League of the Lexicon, the smash-hit literary game recommended by the WSJ and lauded by Mensa, and more bestselling gifts from The Reader’s Catalog

"It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you in hot water."—Franklin P. Jones ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

“It’s a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you in hot water.” —Franklin P. Jones League of the Lexicon Recommended “for wordsmiths and language lovers,” League of the Lexicon is “the perfect gift for that erudite friend or trivia junkie in your life,” according to The Wall Street Journal. “[It] features 2,000 questions—crafted by linguists and lexicographers—that probe every corner of language: from etymology and archaic words to usage and wordy trivia. ...It has been awarded a spot on Mensa Minds Recommended Play List for 2023, making it a solid choice for book lovers who relish a challenge.” Shop Now   Orders placed by December 15 will ship by December 18. Once we ship your order, it will be in the hands of the USPS and we cannot guarantee the arrival date. For expedited service, please choose FedEx at checkout.   Silence Please Mug A polite exhortation, “silence please,” appears beneath the English Gothic arch at the entrance to the Bodleian Old Library. Another appears in the library’s fifteenth-century courtyard. In fact, these signs are presented at every entrance to the Bodleian, one of Europe’s oldest libraries and the main research library at the University of Oxford. Made in Staffordshire exclusively for the Bodleian Libraries. For the Home   The Backyard Birdsong Guide “By knowing which song he sings, you can tell exactly what is on his mind.” —Donald Kroodsma, The Backyard Birdsong Guide With more than 300,000 copies already sold, Backyard Birdsong is back by popular demand. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is proud to rerelease this widely acclaimed bird audio field guide series, from award-winning ornithologist and author Donald Kroodsma. Science and Nature   Vintage Map: 1,000-Piece Puzzles Paris, New York, London The perfect gift for a flâneur, Anglophile, or New Yorker: a stroll around your favorite city. These puzzles are presented in plastic-free packaging—a charming muslin drawstring bag inside a sturdy, illustrated cardboard tube. A small poster guide is included. 1,000 pieces; finished puzzle: 22" x 28". For the Homebody   Hourglass The hourglass is a recurring image that evokes not only the passage of time but also balance, the sky and the earth, the female figure, and more. This richly symbolic object is also a calming and beautiful desk accessory. Choose among four colors and between five- and thirty-minutes. Desk    Silk Chiffon Scarves The hems of these scarves are hand-rolled and sewn, not machine-stitched. The colors are bright and clear, with a beautiful transparent quality. They are easily tied in a variety of ways and are large enough to wear as light shawls. Monet Water Lilies Silk Chiffon Scarf The design of this scarf is based on the Nymphéas (“Water Lilies”) paintings made by Claude Monet of the pond at his home in Normandy. The artist moved to Giverny in 1883, and ten years later, started designing the pond.   Van Gogh Sunflowers Silk Chiffon Scarff This vibrant yellow, orange, and green scarf is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers series, a set of seven paintings made in Arles, France, between 1888 and 1889. Frida Kahlo Watermelon Silk Chiffon Scarf The vibrant watermelon pattern on this eye-catching scarf is taken from Viva La Vida, Watermelons, the last painting by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954). Scarves   The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia “Astonishingly, addictively entertaining.”—Benjamin Dreyer, the New York Times best-selling author of Dreyer’s English From the team that brought you League of the Lexicon, The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia leads you on a delightful rollick through language unlike any you’ve ever experienced.  For the Grammarian   Old-School Lap Desk Don’t be tied to a desk while working on a project. If you would rather work in bed or from an armchair (or beach chair), this lap desk will allow you to write, draw, read, or use a laptop in comfort. The top can be raised to a variety of angles, simply by placing a metal support into the appropriate notch.  Vintage-Inspired   Untranslatable Words Cards This set of cards defines some of our favorite words from the world’s languages, and matches them with compelling images to bring some of our most important feelings into focus. These inspiring cards make a thoughtful gift for language lovers, word nerds, and all curious individuals, encouraging us to reflect on the splendor of vocabulary and the emotions. Twenty cards in a beautiful keepsake box; some cards contain adult themes. Stocking Stuffers   Women Who Changed the World: Mug, Notebook, Tote From secret agents, scientists, and suffragists to politicians, presidents, and paleontologists—and of course writers—this amazingly detailed design celebrates women who have had a significant impact on the world, from Ancient Egypt to the present day. Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Miriam Makeba, Mae C. Jemison, and Malala are some of the women from around the globe featured in this design.  For the Idealist   Libraries Save Democracy Pin Show your support for public libraries and the essential role they play in a democracy by wearing this enamel pin on a collar, lapel, backpack, or tote.  Library-Themed Gifts   Read Banned Books Enamel Pin The best way to protest the banning of books is to read them. Spread the word by pinning this “Read Banned Books” pin to a lapel, backpack, or bookbag.  For the Idealist   “Be Happy for This Moment” Gold Bracelet “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” —Omar Khayyam’s The Rubáiyát The beauty of Khayyam’s language is echoed here in the simple elegance of the bracelet. This timeless piece is a perfect gift for anyone celebrating one of life’s joyful moments. Jewelry   Collective Noun Tea Towels A chime of wrens, a charm of goldfinches, a prickle of hedgehogs, a romp of otters, a drift of sheep, and more on hand-screened tea towels, each featuring fifteen wonderfully evocative collective nouns.  