| “The studious silence of the library... Thought is the thought of thought. Tranquil brightness.”
—James Joyce, Ulysses Silence Please MugA 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. A reminder of the sanctity of scholarship and the quiet passion of booklovers, this bone china mug is an ode to one of the world’s most famous temples of literature. This mug makes the perfect desk accessory for the Anglophile or gift for those seeking to bring home the tranquility of an Oxford library. Made in Staffordshire exclusively for the Bodleian Libraries. A Time to Keep Silence NYRB Baseball CapWhether silent meditation is already a part of your daily practice, or you enjoy the occasional solitary walk, this phrase is the perfect message for those looking to bring a state of inner peace into their lives…or at least their wardrobe. In the NYRB best-selling memoir A Time to Keep Silence, Patrick Leigh Fermor writes about an inward journey, describing his several sojourns in some of Europe’s oldest and most venerable monasteries. This cap, with a serene blue font, is a great reminder for our busy times to take a beat and appreciate moments of quiet. | Stoner NYRB Baseball Cap This cap pays tribute to the luminous and deeply moving novel and its “truly virtuous and dedicated” hero, John Stoner. “John Williams’s Stoner is something rarer than a great novel—it is a perfect novel, so well told and beautifully written, so deeply moving, that it takes your breath away” (The New York Times Book Review). Whether you’re a devoteé of the riveting and tender book or of the cheeky double meaning of this word, this cap is a chance to honor an unlikely existential hero. | Libraries Save Democracy PinShow 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. Red, white, and blue enamel with silver metal accents. | Sky Is Filled with Stars Necklace“The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.”
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow This delicate modern necklace features the last line of one of the poet’s most famous poems. | Card Catalog NotecardsEvoking memories of beautiful wooden card catalogs, this replica sturdy cardboard box comes with a set of thirty flat notecards and envelopes. | On Cats In these pages, writers reflect on the curious feline qualities that inspire such devotion in their owners, even when it seems one-sided. Cats’ affections are hard-won and often fickle. Freud considered his cat an embodiment of true egoism; Hilaire Belloc found peace in his feline companion’s complacency; and Hemingway—a famous cat-lover—wrote of drinking with his eleven cats and the pleasant distraction they gave him. | Café au Lait Service for TwoMade in France from heirloom-quality porcelain and designed for everyday use, these café au lait bowls, in the distinctive classic shape, are decorated with typography from vintage brasserie menus. We’ve paired them with a pitcher—a classic design that originated in Mehun-sur-Yevre, France. These milk “jugs” are not only used to serve warm milk for café au lait but for juices, sauces, and any other pouring liquids. | Panier des Sens Soap Gift Set Discover the essence of Provence with this set of French natural bar soaps, featuring six classic scents made with olive oil and 97% natural ingredients. Enriched with essential oils, these natural bar soaps offer gentle cleansing and a rich lather suitable for all skin types. Individually wrapped in beautifully illustrated paper that can be saved to use for scrapbooking or any other artistic projects, the soaps come tied in a gold ribbon, ready to be gifted. | Brown Betty Tea Pot and Tea SetSince the seventeenth century, the Brown Betty has taken its rightful place as a time-honored design icon widely regarded as producing the perfect brew. We have paired the Brown Betty with two beautiful English tea tins—rectangular, with a hinged lid—containing forty tea bags of English Afternoon Tea, and forty tea bags of English Breakfast Tea, blended by a UK tea merchant. | Virginia Woolf’s NotebooksThe patterns on these hardcover notebooks are reproductions of the covers of two of the seven notebooks in which Virginia Woolf drafted the 1931 novel The Waves, considered among her best and most experimental works. Today, the notebooks are a part of the New York Public Library’s Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | County Library: We Want One PaperweightThis glass paperweight reproduces a 1928 photograph now in the collection of the Library of Congress. The photo captures the longing of a rural community for a permanent library and memorializes early bookmobiles. | The Night Sky PostcardsWhat is our place in the universe? For as long as humans have asked this question, we’ve looked to the night sky for answers. Whether through sketches, scientific experiments, photography, or painting, we are fascinated by the study of what lies beyond. This handsome foil-stamped box holds fifty postcards, each with a single sublime image. | Prohibition and Repeal Amendments Glasses A pair of glasses: a witty and, yes, sobering reminder of the historical path to legal drinking in the United States. One