Gift Ideas for the Readers, Writers, and Coffee Drinkers in Your Life

‘Tis the season for searching for unique gift ideas for the people you love. If you’re lucky, there are some readers, writers, and coffee drinkers on your list, because they’re the best people. But what do those introspective introverts really want this year? Here are a few suggestions.

What do readers want? BOOKS, of course!

If you think October is the only month for spooky stories, you’re wrong. Did you know it used to be tradition to tell ghost stories on Christmas Eve? It’s true! Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is a perfect example, but dozens of other classic horror stories have a Christmas connection, including “The Kit-Bag” by Algernon Blackwood and Susan Hill’s haunting novel The Woman in Black. So consider giving the gift of fright this holiday season. For some bite-sized *true* ghost stories combined with local history, check out the Spooky America series. Although 8-12 year olds are the targeted age range for these books, anyone can enjoy them, and they’re the perfect size for a family read-aloud around the Christmas tree. Make the gift even more personal by purchasing a signed copy with a dedication. To order a personalized copy of The Ghostly Tales of Austin, The Ghostly Tales of New England, or The Ghostly Tales of Burlington, send me a message via my contact page.

Got a reader on your shopping list not interested in creepy stuff? Here are some other recent reads I recommend:

  • Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman – Amanda Gorman captured the nation’s heart in 2021 with her inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.” In this collection of poetry, she continues to demonstrate her brilliance with words as she expresses her feelings, hopes, and frustrations with our world. Relatable and beautiful, this book of poetry will challenge you and make you think, but at times it will also feel like a warm hug of support.
  • Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott – Philpott tackles some hard subjects in these essays, but she does so with a gentleness and humor that makes even the difficult things feel like they’re going to be ok. (And, usually, they are.) Beautifully written, the stories in this book weave back and forth through the author’s life while remaining connected to the thread of her teenage son’s struggle with a seizure disorder. I highly recommend the audio book.
  • The Tryout: A Graphic Novel by Christina Soontornvat – This middle grade memoir is so well done. It’s sweet, surprising, relatable, and so honest it will make you cringe in parts. Christina Soontornvat captures the complex friendships and challenges of middle school perfectly. Graphic novels are not usually my genre, but this one won my heart. Great gift for middle graders, teachers, and anyone who enjoys a good true story.
  • Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – Have you ever loved a book so much you couldn’t form a cohesive sentence about it? That’s how I feel about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I’ve been wanting to write a review of it ever since I finished it in August, but I can never decide where to begin or how to put into words the impact it had on me. The best I can do is just tell you to read it. Good fit for gamers and readers who love realistic fiction about complicated friendships with flawed but likable characters.
  • The Space Between You and Me by Ashley B. Davis – Got a reader on your list looking for magic, angst, and LGBTQ romance? Give them the chance to curl up with a warm beverage and indulge in some time spent with Jonah and Apollo. The heart-wrenching relationship between these two teenagers trying to find themselves and each other while also protecting their clan will delight fans of Carry On and the Twilight series.

One more idea…

Image from https://www.etsy.com/shop/BookishBaublesGifts

If you’re shopping for a reader but aren’t sure what they want to read next, consider getting them something to remind them of their favorite books. These ornaments filled with tiny books are adorable and can be personalized with the titles of your choice. Sneak a peek at your friend’s Goodreads page, scope out which books they’ve rated highest, and make a one-of-a-kind decoration filled with their favorites that they can enjoy year after year.

But writers are so hard to shop for… Not true!

Whether you’re looking for something practical or whimsical for the writer in your life, I’ve got you covered with these suggestions.

Give a gift that keeps giving.

I’m a big fan of Writer’s Digest magazine. I’ve been reading it for years and continue to find the articles, tips, agent spotlights, and writing exercises engaging and useful. I can honestly say that two of my published stories would not even exist, much less be published, if not for an inspirational article or writing prompt from Writer’s Digest. Consider giving your writer friend a subscription. That way, every month they will receive a new volume of writerly advice to fuel their muse, and they’ll think of you each time.

