Ratings: Website – 4.5 Stars; T-Shirt – 4.5 Stars and Tote Bag – 5 Stars
I recently was asked to write a review, by a small business owner, about bookish gifts for bibliophiles like myself. I was told they specialize in, “bringing books to life on t-shirts and bags.” Therefore, I had to check out the website.
At first glance, I saw, true to the description, Literary Book Gifts is T-shirts for Adults (both men’s and women’s) and tote bags. They also have tank tops for women that I thought would be great for workouts and hoodies for both men and women. There are no coffee mugs, bookmarks, etc. This site is all about bookish clothing and totes. The best part is the variety.
First, I would like to talk about the website in general and my experience. I needed to buy a bookish gift and I liked the totes so I started there. The site is well organized and I was able to go right to what I wanted. They have 60+ totes to choose from and they come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Prices are prominently displayed so you are not surprised when you get ready to check out. Product description was displayed to the right of the product picture (both front and back picture shown). Description included size description which I found very helpful. I picked a medium tote and then decided I wanted a T-shirt for myself.
There are 6 pages of women’s clothing to choose from. A lot of stuff to look through, but you can sort the results by best-sellers, from A-Z or Z-A, and by price, but not by type of clothing which I would have found helpful since I wanted a T-shirt and did not need to see the other items. Once I saw what I wanted and clicked on the icon I was able to choose, color and size. Descriptions were very good and I LOVED that there were so many colors to choose from. There are enough colors to please almost all tastes. I noted that the description said slim fit and I am a size 12 and like my T-shirts to be loose so I went a size up and bought an XL. I also noted that fit said “longer body length” that is great since I am tall. After I had added the shirt to my cart I was ready to check out.
Check out is simple and straight forward. I did not have to search to find the “cart” icon and it displayed the number of items in my cart correctly. Once the cart is displayed you can edit your cart, a useful thing if you change your mind, and you can add to your cart. I really liked that you could checkout as a guest. Who needs another user name and password to keep up with? The option is available if you except to be a frequent customer. There are several ways to pay including Google pay and PayPal. The whole checkout process was as I expected and went smoothly. I received an email order confirmation. Overall I rate my experience as 4.5.
Four business days from the date of my purchase I received a notice that my order had shipped. Actually, I received two shipment confirmations because each item was shipped separately. Included in the confirmation was tracking information. This is a feature I love and wish all companies did. The packages arrived a few days later via USPS. Packaging was normal for this type of product and arrived undamaged.
I liked the T-shirt a lot and I LOVED the tote bag. The T-shirt fits nicely; therefore, I am glad I bought a larger size. I like that it was cut differently than the men’s giving it a more feminine shape. The stitching is solid and the color was just like the picture. I have washed it once and it appears to hold up nicely. I do recommend cold water though since over time cotton can shrink. Over all I rate the T-shirt at 4.5.
As I said, I loved tote bag. It is one of the best quality totes I have purchased. The handles are long enough to allow you to put the tote on your shoulder. The stitching is extra sturdy to handle the weight all the books I expect it to hold. The fabric was excellent; it was thick and will last a long time. I have yet to wash it; but, I would recommend cold water only. 5 Stars for this tote. In fact, I loved it so much I bought another.
While I cannot attest to every item on this site, I was very happy with the two items I purchased. So happy in fact, I know I will purchase again. If you are looking for bookish clothing or a tote, I highly recommend visiting Literary Book Gifts. If you use the code THESPINEVIEW20 you will receive 20% off your purchase.
Please note, that the items I reviewed I purchased (with my own money); however, the business owner did ask me to write a review.