We knew you couldn’t resist Vincent Price…neither could we. Come in and check out this and other classic horror movies. Now on our sale table for just $6.98.

At Vertigo we try to be as green as possible. We try to reduce our impact through recycling, donating galleys and books, reusing boxes and packing material through several small businesses and our customers. But bags…well, bags are a problem. We try to ask if people need bags and while many do not take one, we still are using plastic. With Chico Bags, we could cut down even more and you might cross a few things off your shopping list.

Virtues of the Chico Bag include:
*teensy size with clip
*very lightweight but carries 20 lbs.
*washable
*very affordable at 5.00
*the perfect size for stockings
*many colors
*recyclable when worn
Just return the bag to Chico Bags and it will be reused or perhaps woven into a rug. Give one and keep one in your purse or car.

 
Some of you have long bought our book buyer’s recommendations (a.k.a. Todd’s picks). It is is rare that he expresses unabashed admiration for a publisher’s full list. But he has long been a fan of New York Review Books. He has said lovely things about their books for adults and children. Their titles are especially gift-worthy due to fine design and careful craftsmanship. But you may feel the need to buy one or two yourself–these are books you’ll want to hang onto.

If you share our admiration, we’re offering free buttons, bookmarks and a chance to win one of their nifty totes filled with galleys. Just purchase one or more of their great titles to enter. Enter by 12/22/08, winners will be notified shortly thereafter.

Does news of Dubya & Company’s antics leave you eager to take a shower? The founder of Scrubya soap agreed and took action. She’s brought us Scrubya Soap in 3 scents and now we can wash George W. away. Just lather liberally and repeat until November 2008. Choose from Cameliza Rice, Neo-Con Coriander and  Smell the Damn Coffee! 5.95 each or 17.50 for the trio, all are naturally good for you. Scrubya’s proceeds benefit organizations that are cleaning up after the Bush administration such as Physicians for Human Rights. Update: as seen in the Washington Post.

When you go out to one of those fancy-schmancy restaurants in DC, you may encounter a sommelier, whose job it is to help you select the perfect wine to to go with your food. Here at Vertigo, we have come up with the perfect. . .well, something special to go with certain books for your gift-giving requirements:

Under the Black Flag by David Cordingly ($13.95) is an excellent history of pirates. Add a package of Deluxe Pirate Bandages ($3.95) in case of paper cuts while flipping pages, or perhaps a Pirate Duck Squirter ($1.95) for reading while in the bath.

The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe ($15.95), while another pirate book, is a wacky goofball adventure with communists, and therefore better paired with our Commie Self-Adhesive Mustache & Beard Set ($2.95). This is a book that really needs a full-bodied Red to withstand the bold flavors in the text.

Thank You for Smoking by Christopher Buckley ($13.95) is a hilarious satire of corporate spin taken to new extremes. If the urge to light up while reading becomes irresistible, our Just Like Dad Bubble Gum Cigarettes ($1.50) are just the thing to keep you from blowing smoke.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair ($5.95, or a nicer paperback for $9.95) is a classic muckraking novel of the slaughterhouses of early 20th century Chicago. An excellent muckraking book of the late 20th century is Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser ($14.95). If a juicy burger still hits the spot after reading either of these books, then the Carnivore Wristband ($1.95) can be worn with pride.

The above are just a few examples of suggested matches from the Vertigo staff–the only sommeliers to be found in College Park. 

The New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word/Phrase of the Year for 2006 is carbon neutral. Largely a result of Al Gore’s influential An Inconvenient Truth, we have to say that the OUP choices were much more goofy and appealing than those found at Merriam-Webster. However, we may be impossibly geeky in such matters: we received two OEDs for our wedding. In any case, to educate and encourage your loved ones to pursue carbon neutrality, consider our Global Warming Mug (9.95)–watch the polar ice caps melt as you drink coffee–and a copy of An Inconvenient Truth (oversized paperback, 21.95).

Melanie, one of our crack bookstore staffers at Vertigo, has other talents besides shelving books alphabetically and suggesting a good mystery title for your cousin Ralph who likes all things Swedish. Melanie is also a skilled carver of Emu eggs, crafting beautifully designed earrings you won’t find anywhere else. The eggs’ surface has a rich, dark green color that gives way to a light blue layer and then a white layer. Much thicker than the egg you cracked for this morning’s breakfast, Emu earrings are very durable and suitable for everyday wear. We have a nice selection for you to choose from, all priced at $15.00.

Have someone on your gift list who doesn’t go in for all this Happy Holidays stuff? Who stopped believing in Santa back in preschool and scoffed at all his deluded playmates? Who stopped following baseball after Tug Mcgraw came up with that Mets slogan, "Ya Gotta Believe?" Maybe you picked this person in the office Secret Santa drawing, or maybe they’re an obnoxious sibling. As they might say–"Whatever." You’ve still got to get them something.

Have we got the gift for you: The Nihilist Gift Pack

This includes:
A pack of Nihilist chewing gum (for those who don’t believe in flavor).
A black wristband engraved with the word Nihilism.
And Ivan Turgenev’s novel, Fathers and Sons, which, upon its publication in 1861, was seen by the conservatives of that era as a dangerous glorification of nihilism.

Wrap it all up in black paper (not included) and you’re good to go. Nihilist chewing gum .95, Nihilism wristband 1.95 & Fathers and Sons 4.99