Buying for a book lover sounds easy until you actually try to do it. You don't know what they've read. You don't know what's on their list. Buy the wrong novel and you've given them something they finished six months ago.
The good news: a reader's personality extends well beyond their reading list. The right gift for a book lover isn't necessarily another book — it's something that understands the way reading fits into their life.
The obvious gift — a book — is actually the hardest to get right. Avid readers maintain mental lists, track everything on Goodreads, and have strong opinions about what's worth their time. The chance you'll accidentally buy something they've already read, already own, or have deliberately avoided is high.
This doesn't mean never buy a reader a book. It means you need intelligence to do it well. Otherwise, the safer and often more memorable gifts are the ones built around the reading experience rather than the reading material itself.
If the reader in your life has never received a book where they are the main character, this is the one.
A personalised illustrated novel from Nom Books takes their name — and their personality — and builds a story around it. These are proper adult novels, written with wit, with their name woven throughout. The genre might be romance, mystery, or comic adventure. The character references, the humour, the details — all anchored to who they actually are.
For a reader, the experience of seeing themselves as the protagonist is something a generic novel simply cannot replicate. They know story, they love character — and suddenly they are the character. The reaction tends to be immediate and loud.
These run £25-35 and cover over 1,600 names. For a reader who thinks they've seen everything, it lands differently.
Nom Books creates personalised illustrated novels with their name as the lead. For the reader who has read everything — except this.
Find Their Book →Good reading accessories are used daily and quietly appreciated. Most readers never buy these for themselves.
A quality bookmark — not the freebie from a bookshop, but a proper brass or leather bookmark. Something weighty and satisfying that stays in the book. Manufacturers like Ibberson make beautiful ones that last decades.
A book light — specifically one that clips to the book and doesn't illuminate the room. Important for reading in bed without disturbing a partner. The Lumiy Lightblade and Mighty Bright range are excellent. Budget: £15-30.
A lap desk or book rest — for the reader who lies in bed or sits on sofas. A bean bag-backed lap desk or a proper carved wooden book rest for the armchair reader. The kind of thing they'd never buy themselves but uses constantly.
Reading glasses (if relevant) — if they're at the age where reading glasses have appeared, a quality pair in a nice case is a better gift than you'd expect. Blue-light blocking glasses are also genuinely useful for e-readers.
A Kindle or e-reader — if they don't have one, or an upgrade if they're on an old model. The Kindle Paperwhite is the benchmark. Worth buying if they travel regularly or have complained about running out of room for physical books.
A nice reading candle — specifically one marketed around the experience: ozone-and-paper scents, old-library smell, that kind of thing. Bibliophile candles are a legitimate genre. Brooklyn Candle Studio and similar makers do them well.
For the reader who loves the meta-experience of reading, books about books hit differently.
"The Library at Night" by Alberto Manguel — a meditation on libraries and their meaning. For the serious reader who thinks about reading as much as they do it.
"How to Read a Novel" by John Sutherland — smart and opinionated. For the reader who enjoys literary criticism without the pretension.
"Ex Libris" by Anne Fadiman — essays on obsessive reading and collecting. Perfect for anyone with a complicated relationship with their own shelves.
"The Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett — a novella about the Queen discovering she loves reading. Charming, short, perfect for gifting.
If you know their tastes precisely — the specific authors they love, the gaps in their reading — buying books works. If not, lean toward accessories, experiences, or the personalised option above.
Subscriptions extend the gift across months. For a committed reader, this often lands better than a single item.
A book subscription box — services like Fable, The Willoughby Book Club, or Books That Matter send curated selections each month, often with accompanying notes, bookmarks, and extras. The curation is the value: they don't have to decide, they just receive.
A book club membership — some independent bookshops and literary organisations run formal book clubs with monthly picks and discussion events. Worth researching locally.
An audiobook credit package — for the reader who commutes or exercises. Audible credits make practical sense. Alternatively, a subscription to Libro.fm (which supports independent bookshops) is the more thoughtful version.
A Kindle Unlimited subscription — for the e-reader devotee who reads voraciously. Access to hundreds of thousands of titles for a monthly fee. Useful if they read widely and quickly.
For the reader who loves the culture around books as much as the books themselves.
A literary festival ticket — Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Oxford Literary Festival. Most run author talks, panel discussions, and readings. For a serious reader, an afternoon at a literary festival is a genuine treat.
An author event ticket — independent bookshops frequently host author readings and signings. Find out who they love and whether any events are coming up. The combination of signed book plus event is an excellent gift.
A private library or rare bookshop visit — some cities have private lending libraries (The London Library, The Portico Library in Manchester). Annual membership is around £100-180 and is the kind of thing a serious reader would never buy themselves.
A creative writing workshop — for the reader who has always wanted to try the other side. One-day workshops at organisations like Arvon, Faber Academy, or Curtis Brown Creative. These go from half-day tasters to full residential courses.
For the reader with a chaotic relationship with their shelves.
A custom bookplate set — personalised labels that go inside the front cover, identifying the book as theirs. Lovely for obsessive collectors who lend books and never get them back. Printed on quality paper, they're both functional and beautiful.
A reading journal — a dedicated journal for tracking books read, thoughts, quotes. Not generic but specifically designed for reading: space for author, title, date, rating, and notes. Leuchtturm makes good ones.
A print of their favourite literary quote — many Etsy typographers specialise in literary print work. A beautifully typeset quote from their favourite book, in a frame.
What's the best gift for a reader who already owns hundreds of books? Something outside the book itself: a personalised novel where they're the protagonist, a reading accessory they'd never buy themselves, a literary experience (festival, author event, private library membership), or a subscription that curates for them.
Are personalised books good gifts for serious readers? Yes — particularly because they're fundamentally different from any book they already own. A personalised novel isn't competing with their existing reading list; it's something categorically new. A reader who's seen every trick fiction can pull will find being cast as the lead unexpectedly affecting.
What do you buy a reader who only reads one genre? Either go deep into that genre (find a critically acclaimed example they've missed, seek out a small-press publisher in that space) or go sideways (accessories, personalised items, experiences) rather than trying to guess their reading list.
What's a good book lover gift under £30? A personalised novel from Nom Books (£25-35), a quality bookmark, a reading journal, or a well-chosen literary quote print. All feel considered and specific without requiring a large budget.