Treat Yourself 2011: Knicknacks You Don't Need (But Probably Want Anyway)

Before I got hooked on writing in the books I owned, I went through a Post-It note phase and I still go through way too many for this so-called paperless society. Novelty Post-Its are the kind of stocking stuffer I actually use, particularly when they're funny -- like these floppy disk sticky notes (MoMA Store, $9.95). For a standalone gift, maybe pair them with some sushi notepads (MoMA Store, $18.95) -- fitting, as earlier, for that coworker you drew in Secret Santa but who you don't actually know.

For when you run out of charity address labels (or move)... set your library apart with a personalized embosser (Neiman Marcus, $26). Impossibly classy. I don't even think libraries use these any more.

It won't do anything to assuage your guilt about going digital, but a Kindle cover that picks up on a classic book cover (like ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST or THE GREAT GATSBY) is mighty clever. You can also design your own literary-themed case on the site. (M-Edge, $30).

This might actually cross the border into need: On one of my flights over Thanksgiving I was stuck in a seat whose overhead light was broken, and me with a stack of books I was dying to get into. I thought longingly of all the book lights I had owned over the years... where were they now? This is one area where you don't really need to spend more to get something better (see: SE Clip-On Light, Amazon.com, $3.20) unless you're design-finicky, in which case I suggest The Really Tiny Booklight (MOMA Store, $14).

Love: A fully charged Kindle. Hate: Tripping over its cord (and the 800 others to which I seem to be constantly attached) when trying to charge up. For making sure my Kindle (or, for your Kindle-app-enabled device) has enough juice to make good on its dozens of books, I'm looking for a charging station like this whimsical Kikkerland Grass Charging Station (Amazon.com, $25).It's one of those gifts that other people will actually take an interest in when your recipient unwraps it. (Also something I assume you could make if you're handy with an X-Acto knife, which I am not.)