A Bookish Mother's Day Shopping List

If any of you are like me, you're probably only planning for Mother's Day today. I'm set to go buy her present with my soon-to-be sister-in-law tomorrow, and I still don't know what we're doing for lunch tomorrow. But never fear bookish friends, I have solutions for you! I've compiled a list of literary-inspired presents for you to give. Since we're the lazy ones only planning the day before, I didn't look at Etsy for handmade things, given that they definitely won't be delivered in time, (Shame on us! There are some seriously cute things.) but some of these things may have to be ordered online.

My mom is a hard one to peg. She absolutely does not like the same kinds of books I like, and she is, for whatever reason, very averse to technology. Where I like books heavy with adventure, romance, and action, she likes more quiet stories, where a heroine discovers family secrets and finally rights her relationship with an estranged parent. (For example.) For the moms like mine, here are some picks:

Moleskine Book Journal: My mom refuses to use Goodreads, but loves to keep track of what she reads. I think she'd love to have this pretty, quality journal just for keeping up with her books. (You could easily go with a non-specialized pretty journal too, if you don't like the look of this!)

Book Tote: My mom also refuses to go digital, so she's stuck carrying around a bunch of books with her all of the time. What better way to carry around books than with a book-themed bag? I picked the Jane Eyre one, because it's a personal favorite, but they also have Alice in Wonderland and The Great Gatsby, among others.

Book: Obviously, if your mom loves bookish things, she probably loves books. My mom loves Kate Morton, so I'm recommending her newest book The Secret Keeper. (You could really substitute any of her others.) Not mom's style or she's already read it? Maybe she'd like The Paris Wife by Paula McLain or The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey!

Perhaps your mom is a classics kind of girl? She may read other things, but always comes back to the books she read in high school and college (or maybe later in life?) and perhaps loves a good BBC miniseries. Check out some of these gifts:

A Classic Book: Try the new Penguin Drop Caps! They're beautifully bound copies of some of your favorite classics, like Pride & Prejudice and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Movie Based on a Classic: One of my favorite BBC miniseries is one of their more recent ones. They've adapted Jane Austen's Emma in a four-part miniseries from 2009. It stars Romola Garai, Johnny Lee Miller (of Elementary!) and Michael Gambon (DUMBLEDORE!) and is excellent. I've probably watched it twenty times. It's out on DVD, but you can also get it from iTunes or Amazon Instant Video for less than 10 dollars. Spend an afternoon watching it with mom, drinking tea, and munching on scones. (This is what I'd do if I could!)

Perfume Made Just for Booklovers: Demeter has a perfume called "Paperback", which they say is "Sweet and lovely with just a touch of the musty smell of aged paper." Could be perfect for the woman who has everything...except book perfume! 

This is just a VERY small collection of items I think would make good gifts. There are so many other things I thought of, but your attention span in only so long (I know mine is at least, which is why I'm finishing here.) But, I LOVE PICKING OUT GIFTS, so if you'd like more suggestions or specific ideas based on your very own mom, just let me know in the comments and I'll be happy to make some recommendations! (Also, food. I like theming food, so again, if you want suggestions...Have at 'em.)