Bittiest Baubles

The Bittiest Baubles (a local Wisconsin business), owned by Justine Gerns, is a small shop that offers handmade mini crocheted art, amigurumi, and accessories featuring a variety of beloved characters from popular fandoms – representing the literary side of things she currently has some characters representing How To Train Your Dragon as well as an adorable mini Cthulhu! In addition to the individual pieces, Justine also offers a monthly Harry Potter Mystery Bauble Box that features one crocheted mystery Harry Potter character and a few extra goodies themed around that same character. This box would make a great gift for the Potter Nerd in your life, but hurry as signups for December’s box will close on Saturday, Nov. 30!

Charming Kate’s Creations

Charming Kate’s Creations is a jewelry shop owned by Katie Holland that creates beautiful, unique jewelry inspired by beloved fictional characters and pop culture. This shop features whimsical bangle bracelets that cleverly represent story characters from classic literature and fairy tale princesses to popular TV shows and more. So, if you’re looking for that special accent jewelry piece to represent your favorite book character whether that’s Claire from Outlander, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, or Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird – this shop has you covered!
Charming Kate’s will be offering 10% off their entire shop from Nov. 24 through Dec. 7 with code: TISTHESEASON.

Fairytale Bath Company

Fairytale Bath Company, owned and operated by Ashley Anderson, offers scents and self-care products for bookworms. The shop’s products range from candles and lip balms to shower steamers, bath bombs and soaps – all inspired by bookish characters and stories and carefully crafted to bring them to life through your self-care routine! One of their signature offerings is the Cauldron Bath Bomb, a product that allows you to literally immerse yourself in your favorite potions and elixirs from Harry Potter and other magical books.  
Fairytale Bath Company will be offering 25% off any purchase starting Black Friday, Nov. 29 through Dec. 1.

A New Chapter Art

A New Chapter Art is a small shop that transforms books into art one story at a time by creating book art sculptures and gifts for those who are looking for a fun and unique way to display and combine their love of the written word with their own interests! Owner Dana Durwin believes that each person’s story is displayed in the way they decorate their homes, the gifts they give, and the way they use an item. She helps customers choose the perfect book and design to help carve out their own stories with her products.
A New Chapter Art is not holding any specific Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday sales, but generously offered the code: VIP10 to readers who would like to save 10% on a purchase.

Geeky Girl Scents

Geeky Girl Scents offers geeky themed soy candles that feature a bit of glitter and are inspired by books, comics, video games, movies and more. Owner, Chelsea Grosskopf, combined her love for all things geek with candle making, resulting in this shop! On the literary inspired front – Geeky Girl Scents offers candles that represent different book genres, from Fantasy and Science Fiction to Romance, Horror and more.  Chelsea also makes candles inspired by more specific books and characters like this City of Starlight candle. The shop also stocks wax melts and body & linen sprays.  
Geeky Girl Scents will be offering 25% off sitewide and a free gift with purchases of $50 or more from Black Friday, Nov. 29 through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2.

Erin Casey Crafts

Erin Casey Crafts is a small bookish jewelry shop that offers book page jewelry literally made from your favorite books! The shop’s owner, Erin, utilizes actual pages from books like Harry Potter, Outlander, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and so many more to create beautiful necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and cufflinks. Her products allow you to carry the words of your favorite stories with you all the time by wearing your favorite book!
Erin Casey Crafts will be offering a wide variety of deals through the weekend including 30% off on Black Friday, Nov. 29 and 20% off from Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30 through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2. Free gift wrapping as requested, a surprise gift with orders of $20 and up, and free US first class shipping on orders of $35 and up will also be offered Friday through Monday.

Sweet Reasons Apparel

Sweet Reasons Apparel is a collab shop between Megan Cotton and Tangela McGown, the owners of individual shops: SweetLooks Collection and The Little Reasons that offers fun custom socks for all ages. The socks in this shop feature a variety of great prints and patterns – including a few that are literary-inspired, like these Hogwarts house socks.
Sweet Reasons Apparel is doing a BOGO half-off sale with code: SOCKFREAK from Black Friday, Nov. 29 to Sunday, Dec. 1.