I always enjoy putting together a little gift guide around this time of year, whether you’re on the lookout for Christmas present ideas for a bookish loved one, or simply want to treat yourself for the holiday season.
You can find my previous guides here: 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016
But without further ado, let’s just jump right into it, shall we?
FRAMED BOOK PAGES
If you know the recipient’s favourite book, why not gift them a framed page right out of it? Aesthetic art and an easy means to enjoy your favourite quotes every day? It’s win-win. These prints from Bookishly feature pages from a wide range of beloved works.
READING RESTS
Reading rests aren’t just handy for holding recipe books open when you’re cooking. They’re also great for people who like to keep their hands free while they read so they can multitask. They can also help to promote better reading posture, and ease discomfort for those with conditions like arthritis. These examples, which fold down flat for easy storage, can be found at The Literary Gift Company.
BOOK NOOK SHELF INSERTS
Book nooks are gorgeous decorative shelf inserts that nestle among your books, like miniature little worlds. You can get DIY kits to assemble the scene yourself, or premade pieces that are ready to be displayed. Elaborate, ornate designs can be fairly pricey, but cheaper alternatives can be tracked down online. The following examples were made by independent artists/sellers on Etsy: BStylish, WholesomeCollection, and BookBookPL.
NIGHT READER GLASSES
These nifty little glasses are fitted with LEDs, making it possible to carry on reading well into the night without having to leave harsh lights on. Different versions can be found easily enough online, in a range of finishes and lens strengths.
BOOKISH CUSHIONS
Who doesn’t want to be comfortable while they’re reading? You can get personalised cushion covers, cushions that showcase book cover art, or cushions with cute bookish slogans and quotes on them, as per the examples below.
BOOK TROLLEYS
Book trolleys seem to be the in thing at the moment, but it’s easy to understand why. Extra storage space is always going to come in handy for book lovers, and these compact, portable trolleys are both charming and practical – perfect for organizing your ever-expanding TBR pile.
STOCKING STUFFERS
Whether you’re looking for little extras to bulk out a gift, have a tight budget to work with, or simply want to keep it lowkey, stocking stuffers are a great option. Small, useful, cute, and affordable: these examples are all available from The Literary Gift Company. They include a bookmark that serves as a mini magnifying glass; a book fan (for a book fan, get it?); and a book holder that marks your page and props your book open while you read it.
BEAUTIFUL BOOKS
As always, I couldn’t do one of these posts without recommending a few beautiful books; the kind that are so aesthetically pleasing they lend themselves particularly well to being gifted.
Wild Words by Kate Hodges
This feels very much like a book for book lovers, and I have my eye on it myself! Subtitled “A collection of words from around the world that describe happenings in nature”, it’s a beautifully presented celebration of the world around us and the language we use to describe it.
The Unwinding by Jackie Morris
Morris’ stories are like dreams on the page; snapshots of strange worlds populated by mysterious beings and quiet magic. Her accompanying artwork is undoubtedly the highlight; suitably evocative and ethereal, bringing these worlds to life in rich detail.
Frida by Sébastien Pérez & Benjamin Lacombe
Short, poetic musings on the life and work of Frida Kahlo, combined with extracts from the renowned artist’s own journals. Lacombe’s stunning art draws from the iconography of Kahlo’s work to pay tribute to her genius, making this a wonderful book whether you’re an avid Kahlo fan or a complete newcomer.
There we have it! I hope you’ve picked up a few useful ideas, and wish you all a lovely festive season – however you’re spending it.
Callum McLaughlin 
I have that exact book trolley and I love it! great post 🙂
Ooh, yay! Thank you 😊
Oh my god I love all of these! Adding the book nooks to my wishlist and everything from the Literary Gift Company
It would be so easy to get carried away on that site, lol 😅
There goes all my money, worth it
Sorry not sorry 🙂
These are such great gift ideas! The light glasses are SO clever; if only I didn’t already need to wear prescription glasses all the time! Now if only I could get little lights to attach to my own glasses…
Thank you! Right?? They’re so cool. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone brings out little detachable lights for regular glasses soon, lol.