My wife has been collecting used sci-fi / fantasy books recently and I was thinking about birthday gifts. Her favorite book is 20000 leagues under the sea… was thinking about getting her a leather version of it but wanted to see if I could get some reddit suggestions! She's mostly been collecting used paperbacks, so I'm not sure if a nice book would look too out of place or nice.
Recently helped her install new floating bookshelves. I could do more but she's a bit picky on location so I'd have to hash it out with her.
Maybe really nice themed & matched bookends? Right now she just has basic metal ones.
Would love suggestions!
by sikyon
5 Comments
themed book nooks perhaps?
Do you have a price limit? Do they have to be hard cover?
Sorry, didn’t read your whole post. I’m so eager to recommend certain books. I’m really too excited to finish reading.
Id say find one “kind of” expensive large conch shell, and get another one for the winter time gift.
The leather bound route is a great call for 20,000 Leagues, specifically it’s one of those books that actually deserves a physical object worthy of it, not just a paperback. The Verne classics in full grain leather look incredible on a shelf, and the nautical themes lend themselves really well to embossed cover designs.
One thing worth knowing is that there’s a big difference between bonded leather (looks nice in photos, peels within a few years) and full grain (gets better with age). Worth making sure whatever you buy is the real thing. If you want something truly unique, you can also go bespoke, have it bound specifically for her with her name or a personal inscription. A bit more effort to track down, but for a book that’s meaningful to someone, it’s worth it.
What’s her shelf aesthetic like? Is she going for a curated collector look or more of a warm lived-in reading nook vibe? That’d change what I’d suggest for the bookends too.
I am also a huge collector of leather bound editions and I get most of my books handcrafted from professional craftsmen in genuine full grain leather for roughly $300-$400