Gifts for Book Lovers: Thoughtful Ideas for Readers and Writers

Gold-tone zodiac bookmark with chain lying in an open book in a cozy reading corner (AI-generated illustration)

The short answer: the best gifts for book lovers are usually not more books. Most keen readers already have a to-read pile. Give them something that goes with the books instead: a fabric cover for the one in their bag, a bookmark with their zodiac sign, a journal for reading notes, or a letter sealed with wax. These bookish gifts get used long after the wrapping paper is gone.

Below, the ideas are sorted by the kind of reader you are buying for, then by budget. For each one we say what comes in the box and the one thing to check before you order, which is usually the size. We are Sealed & Shelved, a small shop for readers and letter writers: we sell the items linked in this guide, and every order ships free within the US.

Quick picks

Who it's for Give them Price
A reader who carries a notebook, planner or small book everywhere Fabric Book Cover, A6 or A5 $17.99 or $18.99
A reader who keeps losing their place Zodiac Bookmark in a gift box $18.99
Any reader, when you want a ready-made set Book Lover Gift Set with floral cover $21.99
A reader who logs every book Refillable Leather Journal $26.99 or $29.99
A letter writer Letter Writing Gift Set $36.99
A writer who journals every day Writer's Gift Set $56.99

For the reader who carries a book everywhere

A fabric cover puts a layer of fabric between a book's own cover and the inside of a bag, and it makes a plain notebook look like something chosen with care.

Check the size first. A5 is made for books and notebooks no larger than about 5.8 × 8.3 in (148 × 210 mm), and A6 for those no larger than about 4.1 × 5.8 in (105 × 148 mm). Many US paperbacks are taller than both, so measure the book's height and width with the cover closed and compare the numbers instead of guessing. If the gift is for a journal or a planner, A5 suits many planners, bullet journals and notebooks. Our guide Book Sleeve or Book Cover? explains how to measure.

More options: all book covers.

For the reader who keeps losing their place

  • Zodiac Bookmark in Brass-Tone Metal: $18.99. A hollowed-out metal plate with a detailed scene for one of the twelve signs, with a fine chain and a small charm hanging from it, packed in a dark blue gift box.

Choose the sign of the person's birthday. The product page lists the usual date range for each sign; the change-over can shift by a day from year to year. The plate slips between the pages, with the chain and charm hanging below the book. Our guide Metal Bookmarks: How to Choose One covers the different kinds and how to keep pages safe.

Ready-made gift sets

If you would rather not put a gift together yourself, our two book lover sets each pair a cover with the zodiac bookmark. You choose the sign; the cover is the same in every set.

Both covers are A5, so the size check above applies to the sets too. See everything for readers in Gifts for Book Lovers.

For the reader who writes down what they read

Many readers keep a reading journal: a running record of the books they finished, what they thought of them and the lines they want to remember. A good notebook makes the habit easy to start. A simple page for each book might hold:

  • the title, the author, and the dates they started and finished it;
  • a rating, or a one-line verdict;
  • favorite quotes, with page numbers;
  • who they would lend it to next.

For page layouts, list ideas and tips, see our guide How to Start a Reading Journal. Four journals that suit a reading log:

  • Refillable Leather Journal with 3 Inserts: $26.99 in passport size, $29.99 in medium. A leather cover (genuine cowhide, according to the supplier) with an elastic band closure and three paper inserts, blank, grid and lined, held in by elastic bands, so they can be swapped out when they are full.
  • A5 Leather Ring Binder Journal: $36.99. A leather cover with six metal rings and 100 sheets of lined A5 paper. Pages can be added, removed or moved, so a reading log can be sorted by year or by genre.
  • Wooden Cover Journal with Engraved Floral Design: $22.99. A wooden cover engraved with an ornate floral frame, with a heart-shaped clasp: a keepsake for reading notes or a diary. The supplier doesn't state the page count or whether the pages are lined.
  • Embossed Leather Journal with Metal Clasp: $36.99. A cowhide cover with an embossed floral pattern, according to the supplier, and 100 sheets (200 pages) of plain kraft paper. The clasp is a closure, not a lock.

