Halloa everyone! Happy winter!
Once again, I, Olivia, have the privilege of sorting this year’s CrimeReads Holiday Gift Guide! Hooray!
I try not to repeat items from year to year, so it’s worth checking out our lists from 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 if you need more ideas.
Most of the items on this list are not books, JSYK. There are a lot of lists on this website about books. This one is about things.
Like always, I’m trying to showcase things that might not be so obvious. I’ve also done my best to spotlight small businesses, as well as pick items made in the USA, and products that are cruelty-free and made from environmentally-responsible materials. For example, all the candles we list are Soy, because they burn cleanly without a carbon footprint.
In case you were wondering, no, we do not get commissions for featuring any of these items. That would be really nice, though.
And remember, please please please don’t shop on Amazon! Help small businesses STAY in business. Shop in person whenever you can!
Away we go!
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Clothes + Accessories
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Home Alone Battle Plan T-shirt (Urban Outfitters)
Celebrate one of the weirdest Christmas movies of all time by showing up to holiday dinner wearing this t0shirt with Kevin McCallister’s Xmas Eve “battle plan” printed on it. If you prefer something subtler, do this one, I guess.
Literary Hub “Literary Hat” Hat (Literary Hub)
Go head-to-head with other members of the literary intelligentsia by wearing your support for Lit Hub on your head.
Bunnicula Sweatshirt (Out of Print)
James Howe’s Bunnicula is the best way to get your little children into Dracula. It’s also a great nostalgic thing for adults who love Dracula. Represent Bunnicula in daily life with this cozy sweatshirt.
“Redrum” Pattern Socks (Stanley Kubrick Store)
I didn’t know there WAS a “Stanley Kubrick store” but now that I know…
Crime Club T-shirt (Imogene + Willie)
I don’t know what the Pillsbury Doughboy has to do with crime (though I don’t know what he DOESN’T have to do with crime) but Imogene + Willie makes the best t-shirts in the world.
James Bond GoldenEye socks (The London Sock Exchange)
I love the London Sock Exchange, and recommend some of their products every year. Perhaps you purchased from the Goldfinger collection last year. Well, this year, they’ve released a new series: the GoldenEye collection. They even have one of Boris, Alan Cumming’s oily computer villain, hunched at his desk.
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Body
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“Missing Person” Eau de Parfum (PHLUR)
I have no idea what would compel a company to name a perfume scent “Missing Person,” but PHLUR did. The website describes the scent as “A delicate, yet addictive fragrance that evokes the lingering scent of your lover’s skin. Brought to life by comforting accords of white musk, enhanced by sheer floral nuances of jasmine and glowing orange blossom and fused with a light trail of soft transparent woods, Missing Person is pure, provocative and undeniably familiar.” And like, that has nothing to do with the popular understanding of the term “Missing Person” but, hey, no one listens to me.
“The Abandoned Mansion” Perfume (Imaginary Authors)
Imaginary Authors is a fragrance company that makes scents inspired by books that don’t exist. This volume, shall we say, is intended to evoke “A romantic weekend at a lakeside cabin, a much-deserved hooky day engulfed in a gripping thriller, the cuddle puddle to end all cuddle puddles.” Also, it comes as a soap.
Bath Salt (Blue Lagoon Skincare)
From the Lit Hub Gift Guide: “Iceland is the country with the most published writers per capita; about 1 in 10 will publish a book in their lifetime. Does that sound great or appalling? Depends on how you look at it, but the soaking culture in Iceland is unquestionably supreme. If your favorite writer wishes they could be whisked away to the land of fairies and Björk and neighborhood hot springs, try cutting a large international corner with this bath product straight from the famous Blue Lagoon.”
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Home
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Italian Columbo poster (eBay)
Personally, I think the greatest gift one can receive is a vintage Italian Columbo poster. Around the world, Columbo episodes were released as movies, so they got the movie poster treatment. They’re a little pricey… but they’re one-of-a-kind. Belissima.
Author Forecast Digital Weathervane (MoMA Design Store)
Remember how last year we recommended this Author Clock that uses quotes from literature to say what time it is? Well, turns out, they have a weather predictor as well!
Author Forecast Digital Weathervane (Alamo Drafthouse)
I’d give this beautiful shower curtain with old movie ads printed on it to your loved one who’s a fan of Psycho. It gets the job done, but it’s not as cliche as one of these.
Extō Smart USBC Extension Cord (Conway Electric)
Conway Electric makes the coolest extension cords and outlets… ones you’ll actually LIKE having visible in your home.
Brunetti’s Cookbook (Grove Atlantic)
Do you love Donna Leon’s Brunetti books? Well, now you can COOK like you’re in one of them!
Lucy Sparrow Felt Poison Bottle (Lucy Sparrow)
British fiber artist Lucy Sparrow makes the most delightful felt creations, and in one of her current series, she has a large selection of different kinds of poisons and potions. A charming gift for the most vengeful among your friends.
