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The Goods

No Bones About These Books and Skeleton Goods

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I've always had a deep appreciation for skeletons. Whether they're meant to be scary or not, they're fascinating because, well, they're us. They're us on the inside, with nothing to hide or shy away from. It only makes perfect sense that skeletons correlate with scares, with fall, and with the haunting season — being stripped down to bones and nothing more is chilling, to say the least.

Beyond serving as a means of understanding our anatomy, skeletons tickle our imaginations, too. Why are they so flexible and inflexible all at once? How do they manage to be rigid and fluid all at once?

For me, above all else, though, skeletons are just fun.

Readers who love skeletons are in luck, as it seems skeletons are also book lovers. It's in our bones (heh) to want to curl up with a book, whether we're alive and cozy or, well, not alive. I can't speak for what does or doesn't constitute cozy in Skeletonia.

Find below a fun collection of books and skeleton goods, ranging from stickers to tees and more. Slap these onto your water bottles, your body, or your home all year long because, like most things we so easily association with one season, these are perfect through them all. Our own skeletons don't just disappear when the calendar changes.

Books and Skeletons Galore

Image of a skeleton reading a book on and orange background.

Start with this sweet skelly sticker. They just want to enjoy a good read, too! $2

Image of a skeleton with a traditional sugar skull lounging in a red chair reading a book. There's a bookshelf behind the skeleton and a blue cat at the skeleton's feet.

When I picture what I look like when I read, it's not too far from what's pictured above. Pick up this skeleton reading print in a number of sizes (and yes, that's a sugar skull head, giving this image an even more special look). $5 and up

Heather gray t-shirt with a white skull hugging a book.

I'd wear this shirt and only this shirt for the rest of my days, honestly. How can you not love a skeleton embracing their one true love? $15 and in a ton of colors and options.

Image of a white skeleton hugging a brown book in front of green leaves. It's on a brown background.

If you'd prefer your book hugging skeleton to hang in your reading nook, then this tapestry is perfect. $35 and up

Image of book stamp stickerrs with a skeleton and the words "Ex Libris" beneath.

Ex Libris for Skeletons. These book plates are sure to keep your books in your own hands. $7

Image of a print featuring a skeleton with a cup of coffee on top of a stack of old books.

A fine day for a skeleton to take a break with a coffee and some good reads. There are a few sizes to choose from for this print, starting at $30.

Image of a blue sweatshirt. In the center are images of skulls, moths, books, and a skeleton, all in white ink.

May all of your dark academia dreams come true with this sweatshirt. $25 and up, with quite a few color options.

Image of a bookplate. The left side reads "this book belongs to," while the right features a skeleton holding a stack of books.

Get your own customized book stamp with a skeleton holding a stack of books. $26 and up

Black t-shirt with a white skeleton in the center. Beneath the skeleton are the words I'd Rather Be Reading.

Even skeletons wish they were reading, rather than doing their haunting jobs. $18 and up, with a few colors to choose among.

Image of a wooden bookmark with a skeleton. Above the skeleton, it reads "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

Who among us HASN'T said that we'll sleep when we're dead when we've stayed up too late reading? Even our pal Skelly has. This wooden bookmark is $11.

Image of a black tee shirt. In the center is a skeleton seated on a bench reading a book. He's wearing a black cloak, sitting beside a double-headed black cat. Behind him is a scythe.

Honestly, this grim-reaper skeleton reading in the moonlight is everything I could ever want in an image, let alone in a T-shirt. $19 and up

Image of a white mug. The design on the mug features a skeleton holding books, with a sign reading "et in arcadia ego."

Latin + Skeletons = one hot mug. The book plate inspired design means "Even in Arcadia, here I am," a reference to a Baroque painting, suggesting that even in worlds that look better than our own, we all face Death eventually. Charming, right? $18 and up

Image of two mini candles. They each have two miniature books, with a small skull on top.

Wherever or however you choose to read, why not enjoy it by the flickering light of a mini skull candle? $14 each, with color options for the books.

Because I know that's not enough for horror lovers, go ahead and peruse these spooky bookmarks, these bookish gifts for horror lovers, and these bookish Halloween shirts (perfect for any time of the year, really!).