Being a bookworm doesn’t just mean that we’re obsessed with books. Of course, that obsession stands above and beyond everything else, but there’s also a thousand other subcategories that we fawn over. We see anything with a book quote on it or anything we can use for books and go absolutely nuts. Bookish merchandise can be so addicting, so intoxicating to look at, because of multiple reasons. a) They are book-related. Duh. b) They are useful. Double Duh. And when they’re easy on the eyes, c) Their gorgeousness makes you want to go back for more. Once you start on them, you just cannot stop. I’m no different, to be very honest.
In today’s blog post, I want to talk about the ones that I am crazy about. I wasn’t able to bring at least half of the things on this list here to Sydney, but trust me, I’m missing them with everything I have. Here, let me list my favorite bookish merchandise out for you and do let me know which of these catch your attention and if you have any of these on your lists.
1. TBR Cart – IKEA
This is my absolute number one! I am so glad I invested in this because it is sturdy (IKEA has always been a good experience for us), it is spacious, and is just so beautiful! I keep a set of unread books on this cart, especially those that are overflowing off my bigger bookshelf. I used it for my TBRs when I used to make them but ever since I stopped TBRs, I’ve been using it for storage. I can cart it around and use it as a background – you’ll notice it in my videos. It’s always there on my left side.
I also use the lower shelf to keep stationery, some art items that I thought I’d use to journal, my vlogging camera, my phone holder that I can hook to my tripod when making reels, some snacks, and other small items.
This cart is basically a savior and I wish I could have brought it to Australia with me. I miss it with everything I have!
2. Book Sleeves
I’m someone who likes to keep their books in good condition. So when, years ago, I learned of the existence of book sleeves, I went absolutely bonkers. I think my first book sleeve was from Reading Owl Creations on Instagram and I instantly fell in love. Neha and her Mum make these amazing sleeves that are so sturdy and so beautiful! Even years later, that first sleeve is still with me and still as good as back then. Put your books in these sleeves and in your bags as you travel and your books will be safe from wear and tear.
I tried the sleeves from a couple of other places – Amazon and another Instagram store called Books n Scents. The sleeve from that other store was beautiful and strong, but it was so pretty too!
Bottom line: Book sleeves are AMAZING!
3. Kindle Paperwhite
I bought my Kindle Paperwhite from a friend more than five and a half years ago and I’ve never been happier with another investment as much as I’ve been with this. You could download hundreds and thousands of ebooks on there and the ease of reading on it is just lovely. I know it’s a bit of a meh thing giving Bezos my hard-earned money, but a Kindle is a great investment for a reader. I don’t think I’ll be comfortable with a different kind of e-reader, especially with the range of ebooks available on Amazon Kindle.
4. Bookmarks from Seedhi Jalebi Shop
Which bookworm doesn’t love bookmarks? And this bookworm specifically loves bookmarks from Seedhi Jalebi Shop because they’re so beautiful, so quirky, and just lovely! The person behind Seedhi Jalebi, Tvishi, is one of the sweetest people I know. She even customized a few orders for me and I’m super, super happy with the products she sent my way. I brought a bunch of these with me to Australia because I couldn’t bear to part with them.
Seedhi Jalebi Shop has other merch too, including coasters, notebooks, and more. And at super affordable prices. What more do you need?!
5. Bibliophile Postcards
The last time we were in Melbourne, we stayed (‘lived’ would be taking it too far) in the hub of the city where everything was close by. There was a Dymocks just a couple of tram stops away and just before we returned to India, we paid a visit there. We got a bunch of things – enamel pins, bookmarks, a travel stationery set, and my absolute favorite – these bibliophile postcards that I hold close to my heart.
They have illustrations of book stacks, libraries, authors’ writing rooms, and so much more on them! I’ve gifted them to a bunch of friends and I still have a bunch remaining. And that box, I open from time to time and admire these postcards because they’re so beautiful. They’re bookish and they remind me of everything bookishly good in the world. ❤
6. Bookends
If you’re a bookworm, you’ll know that many-a-times, with the love of books, comes the urge to keep buying more books than you can read. And with this urge, comes the need to buy bookshelves. And with this need, come storage problems. So if you’re trying to fit books everywhere, you’ll want something to hold them up too. This is where bookends come in. They’re great at holding up vertical stacks of books and if you’ve seen my shelves, you’ll know that the topmost shelves have bookends keeping the books up from falling on my face.
The ones I’ve been using are from IKEA but there are some amazing styles on other ecommerce websites as well. I think it’s just about trial and error in this. 😊
7. My Mouse Pad
Okay, this one is my second favorite among my favorite bookish merchandise! We bought this at Dymocks too and it didn’t take long to decide if I wanted it. Here’s what it says:
Book lover: (booklover) n.
1. A person devoted to reading 2. One who would rather stay inside and read than go outside and play 3. Someone who gets lost in a story and loves to dream with open eyes… Beware: never disturb a book lover when he/she is reading. Results can be fatal.
I don’t think I have to say anything else about this. It’s like whoever made this knew me somehow and went, “You know what? Let’s just describe Sonali!” 😛
BONUS: Every book that family and every friend has ever gifted to me! I’m a sentimental person and everything that I get as a gift, I keep it along with the wrapping it came in. So every book and book-related item that’s been gifted to me, I hold close to my heart. ❤
So those were my favorite bookish merchandise of all time. Which of these do you like? Or which are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you! 😊
I’ll see you in tomorrow’s Blogtober post.
Until next time, keep reading and add melodrama to your life! 😀
The Melodramatic Bookworm 
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