Okay, on to the gifts.
Comic books
If your girl is the type who loves comics, but rejects the over-saturated main stream market (a.k.a. Nothin' but Spidey, X-men and Batman books and spin offs), and perhaps enjoys seeing books where women are drawn with quasi-normal proportions (I mean, what does the size of Psylocke's bust have to do with her psychic abilities?), consider these titles:
 Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore. Hands down, one of my favorite stories of all time (though the later volumes go a bit off the track). Moore's art is wonderful - the women are curvy and beautiful, without being wafer thin. There's romance, action, humor and more in this fantastic collection. Start with Volume 1, and go from there. |
 Whiteout by Greg Rucka. No super powers here, no wacky alternative world with dinosaurs or flying cars. This excellent thriller follows a U.S. Marshall living at one of the research stations in Antarctica, who must investigate a murder that occurs in her jurisdiction. |
 Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughn. What if every male mammal (including humans) on Earth dropped dead at once, save for one lone man and his monkey? Find out in this excellent graphic novel. |
 Love and Rockets by the Hernandez Bros. This sprawling 50 book collection is a treasure trove of quirky characters and gorgeous pop art. I recommend starting with either Love and Rockets: Volume 1, or Locas: The Maggie and Hopey Stories collection. |
 She-Hulk by Dan Slott. Remember what I said about non-busty women? Well, forget that, because She-Hulk is one stacked green mama. Still, this book is freaking hilarious and unlike any other book you'll read set in the Marvel Universe. Both embracing the (sometimes insane) continuity of the Marvel-verse, while simultaneously poking fun at it, this book follows the adventures of She-Hulk (nee Jen Walters) as she works as a lawyer specializing in super hero law. It's sort of like a comic book version of Boston Legal (only 100% less sucky). You don't need any prior She-Hulk knowledge to jump into this series - very newbie friendly. |
Sci-fi goodies
Maybe your girl is more into sci-fi stuff. Here are some DVDs, books, and games she may like.
 I recently discovered Iain M. Banks, and was an instant fan. A good chunk of his books are set in a futuristic techno utopia called The Culture, where humanity is so advanced, people can change their physical appearance (up and including gender) at a whim, can live practically forever, and have reached the stars, freely associated with a variety of alien races. Player of Games is a great jumping on point into The Culture for new readers. Awesome sci-fi. |
 Last year or so I also stumbled upon the works of James Tiptree Jr. Tiptree wrote fantastic fiction for years and had a loyal following - a following that was somewhat shocked to find out that Tiptree wasn't a man, but a housewife named Alice Sheldon. Whatever Tiptree's gender, both you and your lady will enjoy his/her short stories. "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" in the Her Smoke Rose Up Forever collection is particularly memorable. |
 The perfect gift for the woman who appreciates great acting, sharp writing, and lots and lots of hot spaceship pilot bod. This is a show that gets better the more times you watch it. The DVDs are chock full of great commentary and other features. Either get yourself started with Season 1, or go hardcore and get the BSG set (S1-3, plus the Razor movie). If you've been a good sci-fi nerd and are up to date, go ahead and pre-order Season 4, where the shit really hits the fan. |
 You already know how I feel about Mass Effect. If she likes RPGs like Final Fantasy or Knights of the Old Republic, she's going to love this amazing game. I recommend the PC version, unless you have a crappy video card, in which case, go for the Xbox 360 version. Buy it here |
Computer Stuff
For the avid tech geek in your life, the girl who already has everything (including a kickass gaming system she built herself), check this stuff out:
 I am currently writing this post on my brand new netbook, the MSI Wind. It's got a 10" screen, 1 GB RAM, an 80% keyboard that's very easy to type on, and can be scored for $349 or less. You can read my full review here. If that doesn't float your boat, there are several other excellent netbooks on the market as well. |
 I hate purses and cannot offer advice on things made by Gucci or Prada. I can, however, suggest some excellent bags for your lady to pack her laptop, mp3 player, and PSP in for when she's tooling around town. I have a Timbuk2 (pictured on left), and it's a fantastic bag. To keep your laptop safe, consider picking up a laptop sleeve for extra padding. If you're looking for a laptop specific bag, you can try out the Belkin line of messenger bags. |
Renn Fest and AD&D fans
Maybe your lady is the gothic type. Maybe she rolls natural 20s. If so, she'll probably enjoy some of these offerings.
 Again, I'm not big on jewelry, but I absolutely LOVE the homemade jewelry available from Persphone Plus. Check out her store on etsy, where you can score amazing stuff like this bracelet (which I bought for myself). She also has beautiful custom made gothic dresses (for larger girls only) that would look amazing at the Renn Fest. |
 For fans of fantasy fiction, I cannot recommend George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire collection enough. It's one of my favorite series in any genre, to be honest. The first book in the series is A Game of Thrones. Get one copy for your lady and one copy for yourself. |
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