24 Amazing Bookish Gifts for Book Lovers

Looking for bookish gifts for the voracious reader in your life? Then look no further! These are some of the best literary gifts for book lovers that aren’t books.

This post contains some PR samples and affiliate links but, as always, all opinions are my own. If you make a purchase via one of my qualifying links, I will earn a small amount of commission at no additional cost to you. 

It’s easy to buy gifts for bookworms – there is an endless number of books that you could buy for them.

However, there are also lots of other bookish gifts that make great gifts for book lovers.

These are my suggestions for bookish gifts for book lovers, which have all been inspired by literature but aren’t necessarily books themselves.

Bookish Gifts: Bookish Fashion

Avid Reader’s Club Sweater

I first saw this sweater on Instagram and I just knew that I had to have it. Is there any more perfect slogan for a bookworm?

This sweater from Joanie is a super soft and snuggly sweater that is perfect for the colder winter months. Book lovers like to be warm and cosy when they settle down to read and this sweater is the perfect gift for those very moments at Christmas.

Get the Avid Reader’s Club Sweater from Joanie for £38.

ChattyFeet Literary Socks

When people ask me who my favourite authors are I often name Virginia Wool, William Shakesfeet and Ernestoe Hemingway. Something seem a little off to you? Well, these are the names of these adorable literary socks from ChattyFeet.

They’ve taken three classic authors and put them onto socks! Book worms love to curl up in a cosy corner with a book and a pair of literary socks to keep their feet warm would make the perfect gift.

Check out the ChattyFeet Literary Gifts range here.

Women Poets Enamel Pin Set

Literary Emporium stock several pages of literary enamel pins which would all make for great stocking fillers this Christmas. You can purchase them all individually but if you’re in the gifting spirit then I’d recommend buying one of the sets.

My favourite set in terms of design and quotes used is the Women Poets Enamel Pin Set. The white and rose gold designs are simply stunning and they’re perfect for pinning to your backpack or to a denim jacket. This set features quotes by Maya Angelou, Anne Brontë, Sappho, Qiu Jin and Sylvia Plath.

“Don’t tell me women are not the stuff of heroes.”

Buy the Women Poets Pin Set for £30 from Literary Emporium.

The Creator Backpack

Thought Catalog is a popular online magazine amongst book lovers with their empowering online articles and publications.

They’ve recently created a “Creator Backpack” with the everyday artist in mind. It’s perfect for carrying around your books on a day to day basis whether it be to school or on your daily adventures.

It’s a really great quality bag made from pebbled vegan leather and a large pocket on the front with a magnetic closure.

It can just about fit a 13″ laptop in it and there’s plenty of room for your current read(s) inside. A small paperback would fit into the front pouch and there’s a flat pouch at the back for magazines or papers. The perfect backpack for a book lover this Christmas! 

Get The Creator Backpack and Book Bundle for $74.99 from Thought Catalog here.

Bookish Tote Bag

Book lovers are all in need of tote bags. How else are you going to lug around all those new book purchases? And what could be better than a bookish tote bag.

You could get one with a literary quote on it from their favourite book or author, one with a bookish design on it, or a quirky library card tote bag. Any of the below are sure to please your book-loving friends!

Bookish Gift: Book Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes are all the rage at the moment, but did you know you can also buy them as gifts? A lot of subscription box services offer a gift option whereby you can buy someone 1, 3 or 6 months worth of boxes.

Subscription boxes are quite literally the gifts that keep on giving. They’re a great gift option for those who are stumped about which book to buy someone as you can simply pick a theme or genre and let the subscription company do the work for you!

Some of the original book subscription boxes include those such as Owl Crate, The Bookish Box and Illumicrate.

Illumicrate is a quarterly subscription box that contains 3-5 items, usually a recent release and some other bookish products.

In my first box, I received Wolf by Wolf, as well as a bookish handheld mirror, a Harry Potter poster, a Mockingjay necklace and a watercolour bookmark. The best thing about these is that they’re already wrapped up really nicely, so it’s like buying a pre-packaged present!

Check out my full review of Illumicrate here!

Put Your Feet Up Subscription Box

Beautiful Book Company offer a range of different subscriptions that deliver one book to your door each month but the “Put Your Feet Up” collection is perfect for the Christmas holidays.

Others include: subscriptions for travel lovers, film lovers, young adult books, books for retirees and more. There’s something for everyone so have a browse and the welcome pack will be delivered in no time.

Purchase a subscription and put a smile on a book lover’s face on the first day of the month for the next few months! 

Browse all the different subscription options available from The Beautiful Book Company here.

Illustrated Classics by Obvious State

Obvious State publishes their own reimagined classics in small, pocket book form. It’s a monthly subscription service in which there are pocket-sized, collectable editions with unique Obvious State covers. So far themes have included T. S. Eliot, Edgar Allan Poe and Sara Teasdale.

If you know someone who loves classics or want to give someone a little taste of what a classic author has to offer then this is a great start.

The book’s contents are kept secret until release day so the recipient will have no idea which works they’ll receive each month, but that all just adds to the excitement. 

Each box is available for $15 but there’s $45 worth of bookish merch inside! 

