Valentine's Day Gift Idea

I'm not one to get all mushy about the V-Day gift giving, though I do buy Jyg a present every year. But it's a twofer gift, because the beginning of the month is our anniversary. Rather than having to exchange gifts twice, we celebrate both on one day, usually in the middle. This year - and I can say it here because she doesn't read the blog - I'm getting her favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz. I got her the book a few years back, mostly because enclosed was a necklace with the ruby slippers she adored as a child (two Halloweens ago, she dolled herself up with costume and ruby slippers and went as a gothic Dorothy, while I opted for a gothic Scarecrow, which turned out to look more like a dog thanks to the makeup). 

Jyg's not the only person I have to shop for gifts. While the romantic holiday is usually priority for me, I have a plethora of birthdays to think about. Namely, my mother's. For her, I'm going to reedit I photo album CD I made for her a few years back. This time it'll be in DVD format and it'll have music playing in the background (thank goodness for technology, right?). Why I haven't done this in the past is still a mystery to me. No matter, just in case that gift isn't ready by the time her birthday rolls around, I have the Country Music Classic, Pure Country,  film starring the great George Strait in the mail. I would've gotten the soundtrack for her, but I'm so desperately trying to inch my mother toward the MP3 age that purchasing something that wasn't a digital copy was counterproductive. 

But this blog is about helping you, not about what I'm getting people. Stand tall, amigos. There are gifts out there for your lovable book hunters, some rather inexpensive, others not so much.

1. For the zombie lover in your life, there's Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book of Zombie Love Songs (Kindle, Nook). Now this comes from the same people who brought you the neo-zombie holiday classic, It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Zombies (Kindle, Nook). Not a singer? Why not take a chance with Hungry for Your Love: An Anthology of Zombie Romance, which features writers like Brian Keene. (Kindle, Nook)
2. The Electronic Book Reader. Not an inexpensive gift, but one well worth it for any book hunter. Most book hunters will have a problem turning their backs on the printed word, but true book hunters know that despite the imaginary threat, these little hand held devices won't replace their beloved bound copies. The two most popular e-readers are the Amazon Kindle (free 3G) and the Barnes & Noble Nook (Color). There are, of course, others such as the Sony Reader (touch) and the Borders Kobo. 
3. If your book hunter already has an e-reader, why not try gift cards? Now a lot of people think gift cards are a sign of being impersonal. The stigma of why bother racking your brain about what to get needs to be thrown out. The joy about gift cards, however, is that if your book hunter can do what all book hunters do - hunt for the right book. Amazon has gift card options that can be e-mailed or printed. Barnes & Noble also offers them, but these you can physically buy them in any of their stores. For none-reader owners, there's always Better World Books, which offers books at discount and free shipping worldwide. 
4. Enough about books and book related accessories, right? You want apparel. The truth is, I can't tell who reads this blog more - men or women. Either way, Busted Tees has the t-shirts you're looking for, from Funniest to Inspiring. 
5. Gotta honey with a sweet tooth? Well, is s/he's a Health Nut, check out the yummy goodies made available at NutsOnline. 
6. This one you can't buy anywhere. We all know that Valentine's Day is just another materialistic holiday set up by greeting card corporations to make more money. Truth is, it doesn't have to be. Fresh flowers or something you make yourself are considered more valuable than something you picked up at the store, unless you're dating a gold digger. This year, like years before (except last year), I'm not only giving Jyg a gift, I'm making dinner. The main course hasn't been figured out but the dessert is going to be stuffed strawberry cheesecakes.