Kitchen   Build-Your-Own Kaleidoscope This STEM kit is an exciting two-part project for young artists and scientists, ages seven and up. Straightforward instructions show how to construct a working outer-spaced-themed kaleidoscope. Children   Classic Cookbook Covers: 1,000-Piece Puzzle This puzzle features artist Richard Baker’s realistic paintings of classic cookbook covers. Each book portrait shows not only the original front cover in detail, but also signs of its passage through time—creases, worn bindings, and all. Games and Puzzles   Illuminated Galaxy Crystal Ball Let the light shine with this illuminated crystal ball, featuring a 3D laser-engraved galaxy design. This light will spark joy and make any space come alive. The warm light suffusing the stars of this miniature galaxy creates an inviting atmosphere. Desk   Walt Whitman Earrings “Resist much, obey little.” Whitman’s rallying cry for individual and collective liberty, from the 1860 edition of Leaves of Grass, is stamped on these sterling silver domed-disc earrings for pierced ears. They are handmade in the US by artist Amy Volchok. Walt Whitman   Classic French Market Bag Pull out the Larousse: you’ll run out of the superlatives you’ll need to describe this classic net tote. Maybe the company that makes it says it best: Le IT BAG écolo (the ecological IT BAG). Chic as Chanel, it’s eminently practical: it takes up hardly any space and is machine washable, durable, inexpensive, and 100% cotton.  For the Francophile   Solar System Paperweight Let your thoughts turn heavenward as you gaze at this colorful solar system paperweight with its galaxies and planets. This glass paperweight combines style and functionality, making it a beautiful accent piece for any home or office. Size: 3" diameter, 2" height. Desk   Cinephile: A Card Game for Film Nerds, Movie Geeks, and Cinephiles With 150 cards and multiple ways to play, this “stylish and addictive card game” (GQ) is the perfect choice for everyone from casual moviegoers to bona fide film nerds.  Games and Puzzles   Wearable LED Reading Light Wirecutter, the product review site for The New York Times, chose this as the #1 pick for a wearable reading light. It’s comfortable, hands-free, and rechargeable. The light beam is restricted to the target area; it can be bright enough for your reading and at the same time dim enough not to disturb others nearby. Tools for Readers   History of Cycling Mug “The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.”  —Christopher Morley The illustrations on this fine bone china mug show the evolution of bikes throughout history, from the running machine in 1818 to the sleek bikes of today. This might be thought of as the family tree of cycling, charting generations of bicycles.  Art and Lit Mugs   Young Artist Essentials Gift Set This art set makes the perfect gift for a budding artist ready to take their creativity to the next level. By providing a variety of mediums, this set encourages children to explore different artistic styles and techniques.  Children   French Market Basket This is the authentic panier du marché, the traditional straw market basket used for centuries throughout France. With a spacious interior and durable construction, it is seen almost as often on beaches and at picnics as it is in markets. Sturdy and functional, these handcrafted baskets embody the chic and practical French lifestyle.  For the Francophile   Wildflowers Napkins Each cotton napkin in this set of four is printed with a vintage illustration of wildflower specimens. Although the flowers are labeled with their Latin names, nature lovers will probably recognize foxglove, poppy, birdsfoot trefoil, clover, varieties of daisies, ranunculus, buttercups, and thistle, and have fun looking up the unfamiliar.  Kitchen   Vintage-Inspired Tea Towels Clockwise from top left: Wildflower, Beekeeper, Fromage, Vegetable Garden, “If You Have a Garden and a Library,” Floreale Also available: Nomenclature of Colors, The Tempest Kitchen   Handmade Memory Game with Vintage Imagery—French Version The tiles and boxes of these memory games are entirely handmade by the artist and graphic designer Sarah Caplan. Each unique set consists of pairs of tiles housed in a handmade box. Images on the tiles include a curated assortment of illustrations and old photographs she has collected for years—mostly antique ephemera, including animals, people, famous world sites, fruits and vegetables, flowers, modes of transportation, insects, random objects, and vintage scenes from daily life. Exclusive to Us   Handmade Memory Game with Vintage Imagery Far more than a game, it is a decorative object of great charm. The tiles may be displayed on tabletops or mantelpieces, as part of centerpieces, or wherever a touch of visual whimsy and sophistication is needed. If you are looking for a unique and original gift, seek no further. The boxes are made of wood with archival book-making materials, and are covered in one-of-a-kind, handmade Italian and French marbled papers. The game tiles have gold or blue-painted edges and are backed with patterned handmade Japanese papers.  Exclusive to Us   Cards and wrapping paper to greet the season with wit, grit, wisdom, and festive cheer Animal Tracks in the Snow Snow Fox Holiday Cards Edward Gorey Cat in Scarf Holiday Cards Dark Forces Holiday Greeting Cards by Glen Baxter Charles Addams “Brownstone Snowman” Holiday Cards James Joyce Holiday Cards Gorey Greetings Holiday Card Assortment Vintage Bodleian Christmas Wrapping Paper Joy and Happiness Holiday Cards Holiday   David Levine 2026 Calendar The 2026 edition of this annual favorite features David Levine classics drawn exclusively for The New York Review of Books. In celebration of free speech, this year’s calendar highlights thirteen authors of banned books and their censored works, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby, Toni Morrison and The Bluest Eye and Beloved, Isabel Allende and The House of the Spirits, Aldous Huxley and Brave New World, Alice Walker and The Color Purple, and more NYR Merchandise   You are receiving this message because you signed up for email newsletters from The New York Review of Books, NYRB, or The Reader’s Catalog. You can choose the types of mailings you wish to receive. Update preferences The Reader’s Catalog: 207 East 32nd Street, New York NY 10016-6305   Preferences  |  Unsubscribe