Browse their range of titles here.

Post Box Books

Opening up a box from Post Box Books is like opening up a time capsule from times gone by. Think wax seals and brown parcels tied up with string. The bookshop behind the box, The Barrister’s Book Chamber, seems like an antique and vintage paradise for book lovers and their box gives off the same vibe.

There are two packages you can choose from modern paperbacks or vintage fiction. My personal recommendation would be for vintage fiction as classics can be a great gift option if you’re unsure what to choose.

Inside my first box, I received a pre-loved copy of Emma by Jane Austen in great condition, along with a notebook with a wax seal, a welcome letter, a gorgeous quill bookmark and a £1 off voucher for The Barrister’s Book Chamber. 

For the one-off payment of £40, you can gift someone with a 6-month subscription to their book box packages.

Buy a 6 month subscription to Post Box Books for £40 here.

Audible Gift Membership

And if you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea for a bookworm or don’t fancy giving a physical gift, consider Audible gift memberships! You can gift a friend several months of Audible so they can enjoy audiobooks every month.

This includes one credit a month to books that they can then keep in their Audible library forever. It also includes access to the Audible Plus catalogue, where there are tonnes of original Audible content to listen to: audiobooks, podcasts, originals.

I’ve been subscribed to Audible for several years now and whilst it isn’t the only audiobook platform I now use, it is the one I would choose if I could only pick one. The other platforms simply don’t offer the same range of titles and quality of titles as Audible!

Browse Audible gift memberships here

Bookish Gifts: Stationery for Book Lovers

Literary Posters by Obvious State

Obvious State is one of the top bookish merch company and their literary posters are my favourites out there. I already owned four of their posters before I embarked on this post and I’m not going to stop until I own the entire collection!

This year I’m featuring prints from three classic British authors: Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf and Charlotte Bronte.

Each poster is based around a famous quote from these authors with an accompanying design. I’m wowed by every single one of their posters at Obvious State and it’s always such a struggle to choose which to get next!

Christmas marks the end of the year so it’s the perfect time to gift these quote posters which remind us to move forwards, be happy and worry less! 

“When you consider things like the stars, our affaris don’t seem to matter, do they?”

“I would always rather be happy than dignified” 

“One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind”

Browse the entire range of literary posters from Obvious State here.

Bibliophilia: 100 Literary Postcards

Rarely do people send or receive snail mail today, which is a great shame. Christmas is a time for reminiscing about old times and catching up with old friends so it’s the perfect time to gift this lovely postcard set.

The great thing about it is that it comes with two copies of 50 different prints so your book-loving friend can keep one set for him or herself and post the rest out to their fellow book lovers!

This Bibliophilia set was created in collaboration with Penguin Random House but each print is designed uniquely by Obvious State.

If you want to collect all Obvious State prints without breaking the bank then this little postcard set is the way forward. It’s beautifully presented too, making it perfect for gifting.

Get this set of 100 literary postcards from Obvious State here.

Book Sleeves

Book sleeves are, objectively, the best thing since sliced bread. I’m one of those people that can’t bear to see the crumpled edges of a book or a dog-eared page.

A book sleeve is an absolute essential for people that always carry books around with them on the go as they protect from all sorts of knocks and spills.

There are so many book sleeve companies out there but three that I particularly like are: Book Beau, Book Biff and Book Sac.

I own sleeves from all three of the companies and they’re all very different but all three do the job.

Book Beau is the most established company of the three and sell sleeves in a white variety of sizes, which is awesome.

Book Biffs are fairly large and can fit a paperback or a hardback inside. They’re super squishy and there are lots of patterns to choose from.

Book Sacs are the most “floppy” of the lot which makes them good for squeezing a lot of things into a bag. Shop them here:

Buy a book sleeve: Book Beau | Book Biff | Book Sac Boutique

Harry Potter-inspired Magic Notebooks

I could hardly create a gift guide for book lovers without including something Harry Potter related could I?

These magic notebooks from Literary Emporium look exactly like something you’d find in your Hogwarts backpack and are a very reasonably priced gift for the Potter fan in your life.

The start of a new year is a great time to stock up on new stationery for the new term at school or another working year and these charming, vintage-looking notebooks are a great stocking filler!

Get all three magic notebooks from Literary Emporium.

Book Stamp by Ladd Designs

I first got my hands on a personalised book stamp from Ladd Designs a few years ago and I’ve been happily stamping away my favourite novels ever since.

I love opening the pages of a second-hand book and seeing if there are any markings from the previous owner and, who knows, maybe one day someone will see one of these stamps from my collection!

This is one of the best bookish gifts for those friends who are trying to create their own personal library!

Read my review of Ladd Designs here.

Bookish Gifts: Miscellaneous Gifts For Book Lovers

Biscuiteers Paddington Bear Biscuits

Paddington is everybody’s favourite bear and this limited edition tin of biscuits from Biscuiteers is perfect for those who were fans of the books as children. The biscuits are a little like vanilla flavoured gingerbread men and each biscuit is hand-iced, which is very impressive.

I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t gasped when I’ve opened up a tin of Biscuiteers’ biscuits for them to try so you can be sure this will wow the book lover in your life. 

