These are a few of our favorite things — except they’re actually your favorite things! We looked at the past year to see what the most popular bookish items were on Book Riot in 2021, and here they are for your viewing and gift-giving pleasure. Truly, you can’t go wrong. Happy gifting!
For the person on your gift list that marches to the beat of their own drum, here is a quirky piece of art that comes in a variety of dimensions and mediums, and mixes up classical illustrations with fun and vibrant colors and styles! It depicts Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and reads, “It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”
Cookbook lovers will find this stand not only really useful, but also a great way to protect beloved and expensive cookbooks from any collateral damage in the kitchen. Two clips hold your pages open, and an adjustable stand offers various angles to prop the book up. It has myriad uses beyond holding up cookbooks in the kitchen, and is one of those thoughtful gifts that most people wouldn’t think to buy for themself…but turn out to be the most useful thing ever!
Commemorate 2021 with one of the best memes to come from this year: Bernie Sanders waiting at President Biden’s inauguration in his parka, wool mittens, and mask, now in bookmark form!
Book Locket
$34
Bookish jewelry is better than diamonds, and this cool book-shaped locket opens, has teeny tiny pages, and even comes with the option to insert a secret message and/or photos! The locket is antique bronze, making it look like the family heirloom it’s bound to become.
These cute earrings feature little book lockets that actually open! They’re ideal for the classic lit-loving recipient on your gift list, and they even nicely match the book locket necklace also in this guide.
This happy little keychain is the perfect little gift that will bring a smile to any reader’s face! It’s ideal for the teacher, librarian, or book club friend on your gift giving list this year, and it’s so happy that you might want to buy one for your own keyring!
This sweet pin depicts a pretty dreamy pushcart that sells books. Can you imagine seeing something like this rolling down the street? We’ll have to settle for this adorable enamel pin instead. It measures 1.5 inches, so it’s a hefty one, but it makes for a perfect whimsical little gift!
It may be time to celebrate the winter holidays, but this T-shirt is for the book lover and year-round Halloween fan. It depicts a skeleton embracing a book, because even those goths among us can be huge book nerds.
Do you know someone who suffers from bookish wanderlust, AKA the very real desire to get lost in a good book? This hoodie is perfect! It’s a soft off-white color that offers the definition of this very particular affliction in black screen printing, and it’s stylishly cropped.
Make your recipient’s house the bookish destination of the neighborhood with this classic Little Free Library! It boasts two shelves and a slanted roof, with plenty of room for all sorts of books. The LFL is unfinished, so it can be decorated however you like or sealed for a natural finish, and it comes with an optional steel roof and your choice of various title plaques.
Comic Storage Boxes
$126
For the big-time comic reader who struggles to figure out how to store all those precious floppies, gift these clever storage boxes specially designed to store comics! They even have clever sleeves to display some of your favorite comics on the outside. Comes in a set of three.
Book plates and stamps are all well and good, but did you know you can get a custom embossing seal made to mark all of your favorite books? This embossing seal allows you to mark the front pages of your books with a mark that can’t be covered, and you’ll never have to worry about it running out of ink. It’s a great gift for teachers with their own classroom libraries…or really anyone who likes to lend out their books, but wants to get them back!
If you are looking for a simple, sweet, thoughtful, and inexpensive gift for your book club or circle of bookish friends, this digital download is convenient and easy. Just print off these bookmarks and cut them out; then host a holiday coloring party, or you can gift them with some nice colored pencils and your recipients will have some bookmarks that will make them think of you every time they open their books.
George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 is memorable for a lot of reasons, but fans of the book will likely appreciate this quote the most. It reads, “Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood,” with a replica of Orwell’s signature. And if shipping delays have you worried, then rest easy knowing this is a digital download that you can purchase, then have printed and framed locally — perfect for a last-minute gift!
If you have a 1984 fan who likes their art on the bold side, then gift this bright red block quote print. It reads, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” You can select the print in three different sizes, and then choose your own frame.
Don’t panic! You now have the perfect gift for the sci-fan comedy fan in your life. This fun poster is full of little nods to Douglas Adams’s most famous work, and it comes in a variety of sizes.
This is a lovely embroidered wall hanging that makes for the ideal gift if you want to give something handmade that will be treasured, but you might not have the skills to embroider it yourself! It’s the perfect addition to any reading nook.