glass is printed with a reproduction of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. The other glass is printed with a reproduction of the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition. | Banned Books Socks These unisex cotton blend socks are “mismatched.” One sock displays the titles of fifty famous banned books, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Song of Solomon, The Catcher in the Rye, The Call of the Wild, The Grapes of Wrath, and more. The other sock lists the same titles, only redacted with a black bar. Black and white. | James Thurber Reading Dog Pin What a pedigree: not only is this pup featured on the cover of James Thurber’s book of New Yorker cartoons, the dog also appeared on posters advertising a major exhibition of Thurber’s work at the Columbus Museum of Art (A Mile and a Half of Lines: The Art of James Thurber). The irresistible image now adorns this sterling silver pin that is also fitted with a loop through which a chain can be threaded—so the pin can be worn both as a brooch and as a necklace (chain not included). | “What Good Shall I Do?” Pin Best known as a Founding Father and polymath (writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, politician, diplomat, printer, publisher, and philosopher), Benjamin Franklin tried to lead a committed moral life. Its clearest expression was his daily practice of asking himself, “What good shall I do this day?” when he awoke, and, before retiring, “What good did I do this day?” | Chamonix Cable-Knit Slipper Socks These slipper socks are the perfect accessory for a cozy day in—all you’ll need to add is a great book. Hand-knit and with a soft suede sole, the slippers have a lovely cable-knit pattern and an ankle opening fastened with coconut buttons. The sherpa-fleece lining inside makes them luxuriously soft and very toasty. | Bialetti Espresso Set for TwoYou may not have access to the water that flows through an ancient aqueduct—said to be the key to Rome’s unparalleled coffee—but you can easily make a superior brew at home with this Italian espresso set. Made by Bialetti, a heritage company in business for more than a century, this espresso maker is easy to use on a gas, electric, or induction stove. | The Louvre Tea Collection Discover the Louvre Collection, four exceptional signature blends created by Palais des Thés in partnership with the Louvre to pay tribute to one of the world’s greatest museums. This set of four miniature loose-leaf tins of tea is available in a beautiful gift box. It can be purchased on its own or with At the Louvre: Poems by 100 Contemporary World Poets, a collaboration between New York Review Books and the Louvre Museum. | Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks Pajama Set There’s no better feeling than putting on a cozy pair of pajamas and snuggling up with a great book before bed. Make your little one’s nightly ritual even more memorable by bringing their favorite book to life with this adorable pajama set. Your child will love wearing these super soft pajamas, which feature images from the beloved children’s book Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry. We think that this extra special pajama set might just become their new favorite! | These three soft board books with padded covers and rounded corners are ideal for babies and toddlers. The set includes: First 100 Words, First 100 Animals, and Numbers Colors Shapes. Each book is illustrated with engaging photos—not drawings—and lots of color, so they’re fun to look at and easy for baby to hold. These three volumes are a terrific start to any child’s library. | Pendleton Roll-Up Blanket Whether you’re heading to a picnic, hiking trail, campsite, or backyard gathering, this is the perfect grab-and-go blanket for any setting, from damp grass to chilly evenings. It features a comfortable layer of pure virgin wool on one side and weather-resistant nylon backing on the other for ultimate versatility. | Instead of a Card:
Ten Poems about Cats “Ten Poems about Cats” is a title in the “Instead of a Card” series, based on the idea that sending a greeting card is a lovely gesture, and sending a booklet of poetry an even more meaningful one. Cats have provided writers and artists with inspiration for as long as they have been winding themselves purring around their owners’ legs and fixing them with their big, green eyes. | “World Of” 1,000-Piece Puzzles Immerse yourself in the worlds of your favorite writers with these intricate puzzles full of detailed scenes from the authors’ works and lives. The New York Review of Books
Hunter Green Tote Show your love of great writing with this handsome market tote, featuring an original drawing of the facade of the New York Review of Books building. Previously the studio of Milton Glaser and the offices where New York and Ms. magazines were founded, this Beaux Arts townhouse has been the home of the Review since 2023. If you look carefully on the bag, you can see the line Milton had engraved in the transom above the front door: “Art is Work.” The bag is hunter green with a bright yellow font and a white illustration. Made in the USA. |