There are two sizes available – the letter box biscuits or the full biscuit tin. The former are a great gift to send to someone you won’t be seeing and they won’t have to worry about being in for delivery because these will slip right in through the letterbox. 

Get this limited edition letterbox biscuit set from Biscuiteers for £22.50.

Literary Mugs

Most bookworms love to settle down with a large pot of tea before they dig into their next read. I must be the exception to the rule as I hate both tea and coffee but I do love mugs!

If you want something inspired by classics, check out the literary mugs by Obvious State instead.

The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock is one of my all-time favourite poems and this is one of my favourite lines:

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons”

Most book lovers are also tea and coffee fanatics (I’m the odd one out!), so you can’t go awry with a nice, big mug. No seriously, this mug is huge.

Available from Obvious State.

Funko Pops

Perfect for film, television and book lovers, funko pops have taken the world by storm over the past year.

There’s a POP! doll for pretty much every series out there so you’re sure to find something for your bookish friend. From Harry Potter to the Minions to Game of Thrones to Disney Princesses, there’s something for everyone.

Both adults and children seem to love these and some people have amassed huge collections of these tiny dolls. They cost around £8-£15 each so they’re not exactly cheap, especially given their size, but you can’t deny that they’re cute!

Browse the whole range of Funko Pops here.

Bookends

Bookends are something that every book lover needs but is something that they probably won’t think about until it’s too late and they’ve got books tumbling all over the place.

There are lots of gorgeous bookends out there but these quirky bookends below really caught my eye. These are just a little bit different and work really well with vintage-looking books.

Artificial Succulent in a Book

What do Instagrammers love? Succulents! Books! Both of these make excellent props for Instagram and someone has clearly had the genius to combine these two to create this: a succulent in a book.

It’s artificial so there’s no need to worry about a) sodden pages and b) it dying. The perfect bookish gift for book lovers!

Available from Not On The High Street for £29.50

Bookish Gifts: Books and Literature

Penguin Clothbound Editions

Penguin Clothbound editions need little explanation but they are perfect for gifting because each copy is so darn beautiful. The covers are simple and minimalist but great quality too as they’re all hardback.

You simply can’t go wrong with one of these editions because if the recipient already owns the book they’ll be glad to have this collectable edition and if they don’t then they’ve got a beautiful new story to read.

Most big classics can be found as part of the Penguin Clothbound collection and you can browse the collection on Amazon here. 

Some ideas:
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings (Clothbound Classics) £12.50
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Clothbound Classic) £81
The Brontë Sisters (Boxed Set) (Clothbound Classics) £35

Penguin Modern Mini Editions

If you’re shopping on a budget but still want to get something nice that will be treasured, pick up a few editions of the new mint coloured Penguin Modern Classic minis. They’re only £1 each!

The collection includes short stories from some of the best classic authors including Nabokov, du Maurier and more.

I love these editions because there’s always room for one on your person, even if you’ve only got a small bag with you. And, yknow, book lovers always carry a book with them. These are small enough to slip into a stocking so they’d make great stocking fillers too!

Check out the full range on the Penguin website here.
Browse the collection on Amazon UK here.
Browse the collection on Waterstones here.
If you’re feeling generous, you could gift the whole collection of 50 books for £39 here! 

Folio Society Editions

If you’re stumped for which book to choose for your book-loving friend then a classic is usually a good shout.

Northanger Abbey is not the most talked-about of Austen’s novels as it was her last to be published so it makes for a great gift for book lovers this Christmas. This story follows Catherine Morland as she navigates female friendships and a host of suitors.

What’s more, this edition from Folio Society contains the most beautiful illustrations, inside and out. There’s a beautiful quote on the protective cover, a lovely illustration on the front cover and plenty of illustrations throughout.

This collector’s item will be treasured by its recipient and you can get one edition for them every year!

Available from Folio Society for £36.95

Harry Potter Illustrated Editions

I don’t know anyone bookish who didn’t grow up loving Harry Potter. One new illustrated edition of the Harry Potter books is being released each year and there’s no better way to relive the magic than by getting your hands on these fantastic new versions.

Currently, only the first four books have been released so this could be the start of a bookish birthday or Christmas tradition!

Buy the Harry Potter Illustrated Editions online now

Adult Colouring Books

Adult colouring books have become really popular and for good reason too. Whilst colouring has traditionally been seen as a children’s activity, it has been found to be hugely cathartic and therapeutic for adults.

There are a huge variety of colouring books to choose from now but bookworms will love the official Harry Potter colouring book and The Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford.

There are loads of beautiful Harry Potter scenes and characters to colour in this book and I genuinely think the illustrations in here are a lot better than those in a lot of other colouring books, regardless of whether you’re a Harry Potter fan or not.

Pin now, read again later!

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Laura

Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?

Laura is an award-winning travel and book blogger based in the UK. She studied French literature at Oxford University and is now an IP lawyer at a top law firm in London. She was named UK Book Blogger of the Year in 2019 and loves to combine her passion for books and travel with literary travel.

[This post was first published in 2019 but more bookish gifts and items were added in 2020!]