CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR BOOK-LOVERS

‘Tis the season for curling up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate… and ‘tis also the season for Christmas shopping. If you know someone whose nose is always buried in a book, engulfed by a cloud of steam from their delicious hot beverage, we have a selection of literary gifts guaranteed to make any bibliophile smile from ear to ear (if they can put the book down long enough that you can see their face.)

Well, you might be thinking: Surely the best gift for a book lover is… a book? Well yes, but which book? Unless you’ve memorised their collection, you run the risk of buying them something they either already have, or would not be seen dead reading. (These bookworms have a great deal of pride, you know.) Long gone are the days when Christmas gifts for book-lovers consisted of book tokens and hastily-purchased paperbacks from the WHSmith in the train station on your way home for Christmas. These days, a gift for a book-lover can take so many different shapes, and lead them on so many different adventures. Read on to find out our favourite Christmas gifts for book lovers this festive season… 

Gadgets

Readers may not seem like the kind of people who would appreciate a gadget – what with a book being a simple, analogue form of entertainment – but the thing about technology is, at its best, it improves the simple pleasures we already find enjoyable. (At its worst, of course, it becomes sentient and destroys humankind. But if your book-loving giftee has read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? they’ll know all about that already.)

Take their reading ritual to the next level with our selection of book-friendly gadgets. Androids not included.

Book Seat – £35.99

Okay – this literary Christmas gift isn’t technically a ‘gadget’, but we’d be remiss not to include an actual SEAT FOR YOUR BOOK in the list of things that make reading easier. Yes, you heard correctly; with this contraption, your giftee can prop their book up (in its OWN SEAT, did you get that part?) and read at the same time as… cooking, eating, having a bath, changing the baby, skateboarding, rollerblading, doing star jumps or mopping the kitchen floor. (Disclaimer: We do not recommend reading while skateboarding or rollerblading. Star jumping while trying to read may cause headaches. Mopping the kitchen floor may cause boredom.)

Amazon Kindle - £149.99

Yes, we know this one can be controversial amongst some book-lovers; after all, the tactile experience of handling a book, turning the pages and holding the story in your hands is probably a lot of what your giftee loves about reading. However … have they ever tried to eat a pastry on their morning train while drinking coffee and reading their book all at the same time? Well, have they? 

There is absolutely something to be said for the benefits of reading a physical book, but a Kindle doesn’t mean they have to give up that simple pleasure. All it means is that next time they’re trying to eat their breakfast croissant at the same time as reading The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, they can do so with slightly more ease. They can also carry hundreds of books around with them at once, save favourite snippets to enjoy later, and look up words in the built-in dictionary as they read. This is truly a unique Christmas gift that takes the reading experience to the next level.  

Novelty Gifts and Accessories

When they have enough books (and the chances are, they have enough books) treat your giftee to one of the following literary-themed but pretty accessories for their home, wardrobe, or poker night. (Just read on to find out what we mean by that last one…) 

Wooden Bath Tray with Wine Holder - £35.97

Bath and a book? It doesn’t get much better than that. Less desirable are the crumpled and soggy pages if they accidentally drop it in. Handily keeping everything on this stylish caddy prevents such disasters, and means they can enjoy a scented candle, sip on a glass of wine, and get stuck into their current read all at the same time. A bookish Christmas gift that they’ll get use out of for years to come!

Personal Library Kit - £14.95

If you have a book-loving friend who is always recommending things to you, they probably already feel like a bit of a one-person library. Constantly lending books out to people and possibly never seeing them again is a familiar sensation for those with an extensive collection, and this personal library kit will help your giftee to prevent this problem. This Christmas gift features everything the bibliophile in your life will need to take back what they are owed – many, many books – including a date stamp, so we won’t be having another Infinite Jest incident. (Yes, we know it takes a long time to read, but late fees are late fees, so pay up!)

