With Christmas looming and the news that coronavirus might curtail our high street shopping for gifts, I thought I’d share some great literary gifts that I’ve been given.
All these are available online and I’ve provided links – these aren’t affiliate links (unless indicated otherwise) so they are provided entirely for your convenience!
Bookends
I love bookends and there are so many fabulous ones available! These ceramic ones were from Amazon and I love the phrenological theme! This one is an affiliate link so I may earn commission at no extra cost to you.
Ex Libris book stamp
OK, so I know that – for some people – marking in books is absolutely not something they could countenance. However, I love a bookplate or stamp that marks these books as being mine!
This stamp is just one of many available from the brilliant Etsy store SweetBackflip. There are loads more on offer across the site with lots of different designs, but mine is the self-inking personalised version of this one.
Bookish Pins
I love enamel pins and wear them on my work lanyard. The most gorgeous ones are available from Literary Emporium – in the picture you can see some of my collection including the huge Ophelia one from the Shakespeare’s Heroines collection.
(Shhhh – quick tip – some nice book pins are available on Wish too, if you can wait for delivery from China).
Book/T Shirt/Pins Gift Boxes
These gift boxes from Literary Emporium again are absolutely perfect for book lovers. For somewhere in the region of £40 (it varies slightly by box), you get a t-shirt, beautiful hard-backed copy of a novel and a pin (or sometimes a set of pins). All this is presented beautifully in a ribbon-tied gift box with literary prints all over – absolutely gorgeous.
There are a limited number of texts available but they are all so beautiful! I have ‘Dracula’, ‘Frankenstein’ and the ‘Votes for Women’ set and a whole load of others are going on my list for Santa!
Books about Books
Lots of bookworms love reading about books! See my list on ‘The Best Books about Books’ here for some suggestions. In particular, ‘The Novel Cure’ or ‘Literary Landscapes’ would make great gifts, but there are plenty on the list.
Literary Maps
The Literary Gift Company do some fabulous maps – several of which I have up in my house as posters. In particular, I love these literary maps of the UK and America, populated by the names and locations of writers.
For something a bit pricier but absolutely gorgeous, Dex at Artfinder also does some really beautiful and detailed literary maps. I have a literary map of London and it has pride of place in my house.
There’s also a great Map of Fictional London again available from The Literary Gift Company. This can be bought either as a foldable map or poster.
Posters and Prints
The Literary Gift Company do a lovely range prints and posters – I have my eye on ‘The Master and Margarita’ vintage book cover one, but there is a great selection.
Moving up the price bracket again, Peter Walters at Artfinder does some really lovely book-themed artworks and prints. He did a fantastic ‘A Room With a View’ 3D piece for me which I love!
Bookmarks
I have a lovely metal bookmark from HerPaperWorld at Etsy – there is a beautiful selection based on mostly fantasy books.
I’ve also got my eye on these brass bookmarks from Literary Emporium – the link takes you to the Lady Macbeth one but others are available on the site.
Book Subscriptions
For the gift that keeps on giving, consider a book subscription that sends books (with or without other bookish items) on a regular basis.
I have the Books that Matter one – you can see my latest review (of the September box) here. Every month, you get a book and other gifts, for example bookmarks, cookies, tea, posters, all with a feminist theme.
For other ideas, Bert’s Books do monthly subscription options and I’ve heard excellent things about the newly-launched The Capital Crime Book Club.
Book Bags and Wallets
Yoshi’s Bookworm range is pricy but lovely – I have the Shakespeare bag and bookworm wallet (pictured) but they are all wonderful. I’m saving my pennies for the new yellow additions to the range.
Book Journal
If you know someone who would want to record or track their reading, this book journal is lovely. I’ve been keeping a book journal for about 9 years and it is nice to look back at all the things I’ve read – especially as I am quite forgetful!
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So there you have it! Hopefully you have found some inspiration for presents for your bookish friends – if so, please ‘like’ this post and consider following my blog!
Header photo with thanks to Ekaterina Shevchenko for sharing their work on Unsplash.