Q&A with Melissa Chan from Literary Book Gifts

Please join me in welcoming Melissa Chan to Let Them Read Books! Melissa is a designer and founder of Literary Book Gifts. She combined her love of books, reading, and art history to create all the designs you see in the store, and I recently had the chance to ask her a few questions about her business, her designs, and her favorite books! Read on for a special 20% off promo code just for Let Them Read Books readers!

What inspired you to found Literary Book Gifts?

I founded Literary Book Gifts as a way to combine my love of literature and design in a way that others could enjoy and appreciate. I have been doing art and design for as long as I can remember, almost as long as I have been reading. In my youth, I discovered art history. For many years, I was absorbed in learning as much as I could about literature, artwork, and the history behind it. Because the titles and authors featured in the collection are from such a long time ago, mainly classics, placing book cover-related artwork onto shirts and tote bags seemed like a great way to share and appreciate the novel, its artwork, and the history that goes with it.

How do you choose which books to feature on your products?

I make sure the collection is diverse and has a lot of variety. If I have something particular in mind, I will sometimes choose books based on the artwork. There are classics such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen that definitely deserve a spot in the collection. There are also less widely read titles such as The Grimms' Fairy Tales which I am happy to be able to include in the collection as well.


What do you find most rewarding about your book-based business?

Starting Literary Book Gifts has given me the amazing opportunity to talk with other like-minded individuals about the titles in the collections. I also find it very rewarding when people tell me how much they love certain designs and how they have a tough time finding bookish items for those titles, such as in the case of E. M. Forster's Howards End.




What kind of books do you like to read?

I love reading books of all genres and types. One of my all time favorites is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. But I am also a huge fan of romance, sci-fi, and fantasy as well. Recently I have been reading a lot of contemporary American literature, and I always like trying out new types of books, as well as receiving recommendations of books others have enjoyed.

What are the best books you've read so far this year?

I finished up The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt earlier this year, and it was such a masterpiece. I've been keen on reading more of her work ever since finding The Secret History many years ago and enjoying it immensely.

This year I've discovered the works of Flannery O'Connor. From reading some of her short stories and eventually one of her novels, Wise Blood, I am pleased to say she is one of my favorite authors of all time. Her writing is simple and her characters in particular are fascinating. I am really happy to have found her work and plan to read more of it soon.

A special offer for readers of
Let Them Read Books!

The exclusive code

LetThemReadBooks20

can be used at Literary Book Gifts to receive 20% off on any order. 

There is no minimum purchase required and this code does not expire.