Another great gift to give a writer, especially one just starting out in their career, is a good review. Take the time to jot down some positive notes about their book on Goodreads or Amazon or on your favorite social media sites. A little good publicity can go a long way, and I promise your writer friend will appreciate the kind words.

Practical, shmactical. Get them something fun.

Image from https://www.etsy.com/shop/WickandSarcasmShop

Authors get super nerdy when it comes to office supplies, so consider getting your favorite writer some new tools of the trade. Spoil them with a fancy fountain pen from GoldSpot or spend a little more on this unique “Inkvent” Calendar (an advent calendar filled with tiny bottles of ink) that they can enjoy all throughout the holiday season.

Then again, writers deserve their breaks. You can also give them something to get them away from the desk for awhile, like a basket of bubble bath and chocolate or a bottle of their favorite wine. Add this funny “First Draft” candle for an additional dose of fun.

When in doubt, start with coffee…

Readers and writers have a lot in common, and one trait many of them share is a love of caffeine. If you’re not sure what books or writing utensils the people on your holiday list would enjoy, you may want to go back to the basics: COFFEE.

Magnificent mugs and creative cups.

I believe a person can never have too many coffee cups, so I say buy your loved one a new vehicle for their caffeine.

At my Etsy shop, Pumpkins & Poetry, I have a variety of coffee cups that appeal to readers and writers, such as two that display book title poems, and one that shows images of delicious lattes. (A coffee cup covered in coffee cups. That’s deep.)

Also, I know I’ve mentioned them on my blog before, but I highly recommend Creature Cups. They are cute (or creepy depending on which animal you choose) and the mugs are high quality and easy to wash in the dishwasher despite the decorations inside.

Start the new year off right.

My last gift suggestion is one that will delight its recipient all year long: the 2023 Comfy Cozy Coffee Calendar. This wall calendar (which comes in 8.5×11 or 12×12) includes twelve months of photos of delicious lattes, cozy coffee shops, and books. It’s the perfect decoration to hang in any reader or writer’s office to fuel them with inspiration and remind them of important deadlines.

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There you go! Shopping list done! Shipping times can be unpredictable these days, so order early to avoid delays. (<– Whoops! I rhymed there by accident!) Oh, and if YOU are the reader or writer or coffee drinker in your life, it’s totally ok to order these things for yourself. You deserve to be pampered, too. 📚🖊️☕😊

Interview With a Teacher: Recap

Back in August, in an effort to support educators and show the world what it’s really like in the classroom on a day-to-day basis, I started interviewing current classroom teachers. This semester, ten brave teachers participated in my interviews: Mr. D’Elia, Mr. W, Ms. B, Mr. L, Ms. S, Ms. C, Ms. L, Mrs. H, S.S., and Ms. A. I want to thank them again for their time, their honesty, their compassion, and for making me laugh, cringe, and/or cry with their responses.

I’m pausing the interviews for now. I don’t have any more teachers lined up at the moment, and as a former teacher myself, I know that it’s just cruel to ask educators to do anything else in these weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break. They are already frantically planning lessons, grading papers, chasing late work, monitoring exams, contacting parents, decorating doors, scheduling holiday parties, finishing up online trainings they were supposed to complete in October, and trying to remember which day is Pajama Day and which day is Dress-Like-Your-Favorite-Muppet Day.* And that’s just the middle school teachers. I can’t even imagine what all the elementary teachers are going through at this time of year.

Me on Pajama Day in December 2020.
Note the socially-distanced desks and open windows.

I will (gently, carefully, cautiously) reach out to teachers again next semester and see if some more would like to participate in my interviews. I think it would be valuable to see how spring responses compare with fall answers. But for now, I’m leaving the teachers alone to count down the days until they can collapse on the couch for a couple of weeks with a pile of blankets and a big mug of eggnog.

