Austin Kleon — 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Here’s a bunch of stuff that made my life better this year that I think a wide range of other people would like, too. It’s all $5-$25, so great for stocking stuffers or people on a budget.

Parquet Courts, Light Up Gold - Loud, obnoxious punk. Best played loud. $16 on vinyl.

Daily Rituals by Mason Currey - A handsome little book full of the daily routines of famous artists, scientists, etc. Not sure how I feel about the way the entries are edited together, but there’s a lot of good stuff inside. $17

Island Of Lost Souls - If you ever wondered where Devo stole “Are we not men?” this is the movie. A 1932 “pre-code” adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau starring Bela Lugosi. It’s super creepy and cool, and the Criterion Collection DVD has kickass packaging. $20.

Palomino Blackwing Pencils - These are my absolute favorite pencils. They’re super-soft and write with a really smooth, black line — perfect for underlining in books and writing notes to yourself in the margins. $23/box.

Palomino Long Point Pencil Sharpener - Because good pencils need a good sharpener. “Shape the wood…then the lead!” $11

Stories We Tell - Director Sarah Polley finds out her dad might not be her dad. The resulting film is a beautiful meditation on memory, family, and storytelling. $15

Elvis Costello and The Roots, Wise Up Ghost - Really good. $7

Moleskine 2014 Daily Planner - This is the same notebook I’ve used to keep a daily logbook for the past five years. My logbooks are invaluable to me—easier to keep than a diary and way more helpful. $16

A Band Called Death - The story: three black brothers in 1970s Detroit played punk rock before punk rock existed (and before anybody wanted to hear it). $17

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt - I love Westerns. I love 300-page books with tight, fast chapters. I loved this book. My wife got me this for Valentine’s Day and it wound up being my favorite book I read this year. $12

Aqua Notes - I know, I know: they seem totally goofy, but I get a lot of ideas in the shower, and nine out of ten of them are bad, but that one that is good, well, it’s worth having something you can write it down on. $8

Adrian Younge Presents the Delfonics - Not every album can be traced to a single tweet. This album sounds like Philly soul meets spaghetti Westerns. $20 on vinyl

Not enough? See last year’s gift guide→