Buying last-minute gifts is stressful enough without not even having a clue as to what to get. It’s a good thing that these last-minute gifts for book lovers are sure to please!
Not all of us are Black Friday or Cyber Monday shoppers who think ahead. Some of us work better under pressure (or, well, at least that’s what we tell ourselves).
But being a last-minute shopper doesn’t preclude you from buying great gifts for book-lovers of all walks of life! From those who enjoy getting all cozy with a good book to those who dream of having their own library one day, you’ll find all of the last-minute gifts for book-lovers you’ll ever need right here.
A subscription to a literary subscription box
With a few taps of your finger (or, if you’re old school, clicks of your mouse), you can bring joy to the book-lovers in your life for anywhere from three months to an entire month. Subscription boxes or services are the gifts that keep on giving all year round, which means that your beloved bookworm will have more than enough reading materials and goodies to tide them over (and, selfishly, they’ll be sure to think of you every time a new box comes!).
Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift cards
If you’re unsure what to buy for your favorite book-lovers this holiday season, why not feed their obsession by giving them the gift of buying new books? If you know what kind of eReader they have (Kindle or Nook), be sure to buy them a gift card to the corresponding outlet (Amazon or Barnes & Noble) and write them a short note that drops the hint that you’re gifting them money to be used for books!
Don’t know what kind of eReader they have (or if they even have one)? Then definitely go with an Amazon gift card. They can use it to buy eBooks and then read them through the handy dandy Kindle app on their phone or tablet.
A copy of a book on their Goodreads to-read shelf (pick a 5-star one)
Looking for last-minute gifts for book-lovers that feel a little more personal than a subscription or gift card? Browse their to-read list on Goodreads (because every true bookworm is on Goodreads, no exception) and buy them a book off of it.
The chances of them already owning the book are pretty low AND you already know it’ll be a book they’re mildly interested in. It’s a low-effort gift idea with maximum happiness yield because you’re not just choosing a book blindly. You really can’t lose here.
A copy of your favorite book
Make physical (or digital) book-giving even more personal by gifting a copy of your own personal favorite book. Now, we don’t advise giving it to them if you absolutely know it’s something they won’t want to read or if you intend to constantly hound them about if they’ve read it yet (and if they liked it), but it’s the thought that counts. You’re sharing something that you love and really enjoyed with someone you care for. Include a note about what makes this book so special to you for an added touch.
The funniest item you can find in Barnes & Noble’s bargain books section
You could also go in the opposite direction with buying books as last-minute gifts for book lovers and get them the most ridiculous book you’ve ever seen. The bargain bins/tables/carts at stores like Barnes & Noble are the perfect place to find books that you never would’ve thought existed. If there’s one thing you should know about book lovers, it’s that we like great books almost as much as we love laughing about explicitly terrible ones.
Buy or make a page holder
Bookworms both love and hate reading lengthy novels. We love them for their detail and hate them for how hard they are to keep open. If you go at holding them open one-handed, it can really tire you out. And holding the pages open with things like phones or that can of soda you’re drinking just don’t cut it.
So, this holiday season, consider buying a page holder (like this cute mustache-shaped one from Etsy) as an easy last-minute gift for book fans. If you’re not the crafty type, you can try to find one in a store OR you could just go to your nearby home improvement store and have them cut a piece of wood for you that you can just sand down. Easy peasy.
A bathtub caddy
Love the idea of last-minute gifts for book lovers that double as problem solvers? Let us introduce you to the majestic bathtub caddy. Bookworms love relaxing with a good book, and there’s no place that’s more relaxing than a bathtub. These caddies make it possible to read (and maybe even drink a glass of wine) while enjoying a long, warm soak in the tub. Pair the caddy with a page holder and you’ll be your book fan’s new favorite person in the entire world, guaranteed.
Speaking of cozy-ing up with a good book…
Cozy ware for snuggling up with a book
We book lovers, we’re definitely a type. We’re the “curl up in a warm blanket and fuzzy socks with a good book and mug of tea” type. So, if you don’t want to risk buying novels as last-minute gifts for book lovers, buy them little gifts that they can use while reading.
Warm and fuzzy socks, tin of herbal tea, honey spoons, bookish-themed candles (if you can find them in a local shop), mini reading lights, nice-smelling lotion… Any one of these items (or a care package including all of these items) would make for a great gift.
Items to help them create their own library
Book lovers love libraries. That’s no secret. We love the smell of library books and getting lost among the stacks and just being surrounded by as many books as possible. We also all have dreams of having our own libraries a la Beauty and the Beast. So anything you can do to help us achieve this dream would be greatly appreciated.
DIY library gift ideas include a personal library kit (complete with a date stamper and little cards), an embosser tool or stamp that allows your favorite bookworm to “brand” their books, classy and/or fun book ends, floating bookshelves, and printable literary word art from Etsy that you can frame nicely as a library centerpiece. The possibilities are really endless here.
Book-themed accessories
Help the book lover in your love wear their love for literature on their shirt collars (as in the case of these cute snitch collar pins), head, or anywhere else they want by gifting them some pretty bookish pieces for their wardrobes. Scarves and jewelry are always nice. Extra points if you get something relating to your recipient’s favorite book! You can find these sorts of pieces all over the place (Hot Topic, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc.) so as long as you know your book lover’s tastes well enough, you should have no problem finding something they’d like.
Build them a Little Free Library
In need of a last minute gift idea but want to make it something DIY and personal? One of the best gift ideas for book lovers we’ve ever come across is building them their very own Little Free Library! Sure, it’d be helpful if they were living somewhere relatively permanent (not a university dorm, for instance), but any bookworm would be willing to make this work!
You can make it super simple or you can try to theme it off of a building you know they love, such as Hogwarts castle, their local library, or even their own home! If you’re the crafty type, this will definitely show them how much you care (and cover up the fact that you waited until the last minute to get them a gift).
Book aficionados aren’t super picky when it comes to gifts, so hopefully you’ve found some things here that make for great last-minute gift ideas for book lovers in your life. One word of caution, however. Whatever you do… Dear god, PLEASE don’t buy bookmarks 🙏 (unless they’re super cool or unique and not made of paper).
Happy last-minute shopping!
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