Unusual Book Gifts
Unusual book gifts are the ones that stay on the shelf, get shown to other people and get talked about. The standard book gift is forgotten. The unusual one becomes a story.
What makes a book gift unusual
A book is unusual as a gift when the recipient couldn't easily have found it themselves, when it surprises them, or when the book itself is a strange object — not just a book about a strange subject. The most unusual book gifts are ones where the book is the concept.
The Archive's books as unusual gifts
A 261-page novel titled EW, containing the word 'ew' repeated throughout, is one of the more unusual books a person can give. It is strange before it's opened, and stranger when it is. All five Archive books (EW · UGH · LOL · YIKES · MEH) operate this way — available at the shop and at shop.nikitadatar.com.
Why unusual gifts are memorable
Unusual gifts are memorable because they prompt a reaction — surprise, laughter, confusion — that a practical gift never produces. That reaction becomes the memory. Years later the recipient still has the book (and the story of receiving it) long after they've forgotten a hundred gift cards.
Frequently asked questions
What are unusual book gifts?
Books that surprise the recipient — strange objects, conceptual works, books where the format itself is the concept. Archive books (EW, UGH, LOL, YIKES, MEH) are 261-page one-word books that are unusual on first glance and even stranger on opening.
Where can I find unusual books as gifts?
At shop.nikitadatar.com for the Archive's one-word books, and through independent bookshops and small presses for other unusual titles.
Related in the Archive
Weird Gifts for Book Lovers · Novelty Books for Adults · Books That Are the Joke · Gag Books