Postcards from Penguin - £20

There’s nothing a bibliophile loves more than sharing their passion for literature – and when they’ve already lent out every single book they own, art is a great way to do this! These Penguin postcards are beautiful miniature works of art, each of them displaying a classic Penguin cover from years gone by. Whether your book-loving giftee is a fan of controversial Anthony Burgess or wholesome PG Wodehouse, there will be a beautifully made postcard in this collection for them. They can spread the literary love by sending them out to loved ones, or create a display of them on their wall. Whatever they choose, these postcards are a literary Christmas present worth giving this year!

Literary Tote Bag – various prices 

Who doesn’t want to carry their groceries inside their favourite book? If you know your giftee’s all-time best-loved read, treat them to a bag that expresses that love. Check out some of our favourites below:

The Great Gatsby Tote Bag - £31.54

For fans of Gatsby and his grand, swinging parties, this tote bag is the perfect Christmas gift to help them express their love for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. 

Poe-ka Dots Tote Bag - £24.95

Ahem. It’s Edgar Allen Poe’s face, several times. It’s called ‘Poe-ka Dots’. POE-KA DOTS. That’s all, thank you for listening. 

Bookends - £19.99

One sight every book-lover is familiar with is that of multiple books spilling off every available surface when their (giant) bookcase is already full up. Sentences like ‘The bathroom? Take a left at The Complete Works of Jane Austen, don’t trip over the Zadie Smith on the bottom step, and if you hit the Game of Thrones series propping my bedroom door open, you’ve gone too far’ are often uttered in bookish households where proper storage is lacking. Obviously, you can never truly quell their addiction to acquiring new books, but maybe you can make it look just slightly prettier…

There’s many different directions you can go with a bookend, but we like these stylish, understated bookends from Amazon – the perfect Christmas gift for holding their books together without messing up their design aesthetic. (Which is basically just ‘books everywhere’, but still.) 

Library of Ex Libris Book Embossing Press - £32.99

Another great way to personalise their books comes in the form of this book embossing press from Library of Ex Libris. Get this press custom-made with your giftee’s name, so they can proudly brand their many, many titles with their own personalised stamp – making sure everybody knows whose book they’re borrowing! 

Experiences

I think we’ve safely established that reading is great, but there’s only so much of a story you can get from the pages of books. What about going out and experiencing the story for yourself? Obviously, we’re biased, but we happen to think a literary experience day is a great way to bring the characters of books to life, explore the towns that inspired favourite novels, or even visit the place where great writers made their name.

London Shakespeare Walking Tour - £16

Step into the enchanting world of William Shakespeare with this Shakespeare London Walking Tour—a literary journey through the captivating streets of historic London, guided by a former professional actor.

This immersive tour unravels the tapestry of Shakespeare's life, weaving through the City of London to reveal the very essence that shaped this legendary playwright. As you wander, your knowledgeable guide paints vivid portraits of Shakespeare's world, sharing intriguing tales of his friends, influences, and the very places that inspired his timeless masterpieces.

Experience the magic of Tudor London brought to life as you visit the locations of Shakespeare's residences and literary landmarks. Discover where the likes of 'Othello,' 'Macbeth,' and 'King Lear' took shape, gaining profound insights into the life and mind of the Bard himself. Yet, this tour transcends mere history—it's a theatrical immersion. Prepare to be spellbound as your guide performs live renditions of Shakespeare's renowned speeches, transporting you to an era where his words resonated with audiences.

The Shakespeare London Walking Tour is the ultimate gift for the book lover in your life this Christmas—an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of Shakespeare, offering a fresh perspective on the iconic playwright and allowing them to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Tudor London.

Immersive Harry Potter Tour of Edinburgh  - £15

If you’re buying for someone who loves books, the chances are they love Harry Potter. The wizard’s antics have spanned so many cultures, languages and ages that J.K. Rowling is now richer than the actual Queen thank you very much mam. 

What is it about the gangly bespectacled messy-haired magic boy that makes him any more special than, say, Shaggy from Scooby Doo? Why have his adventures spawned movies, theatre shows, theme parks and – god help us – replica wizard’s robes with the Hogwarts crest on them??  

The Harry Potter franchise, while ostensibly being about magic, potions, and as far as we can tell, the truly unflattering shape of a wizard’s robe on teenagers, also has so many more themes. Throughout her series of children’s – and young adult – novels, Rowling explores the nature of good and evil, addiction, unrequited love, jealousy, deceit, power, corruption, and… a troll does get a wand up his nose. But besides that, some very deep and powerful themes. 

