A Very Bookish Gift Guide

4 categories, 30 ideas

Nov 23, 2024

red bauble on brown giftbox — Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

One of my personal talents is shopping. I wish I was good at Excel or knew how to make a great loaf of bread, but instead of those helpful skills, I’m good at buying stuff. While I’m attempting to live a more minimal life, I still love getting gifts for people. I know the last thing the internet needs is another gift guide, but I enjoy putting them together because I love shopping for presents. There are many ways to show your love that have nothing to do with money or purchasing anything, but there’s also something special about receiving something new from someone who truly sees and understands you.

I’m a book person, so those are the people I think I see and understand. Thankfully, there are so many cool items out there that make the literary life a little more cozy, warm, and exciting.

I’ve broken up this guide into four sections: bookish books, boxed sets, setting the scene for a cozy reading experience, and bookish merch. I hope you enjoy browsing through the items, whether or not you’re doing any shopping. I had a lot of fun putting together these goodies, so I hope you have fun exploring them. Let’s get into it!

Bookish Books

Most book lovers I know enjoy books about books. I have a section of my home library dedicated to these types of books, and I love it since many bookish books are beautifully designed. In 100 Books That Changed the World, readers will be introduced (or reintroduced) to some of the most important books ever written. That friend who spends too much time in bookstores will probably appreciate the book on my Christmas list, The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss. One of the loveliest books on my books about books shelf is Ex-Libris: 100 Books to Read and Reread by Michiko Kakutani, a legendary book critic. Someone interested in design and literature is sure to enjoy the ever-so-fascinating The Look of the Book: Jackets, Covers, and Art at the Edges of Literature. Another book on my must-read list is a new release called Stranger Than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel by Edwin Frank. I have a feeling that title will appeal to most nerdy English majors whose favorite thing about college was the library.

If you want fiction instead of nonfiction, consider a cozy, uplifting title set in a bookshop, like The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, or Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop. If you’re shopping for a thriller fan, consider How Can I Help You by Laura Sims, a twisty tale about two library workers who become dangerously entwined in each other’s lives. Perhaps deranged librarians aren’t what you had in mind. The Messy Lives of Book People is a charming story about a woman asked to step into the role of her favorite author.

Boxed Sets

I love love love boxed sets of books. When we order them for my school libraries, I get so excited, even though we don’t keep the books in the box. For the most part, I don’t read series books or too many classics, so I don’t get to experience boxed sets for myself very often. This is a hardship, but I’m a strong, brave woman. Why do I love these sets so much? I don’t know. I like it when things match, I guess. I’ll take my joy anywhere I can get it these days. Here are some sets that I think would be great gifts for various readers.

For the Baldwin lover: James Baldwin 3-Book Set

For the mystery and thriller fan: Crime Novels of the 1960s

For the classic lit fan: Penguin’s Little Black Classics Set

For the collector: The Brontë Sisters Boxed Set

For the cook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking Set

For the poet: A Boxful of Poetry: Three Contemporary Anthologies with Four Illustrated Poem Cards

For the Austen fangirl: The Jane Austen Gift Set: A Puffin in Bloom Collection

For the person reading dystopian books right now for no reason at all: The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments Box Set

For the horror fan: Word Cloud Classics: Horror Collection

Setting the Scene

Once you have the right book, you need the right setting. At home, I want nothing more than to be cozy. A candle is usually involved, especially this time of year. I’ll be buying myself this bookworm candle, made in my hometown. It smells like teakwood, cedar, leather, sandalwood, patchouli, and dark musk.

You know what makes your candles last longer and doesn’t involve any flames or wick-trimming? A candle lamp! I have the one pictured and use it nearly every day. (I also bought one for my mom.) My candles last much longer and smell just as strong using this lamp. I love the beautiful glow and the fact that it’s safer.

Another cozy essential is a good blanket. This one from UnHide is the very best. I have two for myself and have bought two as gifts. These blankets are the softest I’ve ever felt, wash up nicely, and are the perfect weight. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

If you or a loved one spend a lot of time reading on a tablet or ereader, consider getting a Flippy. I’ve had a gray one for several years, and I love using it with my iPad. I use my iPad to read graphic novels, cookbooks, and magazines, and having the Flippy improves my reading experience by offering different angles so the screen never has a glare.

One of my recent hobbies is enjoying a coloring book while listening to an audiobook. Few things are more relaxing to me right now. A cute coloring book paired with some pencils would make a great gift. Throw in a Libro.fm gift card to make it extra special.

Bookish Merch

Do I have about 49 tote bags? Yes. Do I still need this new Murakami Bingo tote? Of course. Books can go in tote bags, therefore readers need them. Out of Print makes the cutest bookish totes, including one with a Christmas theme, one with a great Frederick Douglass quote, and this tiny, adorable Grover tote for a young reader in your life.

A few years ago, my parents got me a book embosser for Christmas and I love it so much. It gives me such joy to emboss a book when I add it to my library. These make great gifts because this is an item I think people might hesitate to purchase for themselves. It’s completely unnecessary, but it’s a fun toy for someone who has a beloved personal library.

This is the Archer & Olive notebook I’ve been using for this year’s book journal. It’s a beautifully made notebook with rich, thick paper and sturdy binding. If you know someone who loves to write or keep a book journal, a nice notebook is such a wonderful gift. (Archer & Olive have many different styles and sizes, too.) I’ve been a fan of this brand for several years now because their quality is outstanding.

If you’d prefer a book journal that already has templates, I recommend this one from Anne Bogel. It has room for a lot of reviews and includes several reading lists and literary quotes.

Galison makes the cutest puzzles, and I especially love this Season’s Readings puzzle. I enjoy having a puzzle out around the holidays. I’m an introvert who gets easily burned out if I’m around people too much, but working on a puzzle gives me the quiet time I need while still allowing me to be around my family.

Etsy has a lot of different listings for Blind Date with a Book in which you get a surprise book and a few treats. This one looks like it comes with tea and stickers. This would make a fun gift for a friend, but it might make an even better gift for yourself.

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