For the reader who still writes real letters

Some readers love real mail as much as books. A wax seal turns an ordinary envelope into something they will want to keep.

  • Letter Writing Gift Set: $36.99. A rose wax seal kit (a wooden-handled stamp, three wax sticks, a melting spoon and two tea lights) with 10 large and 2 small sheets of kraft-colored writing paper and 20 kraft envelopes.
  • Rose Wax Seal Kit: $26.99. The same kit on its own, in a book-style gift box, in eight rose designs.
  • Wax Seal Stamp Set with Gold Wax Beads: $26.99. One stamp, gold wax beads in a corked bottle, a melting spoon and two tea lights in a green gift box. The eight designs include a dragon, a cat in a moonlit arch and a potion bottle with stars, a good match for fantasy readers.
  • Wax Seal Kit with 3 Stamp Heads: $33.99. Three stamp heads that swap onto one handle, two bottles of wax beads, a melting spoon, a tea light and a metallic pen. One of the eight sets is a Merry Christmas trio for holiday cards.

None of the kits include a lighter or matches. Melted wax is hot and the candle is an open flame, so these are gifts for adults. New to wax seals? Our guide How to Seal a Letter with Wax covers each step and what it costs to mail a sealed envelope. More kits are in Wax Seals.

For the writer in the family

  • Leather Pen Roll with 4 Slots: $29.99. Genuine leather (cowhide with a crazy horse finish), according to the supplier, with four slots of different widths, a wrap strap and a small key-shaped charm. Pens are not included.
  • Writer's Gift Set: Embossed Leather Journal & Leather Pen Roll: $56.99. The embossed leather journal and the pen roll above in the same color, black or brown, ordered together as one set; the two items may arrive in separate parcels. It costs about $10 less than buying the two separately.

For more ideas, sorted by the kind of writing they do, see our guide Gifts for Writers.

Gifts for book lovers by budget

Under $20

$20 to $30

$30 to $40

Over $50

A gift that costs almost nothing: a letter about a book

Write them a letter about a book that mattered to you: why you loved it, the scene you still think about, and why you think they would like it. Tuck the letter inside the book if you are giving one, or mail it on its own. It is the kind of present that gets kept. If you seal it with wax, the guide linked above explains the postage.

Shipping and timing

  • Standard shipping is free on every order to a US address.
  • We prepare and dispatch orders in 2–4 business days, and most orders arrive within 7–15 business days of purchase. When the order ships, we email a tracking number.
  • For a birthday or a holiday, order at least three weeks ahead, and earlier in December, when carriers are busiest. For Christmas, our guide Christmas Gifts for Book Lovers gives the date to order by.
  • To send a gift straight to the reader, enter their address as the shipping address at checkout.

Frequently asked questions

What do you get a book lover who already has too many books?

Something that goes with their books instead of adding to the pile: a cover for the book they are reading now, a bookmark, a journal for reading notes, or a letter. All of these get used every time they read.

Will a fabric book cover fit any book?

No. Our covers and jackets come in A5, about 5.8 × 8.3 in (148 × 210 mm), and the cherry blossom and crane covers also come in A6, about 4.1 × 5.8 in (105 × 148 mm). Measure the book with its cover closed and choose the closest size.

Which gifts come in a gift box?

The zodiac bookmark comes in a dark blue gift box, and the bookmark in both book lover gift sets comes in its gift box too. The rose wax seal kit comes in a book-style gift box, including the one in the letter writing set, and the other two wax seal kits come in a green gift box.

Which zodiac sign should I choose?

The sign of the person's birthday. Our guide Metal Bookmarks: How to Choose One lists the usual date ranges for all twelve signs.

Are the leather journals real leather?

The supplier describes the refillable journal's cover and the pen roll as genuine leather (cowhide), and lists the embossed journal's cover as cowhide. The A5 ring binder is described only as leather with a crazy horse finish. Leather is a natural material, so color and surface marks vary from piece to piece.

Is shipping free, and how long does it take?

Yes, standard shipping is free on every US order. Orders are dispatched in 2–4 business days, and most arrive within 7–15 business days of purchase.