Buying gifts for readers ain’t easy.
All they ever do is read. For the first few years of your relationship, you probably tried to buy the books they like, but it’s difficult to keep up with their interests or pinpoint their specific reading tastes. Then maybe you moved past buying books, and you got them coffee mugs. And then you did it again and again and…
Now, here you are, ready to go beyond your usual choices and find a unique & awesome bookish gift to buy for them.
I’ve been dating a book lover for almost a decade now and can tell you firsthand how difficult it has been to keep coming up with ideas over the years. But last year, I came up with some absolute winners and have seen firsthand how often they went to use.
So, I’m sharing them with you.
Here are 20 creative gifts for readers that the reader in your life will actually love.
#1. Tree Bookshelf
If you have a true reader in your life, then you probably know that they’re constantly running out of space to put new books. This bookshelf is both stylish, and sleek, making it a great gift for anyone looking for more book storage space.
#2. Page Holder
Book lovers run into this problem all the time—especially with brand new books. How do you read when you’re busy straining to keep the book fully open the whole time? Sometimes reading the words really close to the spine can be difficult, but with a page holder, you just slide your thumb through the hole and let it do the straining for you.
#3. Audible Subscription
Not all readers enjoy staring at the page, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a story. An audible subscription is a gift for book lovers that will give them access to thousands of audio books to enjoy at their leisure. They can even start with a 30 day free trial!
#4. Bananagrams Game
A good word game will entice any book lover, which is why readers love the game Bananagrams. This can be played with two players or many more. You make words out of a limited amount of scrabble-like tiles, and whoever can complete their words first before the tiles run out is the champion. Fair warning, this game can get pretty intense, but in a fun way.
#5. Lit Chat: Conversation Starters about Books & Life
This little book holds 50 cards that act as conversation starters for people who love to talk about all things literary.
#6. E-reader pillow stand
Free up your hands with this e-reader stand, which will safely hold your e-reader or kindle while you’re busy doing other things. It’s a great gift for people who use their kindle or e-reader to read cookbooks, or just like to read in bed. Cozy gifts for readers are a good gift indeed.
#7. A reading journal
Whether they know it or not, the reader in your life could love an opportunity to track the books they read. This specific journal from Book Riot takes the joy of chronicling your reads even further by adding “fill-in prompts, charts, lists, and dot-grid pages to customize.” In addition to that, it even offers reading recommendations so you know that the reader in your life will get some informed ideas that they wouldn’t have gotten without your help.
Purchase BOOK MARKS from the IBR Bookshop
#8. A literary poster
Decorating can be a challenge for book lovers. They usually choose to decorate their walls with the books themselves, but it can be cool to mix it up with different forms of literary art. If the book lover in your life has a favorite author or quote, finding a poster of it can be a fantastic gift idea.
You can purchase one of these posters or one like it from one of our favorite artists:
#9. Creative bookends
This is a great gift for book lovers who enjoy adding to their bookshelves. (As if that even needs to be said—who doesn’t?) If the reader in your life feels this way, giving them a cool bookend can give their shelf a more polished look. It even helps the books avoid damage due to excessive leaning.
Bookends come in all shapes and sizes, and they can serve a good purpose. I’ve seen bookends in the shape of animals, people, cool objects, and even abstract art. Oh, and be sure to grab two so that they add one of both sides of their shelf.
#10. Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Though some people can read no matter where they are, others are more easily distracted by the sound of others. Luckily, this no longer means you have to read alone in a room. Noise cancelling headphones can give readers the flexibility to read wherever they please, while avoiding having to hear the noisiness of their surroundings.
#11. Book Stand
Though I’m sure that they’ll claim that they love all their books the same, it’s normal for readers to have favorites. It can also be sad to have your favorite book squished in with all the others. For this reason, book stands can be a great gifts for readers. This will allow them to put their favorite or most interesting book on display. Bookstores often do this for best sellers, and it will feel like a rite of passage to own one for their book collection. Almost as if they are curating their own special bookshop, they’ll love the opportunity to make their shelves look awesome.
#12. Literary Magazines
If you want to buy the book lover in your life something new to read, bypass the usual gift of a popular book and venture into the world of literary magazines! While you’re opening up the reader in your life to brand-new voices, you’ll also be supporting the small passionate community of literary magazine publishers and inspiring them to bring more art into the world.
#13. Kindle Paperwhite
For me, nothing can match the feeling of holding a physical book in your hands, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love eBooks too. Once they figure out how it works, the reader in your life might just feel the same.
They can gain immediate access to thousands of books on one device, and if they’re a writer, they may enjoy the function that Kindle has where you can send attachments (like Microsoft Word or .PDF) to the device so that they can not only read their book like a reader would, but they also don’t have to deal with that pesky blue light that emits from their laptops. And you can read them at night no problem!
(Already have a Kindle? Check out how you can get a TON of new books through Kindle Unlimited).
#14. Kindle Case
If you’re going to invest in a Kindle, you should also invest in keeping it well protected. Just like you wouldn’t walk around without a case for your iPhone, your Kindle should be protected by a case as well. There are many options out there, but this charcoal one is a classic you can’t go wrong with.
#15. Upgraded Kindle
If you want a little more out of your standard Kindle, or you have an outdated one, an upgraded Kindle could be a great gift for readers. The Kindle Oasis comes with a few added features that the Kindle Paperwhite doesn’t have, like an adjustable warm light, a variety of color options and a convenient page turner.
#16. Bathtub Cady
Reading in the bath sounds like a good idea, but it can soon turn problematic if you don’t have the right set up. A bathtub caddy allows book lovers to safely place their book down in the tub, or to rest their arms while they’re reading. It’s also a great item to help you create some ambiance in the room. Light a candle, pour a glass of wine, and set it all on the bathtub caddy for a perfect night of reading.
#17. String Lights
If you want to transform a space into a cozy reading nook, a set of string lights can be the perfect gifts for readers. These lights make a space feel magical, and can be a really great gift to help readers navigate their books through the night.
#18. Indie Books
If you’re not already aware, most of the books that get shelved in the major bookstores across the country are published by just five big companies. But there are SO MANY amazing books put out every year by small press and self-published authors. Honestly, some of the best books I’ve ever read are by cool indie presses like Two Dollar Radio, Feminist Press, and Tin House.
To give the book lover in your life something they might not expect, check out some of the reviews on this very website—IndependentBookReview.com! Chances are that you’ll find something that you know your reader will love, and you’ll be supporting lesser-known and often brilliant authors that your reader might not have found otherwise.
#19. Personal Library Embosser
I told you I was digging deep! Check out this awesome find I discovered while scrolling around on Etsy. With this embosser, you can stamp each one of the books in your collection so that you can bring a library feel to them. But it’s also great for those who lend their books out often—like teachers!—so that the recipient of the book loan doesn’t try keeping your book to themselves.
#20. A Book Light
When you’re a reader, there is no time of day that reading is off limits. The reader in my life always feels the urge to read at night-time, but I’m sleeping over here, so he can’t just leave the light on.
That’s when he breaks out his new book light. He can attach the light to the last pages of the book, curve it to face the pages, and illuminate every word he needs to see—all while I’m sleeping soundly. And this way, he has no reason to bring his phone to bed like he did with the flashlight. These are perfect gifts for readers!