What To Get The Book Lover In Your Life (Hint: It’s Not A Book)

Before you add that New York Times #1 best-seller to your cart, plop on a gift receipt, and ship it off to your favorite bookworm, let's consider a few other options. Surprisingly enough, a book might just be the last thing on a reader's wishlist. So, instead of flooding their already abundant bookcases, brimming shelves, and clutter-laden desks with fancy hardcovers, why not open their world to some new ... novelties? (Pun intended.)

Take a peek at our library of book-adjacent presents that are perfect for your avid reader. We're thinking outside of the pages — tote bags for heavy-duty bookstore runs, kooky art prints, complementary tech gadgets, and the like. We even found some gifts for bibliophiles who can't remember the last time they picked up a good read (it happens). Below, give our gift guide one good scroll and you're sure to find a worthy product for your book lover that — *gasp* — isn't a book.

Although reading is all about the words on the page, the bookworm aesthetic is an artsy one. Perhaps your loved one's living space could use a breath of fresh air from a colorful ceramic flower vase, or some relaxing lighting from an ambient moon lamp. If all else fails, you can't go wrong with hanging a whimsical and academic pickle print on an empty wall in their apartment.

Not all bookworms are introverts, but many introverts dabble in bookworm activities; from flipping through comics in bed, to watching movie adaptations of their favorite novels, and buying new releases online. A reader loves to get comfy in alternate universes — no socializing required. Give them the gift of cozy with a bestselling blanket hoodie, a fuzzy lap desk to hopefully help with their posture, and a handy bedside pocket that will hold all kinds of night-in essentials.

A rather neglected genre of bookworm is the extrovert. Yes, reading under a toasty blanket by oneself is a lovely way to dive into a story. But, so is chatting about plots in your monthly book club, discussing controversial authors over tea, and hauling tons of fresh literature home from your favorite bookstore with the help of a sturdy tote bag.

Tech and books go hand in hand. Smoko's inventory of adorable lamps and clip-on night lights are here to fuel your giftee's favorite pastime: reading into the depths of the night. And, Kindle's newest edition, the 8GB Paperwhite, is perfect for traveling with tons of stories wherever your destination, minus any extra weight added to your carry-on.

It happens to the best of us — cashing in on a novel you know you'll love, taking it home, and wiping the dust off of it when you find it under a pile of junk months later. In 2021, ripping yourself away from technology, let alone finding time to dig into a new story is a feat. If this sounds like someone you know, we found a few items that could give them a nudge: a stunning hourglass to inspire them to read for those 15 minutes of gravity at least once a day; an audible subscription they can listen to on commutes to work; or a journal specifically designed to keep your mental library in check.