It’s no wonder book-lovers voraciously devour the Harry Potter series – but why stop there? Instead of just reading about or watching the adventures of Hogwarts, treat your giftee to a tour through the city that inspired it all with this Immersive Harry Potter Tour of Edinburgh. They’ll begin their tour outside the William Chambers Monument, where they’ll meet their guide. The tour will start with a Hogwarts sorting, where your Potterhead giftee can find out what house they’re really in. Next, the tour will explore some of the city’s most famous Harry Potter landmarks. These will include familiar locations from the film series, such as the entrance to Hogwarts, as well as those once frequented by J.K. Rowling herself. Between stops, the knowledgeable guide will keep everyone entertained with wizarding trivia, with guests competing for house points in a special Harry Potter quiz. A great Christmas present for readers, and those who want to explore Edinburgh through the eyes of the author who made it magic! 

Paddington Bear Tour - London - £15

This Paddington Bear Tour of London is a great budget Christmas gift for fans of reading. Again, although Paddington Bear is a children’s book, many adults are just as nostalgic for the wholesome bear’s adventures through London. Paddington is just a bear, but he represents some very important causes: namely peace, love and marmalade sandwiches. For anyone who read the Paddington books growing up, this 2 ½ hour tour of London will hold a very special place in their heart. Beginning at London’s Paddington Railway Station – where the bear got his namesake – the tour will guide guests through some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including memorable locations from the beloved children’s books and recent feature adaptation. Even the most dedicated fans are sure to learn something new from their professional guide and there'll be photo opportunities aplenty - with stops at the Brown family home, Mr Gruber's Antique Shop and Portobello Road Market to name but a few! Finally, you'll arrive at Paddington Train Station, where a much-loved statue of the bear himself now sits.

…Okay, but also some books, right?

...Yes, okay, we give in. 

Although you should avoid buying them something they’ve already got, or that you know they won’t read, we’d be remiss to write a Bookworm Christmas Gift Guide without including a few, y’know, books. Here are our favourite reads for bibliophiles this Christmas season. 

The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies - £8.61

The Novel Cure is a unique Christmas gift for lovers of literature, offering a complete A – Z of literary remedies for what ails you. Everything is covered, from flatulence to schadenfreude . If you have something wrong with you, there’s a book to help. (Disclaimer: The Novel Cure should not be used in replacement of your regular medication. Particularly if it’s for flatulence.) 

Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore - £15

Legendary Authors and the Clothes They Wore is a great gift for those who love books and fashion. Covering everything from how good T.S. Eliot looked in a suit, to William S. Burroughs’ penchant for hats, no stylish, authorial stone is left unturned. If they’ve ever wondered what inspired their favourite author’s signature style, this book is a welcome addition to their Christmas stocking!

The Writer's Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands - £24.99

This beautiful book explores the fictional maps that authors have created to represent their imagined lands. From Harry Potter's Marauder’s Map to The Voyage of the Pequod from Moby Dick, this book (literally) explores every corner of the various literary worlds we’ve come to love. With fascinating insights from Philip Pullman, Robert Macfarlane and David Mitchell, this Christmas gift will spruce up your giftee's bookshelves nicely!

I'd Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers - £4.99

This aesthetically-pleasing literary Christmas gift contains poems and essays from renowned authors, complimented by beautiful art work, illustrations and photography. A great coffee table addition for book lovers.

Thank you for reading! (And reading, and reading, and reading…)

That concludes our Christmas Gifts for Book Lovers Guide. We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as your bookworm giftee enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series for the fifth time. Whether they’re in need of a cute new tote for their food shopping, some bookish swag for their shelves, or something pretty to organise the bookish swag they already have, we think you will have found something perfect for them. If you’re still looking for a gift, experience days make great gifts, and we have thousands available all across the U.K. Check out our full range of Christmas experience gifts here. If you have any thoughts or questions about any of our bookish picks, please feel free to leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!