Best Gift Ideas for Book Lovers

The holiday is quickly approaching. It seems like every year it goes by faster and faster. I'm not a big get out there and shop til you drop type person. Or camping out early morning for shopping deals the day after Thanksgiving for Black Friday. I usually make a majority of the gifts I give by hand. This year I'll be making homemade body butter and hair cream. I made it last year and I receive requests for more after some recipients had run out. So my twelve year old daughter and I will be making it again. It's a great way for her to learn some of these techniques to pass on to her children someday. However, as a book lover and writer, I find I often get pens for Christmas from other family members. Don't get me wrong, I like pens when they aren't your normal Bic pens that come twenty in a pack (*hint, hint*). I've concluded that people sometimes just don't know what to get book lovers for Christmas aside from the usual books. So here are some of my suggestions for unique gifts for book lovers.

Handmade Books

There is a great selection of books out there that have been written by hand and decorated with a lovely handmade book cover. You can find lots of them on Etsy or if you want an heirloom handwritten book that is sure to impress, and money is no object, check out "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by J.K. Rowling. This copy was handwritten and illustrated by the author herself. Six of these were made and given to her friends and editors. An auction copy was purchased by Amazon for $3.98 million dollars. That's one book that would need its own library complete with glass safe. Check out other expensive books if you have the money to spare.

Book Bling or Book Jewelry
I'm such a fan of book jewelry. My daughter and I use our mother/daughter time to make book thongs as I call them for our books or as gifts. It is a little time consuming, it takes us about three hours to make four or five book thongs, but they are so gorgeous and well worth it afterwards. And the quality time we spend together is priceless. But if you don't want to hand make your own book thongs, you can buy them at Book Jewelry or Etsy. If you want to make your own, view this how-to-video on Youtube. It's the one I used to teach my daughter. It's simple and easy.

Fun Cozy Book Furniture
This is a great gift for kids who love to read. Especially if you have a reading room or play area they can use to cuddle up with a book. I think they are adorable. Designed to look like books, they are soft and durable pieces of furniture for your kids to cozy up on and read. Go to Big Cozy Books for more info.


Literary Cruise or Reading Retreat:
Now this is a pricey gift, but I think it would be well worth it. Atleast for me. I like the idea of the Murder at Sea cruise, there are mystery authors and award winning writers on board, you can mingle at cocktail receptions, talk to them at panel discussions, have dinner or get the latest book signed without the long lines and rush. Or you could go on a reading retreat, take a few books, relax and unwind at your leisure without a cellphone, laptop or kid in sight. Ahhhhh....what a beautiful vision. To find out more about reading retreats read this great article at Salon.com. Or go to Murder at Sea for more information about booking a cruise.

A photo of a gift box I made
for a giveawayon my blog

Book Gift Baskets and Gift Boxes
I love these and I make them myself and often give them away on my blog. It's simple to do, just collect items that you think the book lover would enjoy reading, add some relaxing items to the basket and voila you have a book gift basket. You can also use a theme for your baskets. For instance if the recipient likes Paris, you could find a book box or basket that has a Paris theme and add books written about Paris or in Paris such as The DaVinci Code or France: The Hungry Traveler or add a dvd like Amelie and perhaps pastries like croissants and a bottle of French wine. For info on ordering book baskets and book boxes, contact me using the contact me tab at the top of the page or if you need suggestions email me and I'll try my best to help you make your own. :-)

What gift ideas do you have for book lovers? I'd love to hear your suggestions. :-)