"What do you want for Christmas?" The question that seems harder to answer the older you get.
Socks? Nope. Chocolate? Well, yes, but how uninspired. Books? Of course! But you say books every year, and as much as books genuinely bring you joy, sometimes it's nice asking for something a little different.
Need some ideas? Check out 5 of some of the best gifts for book lovers below.
Book subscription and book club boxes
The gift that keeps on giving! Book boxes generally come with, you guessed it, at least one book, often a tasty treat, some kind of beverage and sometimes a bookish accessory such as a bookmark or book-related pin badge.
There are a huge number of book subscription boxes to choose from, ranging from genre specific, such as the Abominable Book Club for horror fans, or those specialising in saving books from landfill, such as the Hand Me Down Book Club. They're thoughtful, great value and you can normally buy a single box as a gift if you don't want to purchase a monthly book subscription for a loved one. There's definitely enough choice here for you to choose the best book subscription gift for the lucky recipient.
2. Bookish accessories
Bookish accessories are not something I realised existed in such a big way until quite recently. Of course I knew you could get quirky bookmarks, reading lights and Kindle cases, but book inspired candles? Sign me up! There's a huge number of book related accessories out there on marketplaces such as Etsy, and they're not only a wonderfully thoughtful stocking filler, they're also a great way to support small and local businesses. Think quilted book sleeves (I'll take 2!), character art, notebooks, pin-badges - the list goes on. As an aside, if anyone wants to buy me this Gilmore Girls inspired book mark, that'd be fab!
3. Folio books
Folio are a company that specialise in selling beautiful limited editions of popular books, from Howl's Moving Castle to Misery and loads in between. A Folio edition makes a stunning gift with each cover being specially designed for the edition and truly being a work of art. They're pricey, but if you're after a special gift, they make a great addition to any bookworm's shelf.
4. Favourite childhood book
For a truly personal gift, try out your sleuthing skills to find out what your recipient's favourite childhood book is and hunt it down. This would work great as a secondhand book, maybe even from the era that the recipient would have originally owned it! Nothing says thoughtful like rummaging around in your local charity bookshop to find a delightfully retro copy of The Amber Spyglass or Artemis Fowl. And if you can't get your hands on a secondhand copy, there are, of course, many places that you can order books in time for Christmas, such as bookshop.org or Waterstones.
5. Tickets to an in-person or online author event
For something a little different, check out online and in-person author events. These often take place in bookstores such as Waterstones or Foyles, as well as independent bookstores and sometimes even libraries. Have a good search around in your local area to see what's on. In-person author events are a great opportunity to have books signed, ask questions about the writing process or get to meet your writing heroes.
So there you have it, 5 great gift ideas for book lovers. And hey, if these don't work, there's always the trusty book voucher that'll go down a treat in anyone's stocking.
Happy reading!
Hannah
