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JILLIAN LIOTA

love with intention

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35 GIFT IDEAS FOR THE BOOK LOVER IN YOUR LIFE

I can’t believe it’s already mid-October. Before you know it, Halloween will be here, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then it’s time to set up for Christmas! And you know it’s never too early – especially in the midst of a global pandemic – to sort out your holiday shopping!

Maybe you don’t celebrate every holiday I just listed, and that’s totally fine, because this list of suggested ideas for bookish gifts will come in handy year-round. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Arbor Day. All legitimate reasons to give someone something they’ll love.

But what if the book lover in your life already has all the books? Or you know they’re an avid reader but are unsure what book to get them? That’s what’s so great about this list. It’s FOR book lovers, but ISN’T a list of books.

That’s why these gifts are bookish.

DECORATIVES

Not to be confused with decorations, decoratives (a word of my own making) are little things that can go on clothes, bags, bulletin boards, bookshelves, etc. and are a reflection of your book lover’s obsession. Things like keychains, buttons, figurines, special pencils, magnets, etc. A few cute examples I’ve found online are below:

  • Sticker – $2.50 – Reading is Sexy (from Red Bubble)
  • Button – $2.45 – I Heart My Library Button (from Zazzle)
  • Keychain – $8.98 – If I Can’t Take My Book, I’m Not Going (from Amazon)
  • Magnets – $8.49 – I Love Reading Magnet Set (from Etsy)
  • Pencils – $15.00 – Outlander Pencil Set (from Amazon)

LITERARY-WEAR

Think socks with Harry Potter quotes or shirts with a Jane Austen book cover. There are literally hundreds (maybe thousands!) of options online for cute, wearable fashions to reflect both a bit of fashion sense, and dive into book nerd culture. This can include things like clothing, socks, bags, pillowcases, blankets, masks (yuck, but still…) and a whole lot of other things as well:

  • Throw Pillow – $9.99 – Between the Pages of a Book is a Lovely Place to Be (from Amazon)
  • Tote Bag – $14.95 – Banned Books Celebrate the Freedom to Read (from Bookish Gifts)
  • Mask – $12.00 – Book Nerd (from Out Of Print)
  • Socks – $9.59 – So Many Books, So Little Time (from Amazon)
  • Shirt – $19.90 – Take a Look, It’s In a Book (from Red Bubble)

DRINKABLES

While not a total given, many book lovers are also fans of things like tea and coffee. And alcohol. Can’t forget about alcohol! Smaller, home-grown companies have started popping up that specialize in book-related drinks and accessories that could be a perfect gift:

  • Coasters – $25.00 – Library Card Coaster Set (from Amazon)
  • Mug – $12.00 – Banned Books Heat Reactive Mug (from Out Of Print)
  • Tea – $12.95 – NovelTeas Literary Quote Tea (from Amazon)
  • Beer Glass – $27.45 – Audiobook Worm Beer Pint Glass (from Etsy)
  • Tumbler – $14.99 – My Weekend is All Booked Wine Tumbler (from Amazon)

THE GIFT OF READING

Sometimes, giving someone a gift card feels impersonal. That’s not the case with the gift ides in this block. Grabbing your loved one a subscription to a book-related service shows that you know them well enough, but still want to give them the freedom of choice (or the ability to be surprised!). Check out some of your options below:

***If you love the idea of getting a subscription box, I highly recommend doing a Google search based on genre. I also encourage you not to use a website like CrateJoy, which takes more than 10% away from what can often be small, home businesses. If you find a box you love on a site like that, navigate to that box’s official website to work directly with them!

NOTEBOOKS

Clearly, this will always be an option for book lovers. But there are ways to be more creative than simply grabbing the first pretty notebook you see on the shelf at Target. There are a ton of journals out there that organize favorite books, allow for tracking, provide suggestions and discussion questions for book club, etc. Check out my examples below:

GIFTS FOR THE BOOK

If your book-loving friend or family member has a desire to protect their books, or loves special bookmarkers, getting something for the actual book could be a great idea! Things like book sleeves and personalized bookmarks and ways to take notes inside the book without damaging it (oh my!) are creative, thoughtful, and useful:

EXPERIENCES

Every-so-often, you want to buy your friends or family members something they’ll never forget. A once-in-a-lifetime experience or item or trip that will totally change their lives. Obviously, gifts like these are a few pennies more expensive than a bookmark, but I still feel they’re relevant and should have their place on this list. Below are a few locations in the world and a few ‘experiences’ every true book lover deserves:

Alright friends – hopefully this list was helpful and you’re able to find something you think your book-lover will fawn over. Or maybe this list was just a little kick-start into finding your own idea. Either way, best of luck!

And if you have any awesome ideas that you think I missed, make sure you drop them in the comments below!

*SMOOCHES*

*please be aware that some of the links above are affiliate codes that provide a small monetary payment to me should you select and purchase an item. However, I have curated this list primarily from my own desires and interests, and this blog post is NOT an advertisement.

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