Send Your Crush (or Friend!) a Message Through Books
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and, let’s face it, there’s a lot of pressure to get the perfect gift. You’re already nervous enough that your crush doesn’t like you back — or that your friends won’t be available for a proper Galentine’s Day bash. You don’t need to added pressure of consumerism. Here’s our advice: skip the chocolates and opt instead for a bookish display of your affections. We came up with a few ideas to get those creative juices going.
Write Them a Book Spine Poem
There’s nothing more romantic than a love poem, but writing (especially writing as vulnerable as poetry) comes with its own set of anxieties. Don’t put pressure on yourself to have the perfect words. Instead, borrow from the masters. Assemble your favorite titles — books you did judge by their covers. (Bonus points if they’re romantic or meaningful in nature.) And then start writing! Rearrange their spines until you’re happy with the poem’s cadence, message, and shape. And then share it with your crush! Book spine poetry is highly Instagrammable. (Just check out the hashtag #bookspinepoetry and you’ll see what we mean!) But there’s also something wonderful about delivering the poem in person — perhaps accompanied with some tea and cookies.
Invest in Inscribing
Chances are there’s a book out there that reminds you so much of your best friend that it’s impossible to separate the two in your mind. Rather than simply loaning them your copy, purchase a copy of their very own, complete with a personal inscription on the title page. It’s like sending your bestie a letter, but better! In your inscription, be sure to highlight just how important this friend is to you. Pour your literary heart out, explaining why you bought this book specifically for them. And, if you’re feeling ambitious, set a time to dish about the protagonist’s every choice — preferably over wine and cheese. Because it’s not gossip if it’s about fiction!
Highlight Your Feelings
If you’re having trouble expressing to your crush how you feel, don’t worry. We’ve all been there. Chances are, there’s a character who has shared all of these same feelings — only more eloquently than you ever could. (It’s fiction! There’s time for poetry and rewrites and everything beautiful you could ever want!) So here’s what you need to do: find that passage, the one that resonates with your very soul, and underline it. Then, present your crush with this literary marvel, with the book beautifully wrapped and the key page bookmarked. How’s that for a conversation starter?
Help Them Meet Their Heroes
If your best friend has every book they could ever need — plus library cards for the two nearest counties when they run out of things to read. So the only logical step is to help them meet those literary idols. Keep track of the arts and culture lectures happening in your town, get on your local independent bookstore’s mailing list, make a pact to go to the nearest book festival — even if it’s several hours away. Authors are constantly appearing at events, either to promote their book, discuss a topic of personal importance, or test out new material. Your bestie’s chance to meet their favorite author might be closer than they think. And you could share in that experience together!
Buy Them a Bookish Gift
If all else fails, buy them a bookish gift to remember you by. Out of Print Clothing features a wide array of bookish clothing, covering everything from the classics to contemporary — all of it incredibly cozy. (Pride and Prejudice sweatshirt, anyone?)
