Bookish Gift Ideas (For Cheap!)

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The holidays put a lot of stress on the general public. It's hard to keep up with all the places you're supposed to be, people you should buy gifts for, and food you're supposed to cook. It's stressful, I know! I, for one, am trying my hardest to simplify life this December. I'm choosing to set boundaries and stick to them - including a gift budget!

If you're looking for some easy gifts that will keep you stress-free and on a budget this year, I some ideas for the book lovers in your life. Knowing you have to fill so many stockings can leave you wracking your brain about what to buy, but hopefully, my ideas help! I can tell you from experience that I definitely enjoyed receiving these items as gifts!

Booklights

My favorite thing about reading lights is that they’re easier on my eyes than a lamp or overhead light. A good booklight makes it easy to read when other people are sleeping in the room. I've used them on family vacations or when I want to hang out in the living room and finish my book but the rest of the house wants to go to bed. A booklight could probably also be used on nighttime road trips if the light isn’t excessively bright.

Personally, I didn’t know how useful book lights were until I got one as a gift one Christmas and started using it. Now it’s one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever gotten (although the original one I received from my mom ran out of life a long time ago). Using my booklight helps me feel a little more comfortable and a little cozier while I'm relaxing and enjoying my next book.

Magnetic Bookmarks

Bookmarks are a super practical gift for the book lover in your life, but magnetic bookmarks are even better. The magnet on the back makes it easier for readers to keep their place in the book they're currently loving. It won't fall out easily, and it's harder to accidentally knock out of the book than a normal bookmark. This is definitely important if your bookish friend carries their novel around with them. It can also be helpful for people who have to deal with pets knocking belongings over, have small kids running around the house, or just want a little extra cuteness in their life. Some super cute magnetic bookmarks are available from the Etsy shop linked above (FunUsualSuspects).

Notebooks

Notebooks are handy things for most people to have around. Making list, budget planning, and journaling are all practical reason that someone may be happy to receive an extra notebook. It's always good to have an extra one lying around for when you run out of pages. But bookish people, in particular, seem to really enjoy receiving notebooks. I assume it's because many readers are also writers or journalers and that's wonderful! There are so many cute notebooks out there, and a fair amount of styles to choose from. I prefer large, unlined notebooks. The completely blank pages help me feel more in control of my creativity and what I put in the journal, but a standard small, lined notebook also serves an important purpose if I want to write pages and pages of thoughts and feel that they have some sort of order. There are plenty of inexpensive options if you choose to buy this bookish gift. I've linked one above from Target.

Memberships to B&N, BAM, etc.

The coupons book lovers can get from these companies are worth the membership alone, but the extra percentage you get off at B&N and BAM with memberships makes it a killer deal if you’re someone who buys books on a regular basis. If your favorite bookish person doesn't live near either of these stores, that's okay. Most chain bookstores offer some kind of paid membership for extra benefits and most likely all you'll have to do is peek at the retailer's website to find details.

These memberships are the pricier options on this gift list, but they're not outrageous. My B&N membership costs about $25 a year. It's an item that sometimes seems too frivolous to buy for myself, but when it comes to a gift for someone else, that's exactly the quality you want to look for. Would they love this and put it to use but won't buy it for themselves? Sounds like a great gift idea to me! 

Book Outlet Gift Cards

Book Outlet is an online bargain bookseller that list all of their books at a 50%-90% discount. A gift card for Book Outlet is a great gift because not only can the gift receiver take advantage of some crazy deals, they can also get twice as many books as they would at the average bookstore chain. That means your gift goes twice as far and makes them twice as happy! Plus, I guarantee your book lover will spend even more than their gift card amount. Book Outlet is that good!

Those are my 5 bookish gift ideas! If they helped you nail down your Christmas list at all, let me know! Remember to take it easy and don't let the rush and expectations of this season get you down or make you miss out on the whole point of this time - to slow down, enjoy the walk, and celebrate the people around you.

I hope your days are merry and bright this December.