The Best Gifts for Avid Readers and Bookworms

When you need a gift for the book lover in your life, it’s tempting to buy them a bunch of books, but there are plenty of more original ideas that you can also pursue. Here are some of the best gift ideas for avid readers.

Update, 12/1/22: Checked content for accuracy, product availability, and dead links.

Like any hobby, it’s nice to have other gifts than simply get the obvious choice. Sure, you can buy a games lover an extra game, but it’s nice to have related and supplemental gifts that compliment your hobbies. That’s what we’ve focused on here, with a variety of differently priced ideas so they’ll suit every budget. Plus, there’s room for one very key gift idea.

Here’s our pick of the bunch when it comes to gifts for the avid reader in your life. If you get to the end of the list and you want even more great gift ideas for readers, check out our favorite 8 products for book lovers (that aren’t books).

Kindle Paperwhite

If, somehow, your loved one doesn’t already own a Kindle Paperwhite, then this is the perfect opportunity to buy them one. It’s the thinnest and lightest Kindle yet, so it’s easy for everyone to hold and take with them. The 300 ppi glare-free display reads like real paper, even when you use it in bright sunlight. A built-in light means there’s no time of day where you can’t enjoy reading something on this device. It’s waterproof too so you won’t have to worry about using it on the beach or in the bath. This Kindle works with Audible, so it’s ideal if you want to dip into audiobooks.

Reading Clip Light

For the book lover who prefers a physical copy than a Kindle version, light can be an issue. After all, it’s useful to be able to see what you’re reading! The Energizer Clip Book Light is an inexpensive solution. Simply clip it onto a nearby surface and it recreates natural reading conditions for your eyes. It has a compact design, as well as a collapsible neck, so you can easily store it in your bag when traveling.

The light illuminates objects up to 4m away so you don’t need to keep it too close to where you’re snuggled up reading. Battery life is about 25 hours with the batteries easily replaced, so it will last your book lover plenty of time.

Hifree Table Lamp

Sometimes, a table lamp just feels cozier than using a reading clip or even a Kindle to lighten up your reading area. This Hifree Table Lamp is a nice mixture of modern and traditional. It’s touch activated with three different brightness levels to choose from. There’s soft, moderate, and bright, with each offering a warm light that suits relaxing and reading perfectly.

A choice of colors are also available if you want, so it doubles up nicely as a lamp for parties or adding a romantic mood to the evening. Super simple to use, it’s an ideal reading companion.

Book Candle

It’s important to have the right ambiance around you wherever you happen to be reading. A cosy book nook is a lovely place to settle and read, so how about ensuring there’s a delightful smell around you too? This Paddywax Library Collection Charles Dickens Scented Soy Wax Candle provides a blend of tangerine, juniper, and clove, in a bid to suit the feelings that Charles Dickens’s work conjures up.

On the outside of the candle is a quote from his classic work, with the candle packaged in a classy looking gift box. It’s the perfect gift for the book lover who’s also keen to enjoy delightful scents.

Literary Listography

The Listography series of books are always a fun way to track your favorites within many different hobbies. The Literary Listography book gives you a place to list your favorite books that make you cry, your favorite reading spots, or simply special book stories.

Essentially, it becomes an autobiography of your literary life so it’s a fun way of looking back at your favorites over the years, or to simply be reminded how much you adore reading. It’s well suited to the reader who also loves to write.

Stylish Bookmark

A bookmark is always a nice gift to receive but they rarely look particularly expensive. The Cimostar Classical Exquisite Feather Metal Bookmark bucks that trend. It only costs $9 but it’s a feather made from alloy metal and silver shell. The feather has a small chain attached to it so you can easily open the book to the page you were last at. Handmade, it looks like a kind of jewelry but it slots inside your book conveniently and stylishly. There’s no chance of it losing your page, plus it’s delicate yet hard wearing.

Tequila Mockingbird

With one of the wittiest names out there, Tequila Mockingbird is a fantastic book for literary fans and cocktail lovers alike. It has 65 drink recipes that have been paired with some wry commentary on some of the most famous books out there. There’s room here for drinks like Romeo and Julep, The Last of the Mojitos, and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margarita.

The book also features bar bites, drinking games, and some glorious looking illustrations. It’s a fantastic book for a more imaginative literary gift idea.

Banned Books Coffee Mug

The perfect reading scenario involves sitting snuggled up next to a soft light with a tasty hot drink. Buy this Banned Books Coffee Mug for the drink side of things. The mug displays the titles of some of the world’s most famous banned books from The Satantic Verses to Howl, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It’s a 12 oz mug, so there’s plenty of room for a decently sized cup of coffee too.