Gifts for Book Lovers: A Guide to a Very Bookish Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, gift buying guides of all kinds begin to proliferate around the Internet. I thought I’d try my hand at one this year, for the simple reason that making lists is fun and is the next best thing to giving or receiving any bookish gifts.

The holidays are the perfect excuse to treat our loved ones (or ourselves) to a luxury edition of a book they already own. The Everyman Library edition of His Dark Materials is a perfect example: it has a gorgeous cover, a new introduction and preface, and Pullman’s memorable story in a single volume.


I Capture the Castle tote bag from the Literary Gift Company. Need I say more?


The Literary Gift Company offers plenty of other bookish treats. I love pretty much all of these Penguin Classics mugs, but if I had to pick a favourite A Room of One’s Own would be it.


Bookmarks are probably my favourite bookish accessory, and Etsy is a perfect place to find unique ones. They have everything from this luxury cat bookmark to paper book monsters that can easily be mailed with a Christmas card.


One of my favourite Etsy artists, Adorapop, sells a range of Victorian, literary and fairy tale inspired accessories. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but this pendant, celebrating Darwin’s bicentenary, particularly caught my eye. “I think…” are the words Darwin scribbled on his notebook above his first evolutionary tree in 1837.


One last Etsy item: “Yay! Books!” pendant from ASnailsPace.


The What The Dickens? Writing and Literary Gifts shop sells a collection of “literary teabags” with quotations.


I imagine they’re even better if served from this teapot or in one of these mugs:



Over at Neverwear, Neil Gaiman fans can treat themselves to several accessories and other items. I particularly like this Anansi Boys t-shirt, but there’s plenty more where that came from.


Speaking of t-shirts, Kate Beaton, of Hark! A Vagrant fame, has the very best ones ever. The one I received last year is now one of my dearest possessions. But I also quite like this one:


Or this one, which is very popular among book bloggers:


Lisa Snellings’ Poppets are also very popular among book bloggers, and in the early days of blogging they even became a sort of unofficial mascot. They’re not for every pocket, but they’re beautiful and look perfect decorating a bookshelf.


And look! A Mary Shelley rat:


Returning to what I was saying earlier about beautiful editions, who can resist these gorgeous Virago Modern Classics Hardbacks? Or the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions? Or these Clothbound Classics? I want them all:


I couldn’t of course end this list without including a seasonal book: Vintage’s reissue of Stella Gibbons’ Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm sounds like the perfect holidays read.


Finally, let us not forget seasonal DVD watching: as I found out only last year, The Muppets Christmas Carol is a cult classic for a reason; the Cranford BBC series just feels Christmasy; and there’s always the TV adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather (starring Michelle Dockery, aka Mary from Downton Abbey, as Susan Sto Helit - this discovery led to much excitement around these parts), which I plan to watch this Christmas.


Are you planing on giving (or hoping to receive) any bookish gifts this holiday season? Do any of these appeal to you?