Bookish Gift Ideas for the Holidays (or any other time you want to bless a reader)

Hey readers! The holidays are upon us and if you are like me, you still don’t know what you are getting people for Christmas. So, I am here to help with that today! These are some bookish gift ideas (that aren’t actually books) for you to give to another reader, or that you could ask for yourself!

Art Prints

Most readers have a few favorite books they’re obsessed with, and if the book is popular enough, it’s possible that there could be some art of the characters that you can purchase. If the author or publishing company doesn't have anything official, you can look on sites like Esty and Redbubble to find art that other fans of the book have created. Or, if you're an artsy person yourself, you could always customize one to the person’s liking.

Tote Bags

I needed one of these a while back, and my grandma got me one for Christmas last year. Tote bags are good for readers who need to carry multiple books after checking them out or buying them for a bookstore or library, and they can be used for readers who always carry a book wherever they go.

Library Stamps

I just discovered this while I was researching ideas for this post, and although I don’t think it’s a suitable gift for everyone, some readers may really love it. They’re a customizable stamp that you can buy on Esty with your name on it, and instead of writing your name into books that you buy, you use the stamp instead. There are so many cute options; I think it could really make a reader’s day.

Bookmarks

This one seems boring at first glance, but it could get fun and interesting very quickly. You could get a typical rectangular paper bookmark, or you could get creative with it. There are corner bookmarks that slide over the corner of the page, and those are generally customizable and adorable. You could also get a book tag that slides along the edge of the paper, pointing to the exact line where the reader stopped reading. This also one you could make yourself, but you don’t have to be artsy. If you like sewing, sew a bookmark. If you collect flowers, leaves, or plants, you could press those and turn them into bookmarks. The options are endless!

Reading Journals

A reading journal is a way to track your reading progress through the year. Most people use apps like Goodreads or StoryGraph (including myself), but some readers prefer physically writing down the books they’ve read. If you know the person is artsy and likes journaling, you could just give them a normal bullet journal or sketchbook and they can customize it for themselves. If the reader would not want to customize it for themselves, there are reading journals that you can buy from bookstores that already have the layout printed out and all you have to do is write in the blanks.

Book Light

This one is probably the most practical on the list, although still technically customizable. If you are, or know someone, who is a late-night reader, a book light could be extremely helpful. Most book lights either clip onto the book itself or your bed frame, so that the light directly shines onto the words, and you don’t have to worry about shadows. You can find it on amazon or in bookstores.

Candles/Wax Melts

Most readers love candles and wax melts, although not all, but I’ve never met a reader who has turned one down. There are special scents you can buy that are themed around books, or you can just buy a candle or wax melt scent you know that specific reader would like. It also might be possible to find a candle or wax melt based after something from a book or book series, although it would have to be pretty popular. It can’t hurt to look, though.

Bookends

There are so many different kinds of bookends, it’s really easy to find one that would fit a reader’s personality. There are ones themed off of animals, geodes, motorcycles, baked goods, characters from popular literature (like Lord of the Rings, Narnia, etc.), quotes, plants, buildings, the list goes on.

Note: the image is of one of Illumicrate's past boxes

Subscription to a Book Box

Book boxes are so fun and so many readers love them, I’m sure that any reader would absolutely love to be subscribed to one, even for a little bit. If you don't know what book boxes are, there are a few versions of them, so I’ll go through a few examples. Book of the Month is a super popular book box subscription, each month you choose one book from a list of five books and that book gets shipped to you for a decreased prince than it would be to actually buy the book from bookstores. Illumicrate and Fairy Loot are similar, but a bit different. You get sent a book monthly, but you don’t know what it is, and you also receive other items as well. I’ve seen people get exclusive mugs, art prints, pins, magnets, journals, bags, and other paraphernalia. The book is also signed by the author and is a special edition with an exclusive cover and sometimes sprayed edges (like the ones shown above). There are many other book box subscriptions, so if you are interested in this, I recommend doing some research to find which one is right for you!

Hope you now have ideas and inspiration for gift giving this year!

Merry Christmas!

~Kamama Deere