“Ghabh.” What an odd word. The Vikings used it as part of their Old Norse language. Out of those five letters have come our modern word “gift” as well as “good luck” and “endowment.” They describe the potential power of what we do at this holiday season.
But what to give? That gnawing, terrifying and puzzling question can have an easy answer. A book! Below are 10 reasons book gifts will endow giver and receiver while adding good luck to this time of year. Suggestions follow about where to find such treasures in Santa Barbara.
» The personal touch. A book shows that you have given thought and chosen something just for that person.
» A book offers the gift of time with hours of adventure revving up the imagination, like taking a trip or going on vacation. Escape into a book for a few hours and you often come back enriched and wiser.
» Learn and be entertained, a successful formula to life’s enjoyment. Books give readers the chance to come away with something meaningful and memorable.
» Easy to wrap and cheap to mail.
» Give a book to a child. You will also make mothers very happy since books do not have a zillion little pieces to be picked up after each use.
» Books come accessory-free. No batteries required, no cords dangling around you, no router necessary.
» No Sell-by-Date stamped on the cover. No password needed.
» No age discrimination since there are books appropriate for all ages.
» A book is recyclable in the best of ways: pass it on to share with a friend or reread it another time.
» A good book can last a lifetime. How many gifts fill this category?
Why buy at a bookstore? There is something almost spiritual when you walk off a noisy, busy street into a room crammed with long shelves, some lined neatly with books, some stacked helter-skelter, beckoning you to browse. Discovering a new book is a mystery that never stops delighting me.
Santa Barbara has several options. Bookstore owners and employees have strong attachments to their product. Need help finding a good book for your aunt who loves wacky books, or a child who’s learning to read, or a friend who’s having a tough time after losing someone close, or a friend who needs a good escape? Bookstore staffs are trained to offer excellent ideas. Just browsing can come up with your answer, too.
» Chaucer’s Bookstore (3321 State St.) was started by Mahri Kerley 40 years ago. Since then it has become a local institution, outlasting other independents and two huge chains. Books stacked on the floors in the aisles give a cluttered effect that adds to the inexplicable adventure of looking for a book. Who knows what find you might come across even in one of those stacks on the floor? Kerley’s store emphasizes local authors and children’s books, besides a huge inventory of general reading materials.
» Granada Books (1224 State St.). When Borders and Barnes & Noble closed within a few months of each other four years ago, for the first time in more than 100 years Santa Barbara’s downtown no longer had a bookstore. Along came Sharon Hoshida and Emmet McDonough, longtime Santa Barbara residents. Both were easing out of careers but were devastated by our bookless downtown. In 2013, they opened Granada Books a couple of doors up from The Granada Theatre. It stays open when theater productions are over or clients are still browsing. Hoshida, the general manager, knows Santa Barbara well and is a lifelong avid reader.
» Tecolote Book Shop (1470 East Valley Road in Montecito). This neighborhood store, although small, carries a wide range of books with a staff who knows its inventory. Something tells me that owner Mary Sheldon may have read most of them, too. Walk through the Dutch door, usually with the top half open, and find just the right gift to help make the holidays more meaningful.
» The Book Den (15 E. Anapamu St.). Eric Kelly is another longtime bookstore owner. In addition, the Book Den celebrated its 100th birthday this year. Want a new book? Want an old book? The Book Den has it. Kelly points out that half his sales are for new books, although used books and even antiquarian ones like Mark Twain’s complete works autographed by the author can be found in this local institution. Many sell for amazingly affordable prices.
» Lost Horizon Bookstore (703 Anacapa St.). Ever been to an antiquarian bookstore? Don’t miss this one with a wide selection of used books. Walk under Spanish arches into Lost Horizon and you will enter into the history of books. Jerry Jacobs also offers old Santa Barbara and California photos, maps, paintings and posters. Here’s the kicker: many of the leather-bound books are not expensive. What about a beautiful old leather-covered edition Charles Dickens The Old Curiosity Shop for $20? He has a handy catalog of the Santa Barbara-related works he carries, with price ranges from $10 to thousands of dollars. Any would make a special gift.
» Paperback Exchange (1838 Cliff Drive on the Mesa) takes the prize for the smallest, coziest space with the most stuffed but neatly shelved books in town. If you don’t make a good find for yourself and friends here, you must be immune to pleasures in life.
Big Hint: Museum stores offer unusual and unique gifts. Take care of a special family member or friend with a great gift while donating to our nonprofit museums. The Santa Barbara Historical Museum store, 136 E. De la Guerra St., has a superb selection of books on Santa Barbara, many published this year. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History store, 2559 Puesta Del Sol, offers great ideas all around but for children, too.
Did I miss a store? Undoubtedly, but this may give you a start to finish your shopping. Maybe you will also find a great book as your own holiday reward.
— Noozhawk columnist Susan Miles Gulbransen — a Santa Barbara native, writer and book reviewer — teaches writing at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference and through the Santa Barbara City College Continuing Education Division. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.
