Books & Libraries

Every book lover already has a towering stack on the nightstand. Adding another one is risky, but adding a porcelain book that never needs a bookmark is a stroke of genius. This is the gift for the book club president, the librarian, the retired English teacher, the cookbook hoarder and the friend who reads in the bath. It sits beautifully on a shelf between real books and gets noticed every time someone browses.

Chapter One: The Lid Opens

The library is full of surprises. Look for a book of poems with a single rose, pretty pink volumes with flowers, and travel books for Provence and Monaco. Cookbooks come with a tiny spoon or a seafood theme, a wine list book is ready for the sommelier, and a theater book wears the masks of comedy and tragedy. A gardening book arrives with its own tools. Cozy scenes include a comfy chair with a book waiting on the seat and a dresser stacked with hats and a book. Each one is hand-painted in France, hinged and gift-boxed.

Shelf-Help for Bibliophiles

Book collectors love these because they finally have something to put in front of the real books. Set a porcelain book on each shelf of a bookcase as a whimsical accent, or gather a stack on a reading table next to a lamp and a teacup. A little reading nook with a porcelain chair and a book is pure charm. Some collectors choose titles to match their own favorite genres, from cooking to travel to poetry, building a library that tells their story.

For more literary fun visit Book Lovers & Writers, slip a gift to Gifts for Teachers, or read up on how to spot genuine Limoges.