It can be a challenge to buy gifts for book lovers. It is quick and easy to buy a gift card but what do you do if you want to give an actual gift? Well, fear not intrepid gift giver, I have you covered.
Here you will find everything from the unusual and quirky – a ‘scratch off to mark your progress’ “100 books you must read” poster, or “Ex Libris – The Game of First Lines and Last Words”- to the more run of the mill, but no less spectacular – bookmarks, mugs, and reading lights.
You can, of course, choose a book if your bookworm has a “Wish List” of titles to add to their shelves. However
Instead of risking the wrong title, here are a few slightly safer gifts for book lovers you to consider. Most avid readers would be happy to unwrap one of these fabulous items, and I must say that as a bookworm myself, I would be glad to open up any of these gifts. Hint hint.
Quirky Gifts For Book Lovers
If you are searching for an item that will induce a “Wow, I didn’t even know such a thing existed, let alone that I wanted one so much” type response, then this is the section fo you.
Ex Libris – The Game of First Lines and Last Words – $20
To play Ex Libris one player takes a card and reads out the title, author and plot of a novel. The other players then have to write a plausible opening or closing sentence in an attempt to bluff fellow players into believing it is actually correct.
These suggestions are then read out along with the correct lines, and players vote for the most likely entry. A wide range of writing styles is represented by a range of one hundred authors from Dickens and Austen to Barbara Cartland and Harold Robbins. Ex Libris is available for $20 from the Literary Gift Company and ships worldwide.
Quotable Chocolate Bars $7.50 each
If you are looking for gifts for book lovers who
Book Wrapped Pencil Sets $13.45
A set of five #2 pencils, wrapped with pages from famous and
Each set comes packaged in a fabric pencil pouch and sets of wrapped pens are also available.
Classic Literature Brainteasers $16
From the caterpillar’s perplexing questions in Wonderland to the secret of the Tin Man’s compassion in Oz, classic children’s literature is full of puzzles. These sets of five brainteasers are inspired by the characters and playful predicaments in beloved books: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Wendy, Treasure Island, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Challenge your spatial skills with the interlocking wood of Treasure Island’s stockade, or tackle the tantalizing metal links of Alice’s Cheshire Cat’s grin
“100 Books You Must Read” Scratch-Off Bucket List Poster $20
This poster is an interactive challenge. Read and enjoy one hundred amazing books and each time you finish one you can scratch off the panel to reveal a hidden image. Featuring a range of fictional genres and some non-fiction, as well as a mix of modern and classic titles including The Odyssey, The Great Gatsby, Tell No One and Wild Swans. Perfect for showing-off how well-read you are, or an excellent gift for someone looking to broaden their reading horizons.
Great Drinkers Shot Glasses $16
Is there a connection between literary greatness and alcohol? Well, let’s see – Lord Byron, Yeats, and Dorothy Parker all drank heartily, but Franz Kafka didn’t touch the stuff. You draw your own conclusions. The Great Drinkers Shot Glass Set celebrates six immortal literary figures who are as famous for their drinking as they are for their work.
Raise your glass and down a shot in the company of Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker, Winston Churchill, W. B. Yeats, and Charles Baudelaire. Each 2 oz. shot glass features an illustration of the author along with a memorable quote about drinking. (For example, Yeats’ shot glass includes the quote “The problem with some people is that when they’re not drunk, they’re sober.”) So grab a Great Drinkers shot glass and down a few, but remember to drink and write responsibly.
Magic Library Jacob’s Ladder $18
A hand-painted wooden toy, crafted to resemble a stack of leather-bound volumes, is a book lover’s version of the old folk puzzle named after the biblical ladder to heaven in Jacob’s dream. The toy works by creating an optical illusion that the top book is falling down the stack to the bottom, whereas in fact there is no change in the order of the books, they merely reverse position in the stack. A classic amusement, enjoyed by young and old for centuries, the literary Jacob’s Ladder is great for reflection, inspiration, and fun.
Bookmark Gifts For Book Lovers
In our house, it is a mortal sin to fold over the corner of your page to mark your place. However, sometimes you discover you haven’t got a bookmark handy. Or maybe the dust jacket is just the wrong size or shape to mark your place in the book. For this reason, a bookmark or set of markers can be excellent gifts for
You can find bookmarks featuring just about anything you can imagine; books and literary characters, inspirational quotes, celebrities, famous places and more.
Here are a few of our favorites.
There Be Dragons $12
Once Upon A Time stainless steel bookmark $12 from Heather Alstead Design. Also available in “Happily Ever After,” “Once Upon A Time,” and “Daddy Bears Book.”
Pointing Finger $21:50
The Tom Dixon Collection. Brass bookmarks for book lovers available in either a brass or silver finish. Styles include a pointing finger, a feather, calendars, and clip-on bookmark numbers. Starting at $21.50
Harry Potter Horcrux Bookmarks Set of 7 $30
One Horcrux for each Harry Potter book. Available from Think Geek.
Crocomark and Hippomark Set $15.97
Available from Amazon for $15.97 the pair, these 2, super cute bookmarks are oh so special. First, we have the Hippo who gracefully swims through pages and elegantly emerges from the plot to tell you exactly where you stopped reading.
But Lookout! Deep between the pages lays Crocomark. This crocodile shaped bookmark will silently wait for the right moment to draw you back into the story.
Also available as “The Loch Ness Monster” and a shark, both $8 each.
Hand Carved, One-Offs In Sets Of 4 $36
Each set of these beautiful bookmarks is
Preserved Dandelion Bookmark $12.89
Another handmade offering on Amazon, this time with a preserved flower. Also available with Baby’s Breath.