* Need something to sing while grading those last few dozen essays? Check out these Holiday Carols for Teachers. *

Before we wrap up this semester’s interviews though, let’s take a look at every teacher’s favorite thing: data.

10 Teacher Interviews:

Statistics:

# of High School Teachers = 3
# of Middle School Teachers = 5
# of Elementary School Teachers = 2
Age Range of Participants = 23-60
Salary Range of Participants = $50,000 – $65,000
Range of Teaching Experience = 0-23 years
Content Areas represented = English/Reading (5), Science (3), Math (1), Fine Arts (1)
Range of Class Sizes:
Smallest Classes = 1-25 students (Range in a Core Subject Not at an Alternative Campus = 8-25)
Largest Classes = 10-45 students (Range in a Core Subject Not at an Alternative Campus = 23-33)

Observations:

  • Job satisfaction ranged from 1-5 with an average of 3.2/5.
  • Most teachers completed this survey in the evening after work. Some of them completed it in pieces over multiple days. It definitely took them longer than I anticipated/hoped and I am eternally grateful for their time.
  • All participants teach in public schools in Texas, but they come from eight different districts all across the state.
  • The youngest teacher interviewed makes the highest salary.

Awards:

  • The winner of the most students taught goes to Mr. W, who teaches 206 seventh grade science students.
  • The winner of the weirdest/saddest lunch goes to Ms. B, whose lunch “consists of a poptart I eat throughout the day whenever I have time.”
  • The person who made me laugh the most was Ms. A with her description of trying to teach 6th graders about “F holes” and “G strings” in orchestra. Perhaps I have the maturity of a 6th grader, because that made me giggle.  

I look forward to shining the spotlight on some more teachers next semester, but maybe it’s time for a little revision. After reading the first ten interviews, what else do you want to know? What question should I be asking teachers that I haven’t thought of?

Thank you again to teachers everywhere. Hang in there for these next few weeks and then enjoy your much-deserved break.

* This is made-up. None of my schools ever had a Dress-Like-Your-Favorite-Muppet Day, and now I’m wondering why not. I totally would have rocked a Super Grover costume. **

** Not having a Dress-Like-Your-Favorite-Muppet Day did not stop my coworker across the hall from wearing his Fozzie the Bear onesie on Pajama Day. “Waka waka!”

Poems & Purrs

Greetings, friends!

I recently learned that two of my poems earned first place prizes in this year’s Poetry Society of Texas Annual Awards. I’m proud to share that “Upon Running into a Former Sweater at Goodwill” and “Eating the Watermelon Moon” will appear in PST’s A Book of the Year 2023.

While I can’t give you a sneak peek at the winning poems yet, I’d like to share one that did not win a prize, but which I’m fond of for personal reasons.

As you may remember, I spent July searching for, finding, rescuing, and fostering a litter of stray kittens. After we found homes for the first five, hubby and I decided to keep the last kitten. Indigo is 5 1/2 months old now and fills our home with a warm, furry, bouncy, playful joy. He had his neutering surgery a couple of weeks ago, and it reduced his energy levels by 0%. Now we are in the fun stage where every other day or so we find one of his baby teeth, often in our clothing, as he likes to remove the loose ones by biting our arms. 🙄

I wrote this poem back in August, when Indie was a baby. It still makes me smile, and so does he, every day. I hope you enjoy it. 💙

Indigo

You are the I in Roy G. Biv
the color of a lake at twilight
the shade of wonder

Light plays on your silky fur
like sunshine plays on waves
like you play—
bursts of joy and stillness
blending caution and chance

Your eyes are full moons
absorbing all the new
soaking it up 
like rain during a drought

Each reach of your paw
brings just-born delight
and knowledge
of your small universe

Oh, Indie,
your kitten-ness chases 
the gloom away
reveals an innocence
this world is missing

Never stop learning
Never stop romping
Never stop purring

So much depends
upon your little blue
soul

© Carie Juettner, 2022