Open Book Chocolates

Handmade, Bean-to-Bar, Fair Trade Chocolate Bars | Literary-Inspired Flavors

Pride and Prejudice

Open Book Chocolates Bar and Book Pairings

G. E. Gallas

Since the inception of Open Book Chocolates, we’ve always loved the idea of pairing our literary-inspired chocolate bars with their corresponding books; i.e. our Alice in Wonderland bar with Lewis Carroll’s masterpiece, our Treasure Island with Robert Louis Stevenson’s, our Frankenstein with Mary Shelley’s, and so on.

These pairings make a perfect gift for the favorite bibliophile(s) in your life. Plus, they’re easy to wrap in elegant paper or tie together with ribbon (with or without paper). A wonderful gift for any special occasion!

Here are a selection of our literary-inspired chocolate bars with beautiful volumes from our own bookshelves:

Our Pride and Prejudice chocolate bar with Jane Austen’s novel.

Our Jane Eyre bar with Charlotte Brontë’s novel.

Our The Great Gatsby bar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.

Our The Picture of Dorian Gray bar with Oscar Wilde’s novel.

Our The Count of Monte Cristo bar with Alexandre Dumas’s novel.

Get your hands on our literary-inspired, craft chocolate bars:

Purchase these classic books while supporting independent bookstores:

Want to support independent bookstores and Open Book Chocolates in person? Our chocolate bars are carried in a number of wonderful stores across the U.S.

Literary Holidays | January 2025

G. E. Gallas

Celebrate this month’s literary holidays with Open Book Chocolates!

Public Domain Day | January 1st

“Public Domain Day (PDD) is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain. This legal transition of copyright works into the public domain usually happens every year on January 1 based on the individual copyright laws of each country.”

Here’s a selection of books entering the public domain:

National Science Fiction Day | January 2nd

Isaac Asimov’s Birthday | January 2nd, 1920

“National Science Fiction Day is unofficially celebrated by many science fiction fans in the United States on January 2, which corresponds with the official birthdate of famed science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.”

Purchase Foundation by Isaac Asimov while supporting independent bookstores.

J. R. R. Tolkien’s Birthday | January 3rd, 1892

“When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.“ —The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

Purchase The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien while supporting independent bookstores.

Wilkie Collins’s Birthday | January 8th, 1824

“Any woman who is sure of her own wits, is a match, at any time, for a man who is not sure of his own temper.“ —The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Here at Open Book Chocolates, we’re huge fans of the underrated Victorian novelist Wilkie Collins! Collins was close friends with Charles Dickens and his works were serialized in Dickens journals. While Collins is best known for his masterpieces The Woman in White (1859) and The Moonstone (1868), he wrote over twenty novels in addition to an impressive number of short stories and plays. His works are classified as “sensation novels,” a literary genre that’s considered the precursor to detective and suspense fiction. We’d like to introduce you to some of our favorite of Collins works:

Anne Brontë’s Birthday | January 17th, 1820

“All novels are, or should be, written for both men and women to read, and I am at loss to conceive how a man should permit himself to write anything that would be really disgraceful to a woman, or why a woman should be censured for writing anything that would be proper and becoming for a man.“ —The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

Continuing this month’s theme of underrated authors, we’re excited to celebrate Anne Brontë’s birthday. While not as acclaimed as her sisters Charlotte and Emily, we believe Anne’s novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is just as worthy as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday | January 19th, 1809

“The Raven” Publication Date | January 1845

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.

—The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday with The Complete Tales & Poems of Edgar Allan Poe and our matching chocolate bar.

Library Shelfie Day | January 22nd

“Every year on the fourth Wednesday of January, library staff, readers, and book lovers share selfies of themselves in front of library shelves. It's a small, but fun way to show off beautiful books and share your love of libraries and the written word.“

How to Celebrate Library Shelfie Day:

  1. Visit your local library!

  2. Find your favorite book or bring a book you’re currently reading.

  3. Find a shelf of books that stands out to you or that you particularly like.

  4. Take a “shelfie” in front of your book shelf while holding up your book of choice!

Edith Wharton’s Birthday | January 24th, 1862

“It frightened him to think what must have gone to the making of her eyes.“ —The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Purchase The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton while supporting independent bookstores.

Virginia Woolf’s Birthday | January 25th, 1882

“A whole lifetime was too short to bring out, the full flavour; to extract every ounce of pleasure, every shade of meaning.“ —Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Purchase Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf while supporting independent bookstores.

Lewis Carroll’s Birthday | January 27th, 1832

“The Queen had only one way of settling all difficulties, great or small. 'Off with his head!' she said, without even looking round.“ —Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating Lewis Carroll’s birthday with his literary masterpiece and our matching chocolate bar.

Pride and Prejudice Publication Day | January 28th, 1813

“‘If a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavour to conceal it, he must find it out.’“ —Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating the publication of Pride and Prejudice with Jane Austen’s novel and our matching chocolate bar.

Check out Open Book Chocolates’s profile on Bookshop.org!

Literary Holidays | December 2024

G. E. Gallas

Celebrate this month’s literary holidays with Open Book Chocolates!

National Letter Writing Day | December 7th

How to Celebrate National Letter Writing Day:

  • Buy some nice stationary and some pens.

  • Write a letter to reconnect with an old friend or relative.

  • Write a postcard while on a trip, whether locally or abroad.

  • Write a thank you note to someone who made a difference in your life.

  • Write a letter to your past or future self.

  • Join an online letter exchange group.

  • Make your letters really special with a wax seal.

  • Read some famous and/or historical letters, e.g. Letters of Note compiled by Shaun Usher.

Emily Dickinson’s Birthday | December 10th, 1830

I'm Nobody! Who are you?
Are you — Nobody — Too?

—Emily Dickinson

Purchase The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson while supporting independent bookstores.

Shirley Jackson’s Birthday | December 14th, 1916

“I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had.” —We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Purchase We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson while supporting independent bookstores.

Jane Austen’s Birthday | December 16th, 1775

“In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man's affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; till, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger.” —Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday with Pride and Prejudice and our matching chocolate bar.

National Short Story Day | December 21st

National Short Fiction Day (also known as National Short Story Day) “…was created to honor the short story in all its forms and lengths, as well as to recognize authors of short fiction.“

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating National Short Story Day with some of our favorite short story collections.

Jolabokaflod | Icelandic Yule Book Flood | December 24th

How to Celebrate Jolabokaflod:

  1. Purchase books as gifts for your friends and family.

  2. On Christmas Eve, exchange books with friends and family.

  3. Prepare hot chocolate and other snacks to enjoy while your read.

  4. Gather pillows, blankets, scented candles, and anything else you might need to make your space cozy.

  5. Read long into the night!

Open Book Chocolates is celebrating Jolabokaflod with our matching chocolate bar.

Check out Open Book Chocolates’s profile on Bookshop.org!