Vice Edibles Canister (Jonathan Adler)
I think these circusy little pots are charming, and I love the color of the Edibles one the most. Now, in NYC, weed is legal, so if you enjoy it (unlike moi), go and proudly display this canister in your home! Depending on where you are, these pots might be downright incriminating. So, that’s crimey enough for this gift guide, I think.
Travel-size Weighted Blanket (Bearaby)
One of my favorite items in the world is my Bearaby weighted blanket. There’s nothing more relaxing than being trapped under a heavy-ass throw, in bed, reading a mystery novel. The idea of being able to bring one along when I TRAVEL… that’s the dream.
Mosquito Repellent Candle (Murphy’s Naturals)
One of the worst things in the world is not being able to read or write outside because there are too many mosquitoes. Mosquitos find me, no matter where I am. I am their favorite food. I am other people’s mosquito repellent. I have struggled for a long time to find something that will allow me to enjoy a book in the sunshine… and this candle is it!
Charlie’s Angels candle (SuperYaki x Mise en Scent)
This is a different kind of candle! For the Charlie’s Angels fan in your life, consider this candle which smells like “Red leather jumpsuits, bubblegum pop hits, Hawaiian ocean spray, and the confidence of knowing you could absolutely dismantle a crime syndicate in heels.”
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Desk
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Dynamite Pencil (Mr. Boddington’s Studio)
I love these little pencils that look like sticks of dynamite.
Banker’s Desk Lamp (Home Depot)
Everyone who likes books wants one of these.
King Kong bookend (New York Public Library shop)
Add some classic horror to your bookshelf, with these very fun metal bookends.
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Books, Games, and Media
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Clue Luxury Edition (W.S. Game Company)
I always include a fancy CLUE board on my gift guides, and here’s this year’s! It’s VERY FANCY but you’ll make the Clue fan in your life die of excitement.
“Not Today Murder” Party Game (Brass Monkey)
This delightful card game isn’t about solving a murder… it’s about trying to stop your own murder! If you aren’t tickled by this, then what are you doing on this website?
“Truly Terrifying Trivia” Pack (Brass Monkey)
While you’re at it, check out this pack of weird trivia featuring “true crime & generally creepy knowledge.”
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Vincent Price Action Figure (NECA)
Tell me this isn’t the greatest action figure you’ve ever seen in your life.
Quint JAWS 50th Anniversary Action Figure (NECA via Academy Museum Store)
Actually, it might be this one? It’s this one. I want this for Christmas.
Dorothy L. Sayers’s Britain Fold-Out Guide (Herb Lester and Associates)
I love a Herb Lester literary map! This one is sure to delight you Golden Age mystery fans… it’s a fold-out map and guide of the major places that informed and were featured in her work. Plus, it’s “litho-printed in Sussex, England, using vegetable oil-based inks on sustainably sourced paper.” So, you can’t beat that.’
Vertigo – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack LP (Mondo)
Mondo’s re-release of the Vertigo soundtrack is gorgeous.
2001: A Space Odyssey Board Game (Stanley Kubrick store)
I didn’t know this game existed, but I’m very glad it does. It seems long and complicated, like the movie.
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Holiday
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Edward Gorey Holiday Postcard Packs (Edward Gorey House)
Do you, like the rest of the right-thinking world, love Edward Gorey? These adorable postcard packs with Gorey’s odd Christmas drawings on them will be a perfect way to remind everyone you love that you love Edward Gorey more.
Pearl Tree Topper (A24)
Are you (or is someone you love) a fan of Ty West’s X-Pearl-Maxxxine trilogy? Give them this handmade felt Pearl tree topper. You know, because she’s a STAR?
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Memberships and Subscriptions
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Underexposed Subscription (Underexposed on Substack)
Basically the best thing you can do with your money is subscribe to Underexposed, Alex Rollins Berg’s tremendous Substack spotlighting obscure and under-appreciated (great) movies, from back in the day through today. Alex rolls out essays, listicles, interviews with filmmakers, and audio and visual episodes that will dazzle and delight film fans of all knowledge levels.
Office Club (Boston General Store)
Do you LOVE office supplies??? Well, Boston General Store will send you curated packs of office supplies. And trust me… they’re NICE.
LIBRO.FM Membership (Libro.fm)
From the Lit Hub Gift Guide: “Writers—especially writers with kids and/or long commutes—love audiobooks, but we aren’t using Audible to listen to audiobooks anymore, girls. Senior Editor Jessie Gaynor has a Libro.fm membership on her wishlist—it’s comparably priced and also supports any local bookstore you choose.”
CrimeReads Membership (CrimeReads)
I’m just going to be upfront: if someone you know loves CrimeReads, consider gifting them a membership!
Lit Hub Membership (LitHub)
While you’re at it, get someone you love a Lit Hub membership, too.
