Christmas Gift Guide for Book Lovers: 20 Thoughtful Ideas

Buying for a reader looks like the easiest job on the list. Books are cheap, plentiful and simple to wrap. In practice it is one of the trickiest briefs going: readers buy the book they want the week they want it, they already own the obvious titles by their favourite authors, and their shelves are usually full. Guess wrong and you have handed someone an obligation in hardback.

The reliable way in is to buy around the reading rather than instead of it — editions, accessories, subscriptions and small luxuries that make the hours spent with a book better. Here are twenty ideas, grouped by the sort of reader you are buying for. Most cost less than a new hardback; a couple are worth saving up for.

The best bookish gifts support the reading that is already happening rather than competing with it.

For the reader who writes in the margins

Some readers treat a clean page as sacred. Others need to argue with the text in pencil. These four are for the second sort.

• 1. Annotation-friendly classics. Look for editions with notes, a chronology and a proper introduction — Oxford World's Classics, Penguin Classics, the Penguin English Library. Far more useful than a plain reprint for anyone who wants context alongside the story.
• 2. A pencil set worth keeping. A few 2B pencils, a decent sharpener and a propelling pencil with soft lead. Soft lead marks the page clearly without scoring the paper, which matters when the book is a keeper rather than a library copy.
• 3. Sticky tabs and book darts. Small index tabs let a reader flag quotes, arguments and passages worth returning to, in colour-coded batches. Book darts — thin metal pointers — suit anyone who refuses to deface a page at all.
• 4. A reading journal with wide margins. Lined pages for notes, a column for the date finished, and space to record what a book changed their mind about. A plain notebook works; the point is somewhere to keep the thinking that will not fit in a margin.

For the collector

These are the gifts that turn a stack of paperbacks into something that looks deliberate.

• 5. Clothbound and Everyman's editions. Beautiful bindings of books they already love beat guesses at new titles. If you know one title they reread every few years, buy the best edition of it you can afford.
• 6. A signed or early copy. Ask the staff at a good second-hand bookshop to keep an eye out for a signed copy by a favourite author. It need not be a rare first edition; a signed paperback is often affordable and far more personal.
• 7. Personalised bookplates. Ex Libris labels or a small library stamp with their name make a collection feel like one. Order early if you want personalisation, and ask for acid-free labels if you want them to last a few decades.
• 8. Bookends that actually hold. Decorative bookends that cannot support a run of hardbacks are worse than none at all. Solid stone, cast iron or a plain L-shaped metal pair does the job; save the novelty shapes for paperbacks.

Reading equipment that earns its keep

• 9. A padded book sleeve. A quilted pouch protects a paperback in a bag full of keys and water bottles, and doubles as a soft surface to rest the book on. Look for an elastic closure and a size that fits a standard trade paperback.
• 10. A page holder or weighted bookmark. Slim clips and thumb rings keep both pages open one-handed, which is what you want if the other hand is holding a mug. A quiet upgrade for anyone who reads standing up on trains.
• 11. A book rest or reading pillow. A firm wedge with a lip holds a hardback at reading height and takes the strain off wrists and neck, especially for long sessions in bed or at a table. If it is for someone with a painful joint condition, an occupational therapist can advise on the best support for their needs.
• 12. A rechargeable clip-on light. A warm, adjustable light that clips to the cover of a book means no more squinting in dim rooms or waking a partner with a bedside lamp. Look for one with a USB-C charging port and at least two brightness settings.

For the subscription lover

Subscriptions are the gift that keeps arriving, and they suit readers who like a surprise but are fussy about their shelves. They also solve the problem of not knowing which specific book to buy.

• 13. A year of a literary magazine. Granta, The London Magazine, Poetry Review or a smaller independent like Structo deliver new writing, essays and reviews through the year. A single issue is a nice stocking filler; a subscription is a proper present.
• 14. A book subscription box. Services like Books That Matter or Rare Birds Book Club send a curated paperback plus treats each month. Check whether they choose for you or let the recipient pick from a shortlist — the best ones do the latter.
• 15. An audiobook subscription. For the reader who commutes, walks the dog or does the washing up with headphones on. A monthly credit from Audible, Libro.fm or a local library's audiobook app opens up a different way to read.
• 16. A membership to a local library or independent bookshop. Many independent shops run loyalty schemes, reading groups or author events. A year's membership often comes with discounts and early access to signed editions, and it supports a business the recipient probably loves.

For the reader who is always on the move

• 17. A waterproof book cover or dry bag. For beach readers, bath readers and anyone who refuses to leave a book at home. A simple plastic sleeve or a roll-top dry bag protects against sand, splashes and sudden rain.
• 18. A compact e-reader cover with a stand. If they already have a Kindle or Kobo, a cover that folds into a stand makes reading at a table or on a tray much easier. Look for one with a hand strap for one-handed reading on a crowded train.
• 19. A reading scarf or blanket with pockets. A soft, oversized scarf with a hidden pocket for glasses, a bookmark or a phone is the sort of gift that gets used every winter. It works especially well for readers who like to curl up in a cold room.
• 20. A gift card to an independent bookshop. The most flexible option, and the one that lets a reader choose exactly the title they want the week they want it. Pair it with a note about a book you loved and why, so it still feels personal.

How to get it right when you are still stuck

If none of the above feels quite right, fall back on the two questions that actually matter: what do they read, and when do they read it? A gift that improves the when — a better light, a more comfortable chair, a waterproof cover — is often more welcome than another book they did not ask for. And if you are buying for someone who reads on a phone or tablet, a subscription to a reading app or a pair of blue-light glasses can be just as thoughtful as a hardback.

One last piece of advice: keep the receipt. Readers are particular, and a gift that can be exchanged without awkwardness is a gift that respects their taste. If you can, buy from a shop that offers a generous returns policy, or choose a gift card and let them do the choosing. The best bookish gift is the one that says you noticed how they read, not just what they read.

A book is a gift you can open again and again — but the right accessory, edition or subscription is the one that makes opening it a pleasure every time.

Photo: NoName_13 / Pixabay