The 2005 Gift Guide

Since it's That Time of Year Again, here is a quick, opinionated sampling of neat items we at Borderlands think you should give to other people or pick up for yourself.  We have far, far too many interesting choices to list all of them, so stop by, have a complimentary cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and browse at your leisure!  We will also quite cheerfully gift wrap for you free of charge, though we readily admit that some employees are better at it than others.  (Some packages may have a Lovecraftian quality, and be "of no human shape." You have been warned.)

Narnia, of course, is ubiquitous this year.  We have a thorough and comprehensive selection to satisfy all your Narnian desires, from used paperbacks to the $118 illustrated hardcover boxed set.  Alan's favorite is The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader", and Jude's is The Horse and His Boy -- which is yours?  If you buy the Complete Chronicles of Narnia, Jude will throw in a rant about the (in her opinion) silly new sequence of the books free of charge.  Also, speaking of rants, if you would like to hear the entertaining saga of how the giant wardrobe in the window was built, email Jude at jfeldman@borderlands-books.com and she'll send you the story.

The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss by Theodor Seuss Geisel - You will simply love this book.  Perhaps you should buy two, so you don't crease the one you're planning on giving away when you read it.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman - A beloved, funny book, and a joy to give.

The Rhinoceros Who Quoted Nietzsche by Peter S. Beagle - On my top ten list of Favorite Books of All Time - Jude.

The Gashlycrumb Tinies Poster - The classic grey poster illustrating all 26 unfortunate children, in verse.  We also have favorites here.  Jude's is "X is for Xerxes, devoured by mice."

Everyone, but _everyone_, needs a Moleskine journal, either in the pocket or the standard size.  Plain, lined or graph paper.

Borderlands has calendars a-plenty.  Dragonology to Brom, Michael Parkes to Frazetta, Views From the Hubble, Fairies, The Art of Heavy Metal and so many more.  We should all know what day it is.

We have a large selection of lovely wooden boxes, Happy Tree Friends doo-dads, cool gothicky candlesticks, and some of the Best Dragon Boxes Ever.

Thanks to Jeremy, our DVD selection has increased hugely.  Find a great old favorite like the original psychedelic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (yep, the original Gene Wilder film was called "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", not "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" like the book & new Johnny Depp movie), or something new and cool like Shaun of the Dead!  And don't forget to take advantage of our limited time offer on DVD boxed sets (sets with more than three disks) -- buy any full-price DVD and you can have 20% off the price of any DVD boxed set in the store.  One of our staff favorites is the Twilight Zone set.

We have a slew of signed books to choose from - Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson, A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, A Princess of Roumania by Paul Park, Thud! by Terry Pratchett, and many, many others.

As usual, we are very happy to make suggestions to help you find the perfect book for that finicky person.
Of course, if you are really, really unsure of their tastes, why not a gift certificate in any amount you choose?  If you are feeling mischievous, you can give one in the amount of $29.62, or $101.01 with no explanation.