If you also know someone who’d be miserable without an excellent library, then nab this beautiful print with Jane Austen’s memorable quote and an illustration of a butterfly and flower. It’s a digital download, so you can print it at whatever size you need and frame it to match their library space.
If you’re looking for a way to motivate your kids to read, or just want to better track their reading progress, then this printable log is just the thing! The colors are bright, the boxes are large enough to accommodate kid handwriting, and it even comes with a fun Disney quote to get them inspired to read more. Pair this log with some great books and some sweet reading incentives, and the kids in your life will have a very bookish holiday!
Here’s a classic T-shirt for the ultimate library user! The old-school stamp is pretty iconic and will bring back fond memories of library cards, stamped due dates, and card pockets. This shirt comes in a variety of colors, so it’ll be the perfect T-shirt no matter your recipient’s bookish style.
For the recipient on your list who wants to spend some time meditating in the new year, this oracle deck is just the thing. It features 44 beautifully illustrated cards and fortunes that are meant to be used to focus your energy and intentions, and bring more love and light in your life.
If you want a gift that keeps on giving, then this Little Free Library will help your recipient spread the joy of reading for years to come! This model is a small, unfinished Little Free Library that you can either seal for a classic look, or paint and decorate to match your curb appeal or personality. It even comes with your official charter membership to the Little Free Library organization.
For the crafty fantasy lover, this is a lovely little DIY gift to level up a book shelf. Inspired by The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, this nook looks like a wardrobe that opens up to a wintry scene with the iconic lamppost that actually lights up guiding the way inside. This is a project that requires some assembly and a few supplementary materials, so be aware if gifting!
Have you ever wanted to capture the delicious scent of old books? Now you can gift it in candle or wax melt form! This candle smells of leather binding, aged paper, and intrigue, and comes in three different forms/sizes for your gifting pleasure.
Looking for a crafty pattern to make and give, or something to give to the cross-stitching reader in your life? This PDF pattern offers instructions on how to make a beautiful cross-stitch depicting a shelf of Penguin Clothbound classic reads. The pattern includes all of the instructions and the floss colors you’ll need to make a piece of artwork that any reader would love to display.
Gift the book lover in your life a set of personalized bookplates that they can stick into their favorite reads! Printed in full color with an illustration that gives off some classic dark academia vibes, these make the perfect gift to go along with a bookstore gift card.
This bookend is a sweet gift that is both practical and pretty, and adds some flair to your bookshelves…or turns any flat surface into a great place to display books! As an added bonus, you can personalize the visible part of the bookend, and add a hidden message.
Add some bookish comfort to any reading nook with this fun pillow, shaped to look like a book! This one features Pride and Prejudice, but you’ll find a whole library of classics in this shop. It’s a lovely gift that will guarantee your recipient some extra cozy reading sessions for the winter season.
Fans of Ray Bradbury and simplistic statement pieces will enjoy this print. It reads, “Stuff your eyes with wonder,” which is a quote from Fahrenheit 451 and a good motto to live by. This is a digital download that you can have printed and framed yourself.
Level up your bookshelves with this incredible book nook, inspired by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This incredible handmade piece slides into your bookshelves just like a regular book, but it’s a mini portal into another world! It’s even lit by LED lights, which is sure to make it pop on the shelf amongst all your books!
Sidewalk Library
$359
If you know someone who wants a Little Free Library, but doesn’t have the ground space to dig a post for the traditional LFL’s, or maybe wants something that can just be placed inside or on a hard surface, this is such a clever solution. Made from old newspaper stands, these brightly painted Little Free Libraries flip open to reveal ample space for neighborhood libraries!
Silver Book Ring
$35
For the readers among us who prefer simple and understated jewelry, this silver ring featuring a tiny open book is just the thing. Made from sterling silver and available in a range of sizes, it’s a great gift for your ring-wearing book nerd.
Little ones and their parents will love this print of the Hundred Acre Wood, from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh book series. This print is done in the classic style of original Pooh illustrator E.H. Shepard rather than the Disney style of illustration, which gives it a whimsical vibe. You can even choose between purchasing it as a print or on printed canvas!
The Little Prince might be a children’s book, but it has an inspiring message that resonates with all ages. This is a lovely print featuring an illustration of the characters and the quote, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” This print is a digital download, which means you can print it yourself with four hi-res files, and then frame it for an easy and beautiful last-minute gift!