Clothing Gifts For Book Lovers
From socks and scarves to tee-shirts and ties, there are untold treasures to be found when you go hunting for clothing gifts for book lovers. I had to whittle the selection down a little but don’t worry. I already have another post planned, dedicated entirely to literary-inspired clothing. In the meantime, here are some of my personal
Litographs t-shirt $34
Every super soft Litographs t-shirt is individually hand pressed to order with the word of your chosen novel. They use all-over dye sublimation so that the text covers every inch.
One-Track Mind Socks $10
You have books on the brain, now you can have them on your feet too.
Dewey Decimal Pashmina $60
A full-size pashmina scarf, printed with the 800 series of Dewey Classification. Fine enough to use as a scarf, large enough to wrap around your shoulders. Available in a choice of three
Shakespearean Drinking Tie $40
A wealth of quotations about the art of drinking from the Bard himself. An entertaining tie that is perfect for social occasions. 100% silk.
TRUCKER CAP $15
Show off your bookish pride with the Underlined Book Nerd hat, the perfect gift for any reader
Reading Light Gifts For Book Lovers
Some book fans like to get their reading done at night.
Other poor souls have to use a book light to read into the early hours of the morning. They do this, so they don’t bother quitters who haven’t the stamina to finish the last 400 pages before going to sleep. In both of these cases, booklights can make
One word of warning though: Some lights clip right onto the book, and you’ll have to know if your reader is willing to attach a lamp to their tome. It’s possible the potential for damage to the pages would be too much for them.
Personally, I love booklights because I can walk to the kitchen for snacks in the dark and not have to stop reading.
Moleskine – LED Reading Lamp $24
These fabulous, flexible, low energy LED reading lamps from Moleskine are available in black, blue, or orange. Recharged via a USB connection these flexible lamps are a must for the late night book consumer.
Star Wars Book lights $14.99
For the Star Wars fan in your life, choose from either the Millenium Falcon or Lightsaber versions of these clip-on reading lights. A small felt pad prevents marking your books.
LEDGLE Neck Light $22
Available from Amazon the flexible Ledgle Neck Light is designed to be draped around your neck, instead of attached to your book. This prevents marking your precious tomes and makes the light easy to use in all kinds of situations.
Carson LumiFlex LED Lights $30
Featuring a compact LED lamp with two bulbs, the head of these groovy looking Carson Lumiflex clip-on reading lights bends round for easy storage in the clip compartment.
Quick Clip Reading Lights $30
Available in such funky and fun designs as “Egyptian Mummy,” “Quacky Duck,” and “Floral Love” the lightweight design of these lights allows them to do double duty as bookmarks.
Mugs For Book Lovers
Not everything you buy for a bibliophile has to be a book or used directly with a book. This is why mugs can be excellent gifts for book lovers.
You do not have to worry about buying additional mugs for book lovers either. I like to make two cups of tea at once so I can knock back the first one while it’s super hot and enjoy the second cuppa immediately without having to interrupt my book.
Time Spent Reading Mug $18
Available from the Literary Gift Company. It’s a mug, it has a handle and it holds both hot and cold beverages.
Banned Books Mug $15
Did you know some of your most loved classics- The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird– were banned books at one point? Featuring crossed out “censoring”, this morphing ceramic mug is perfect for the book lover with a taste for breaking the rules. Fill with your favorite coffee or tea and watch as the dark lines melt away to reveal the book titles underneath.
Poe-ka Dot Coffee Mug $20
Available on Amazon
Shakespeare Lit Mug $12
Bookmarks Are For Quitters Mug $15
Share your thoughts about those who don’t finish books in a single sitting, regardless of how long the book is. This “Bookmarks Are For Quitters” mug says it all, is printed on both sides
I’m No Bookworm Mug $13
If someone has an extensive collection of books, it’s possible they are brave enough to share their preciouses with other readers. A selection of book labels allow bookworms to mark their books, so they don’t take up permanent residence on the bookshelves of another.
Don’t let those who don’t readers think of you as a book “worm.” Let them know you have the formidable personality of a fearsome mythical beast with the “I’m A Book
Furniture Gifts For Book Lovers
If you are in the mood for really splashing out, you might want to consider a funky new bookshelf, a side table created especially for readers or a lamp designed with the
The Haseform – Book Tower $125
This Book Tower by Haseform hangs on the wall and disappears from sight between the books placed upon it. Once the tower is in place the shelves cannot be seen between the books and this gives the impression, there is a free-standing meter-high stack of books against the wall.
However, you can easily remove books from each of the
The shelf is a good fit in corners or other narrow spaces, like between the door and the corner of the room and is available from Connox.com
Müller Möbelwerkstätten Book Table $235
This cubic book table by the designer Franz Dietrich under the Müller Möbelwerkstätten label grabs your attention with its unusual design. First of all, the top of the table allows you to place your open book, face down to mark your place. However, because of the design, you will not break your book spine. This feature is especially useful while you go to refill your tea.
In addition, the table serves as storage for your next books and as a practical bookmark, by placing the open book on the edge of the cube.
Also, one of the lateral edges of the side table is equipped with a tray, perfect for your mug of tea and a bar of chocolate.
Available on Connox.com
Holy Bookshelves Batman! $300
Handmade to order by an artisan carpenter, these Batman bookshelves are available in a variety of colours and finishes.
Because of the time it takes to make these items the delivery times for a set of the Dark Knights most excellent bookshelves varies but is usually around three to four weeks. If you would like to order a pair contact the seller, Promacraft for the current waiting times.
Alternatively, you could not buy a gift at all. Instead, you could convert a room for the book lover in your life, and give them a library. However, the danger then is that they will buy even more books. You have been warned.
