Gift Ideas for Readers and Writers

It's that time of year! Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and before you even start digesting all the turkey and pumpkin pie, it seems like Christmas switches into high gear. Especially with all the online ordering we do these days, it's easy and almost essential to do your Christmas shopping early. If you and your loved ones are anything like me and mine, we never know what to get one another or what to put on our wish lists.

I thought I'd make a list of gift ideas for anyone you might know who enjoys reading and writing. It fits with the theme of my blog, and it might help you out.

(By the way, if you are a family member or friend I exchange gifts with, this is not MY wish list. It's just things I have or have seen that I think readers and writers would like.)

(One more by the way, I'm no longer doing affiliate links as I don't have the time or inclination to do the level of marketing necessary to meet the minimum sales required. So I won't be linking to specific products and any I mention are in no way sponsoring me or connected with me.)

Pens

First up, and possibly very boring-sounding to anyone who isn't into writing: pens!

Some people have a favorite color or brand of pen. Even if a dozen of them are only a few dollars, anyone who does a lot of hand writing goes through pens pretty quickly and would welcome a stash.

On the other hand, some pens are a bit more expensive and might be hard for someone to justify buying for themselves. Those would make meaningful gifts.

If you don't know anything about what kind of pens someone likes, my suggestion is to get them a fountain pen. There's something so writer-y feeling about them. The kinds I have currently are the Pilot Precise Varsity and Zebra Fountain Pen. Both are inexpensive and come in various colors, but they are not refillable. My refillable fountain pen is Pilot brand and from their "MR Collection." It can be refilled with cartridges or from an inkwell.

Some other pens I like: Pilot G-2, Paper Mate Ink Joy (both of these have a variety of colors), Bic Atlantis Exact (I use this for drawing rather than writing, so if you have an artist on your list they might like to try it).

Booklights

On to something for those who like to be on the receiving end of writing. Anyone who reads can use a good booklight. If I'm reading at night but not near a lamp, I still don't want to turn on the "big lights" and ruin the restful atmosphere. A booklight is great because it clips onto a book so you can use it anywhere. If your reader shares a space with someone else, this would be handy for that as well. They could stay up late reading without having to turn on a brighter light and disturb anyone. Booklights are also great for travelling when you don't know whether a lamp will be handy.

There are so many book light options. I don't have any specific ones to recommend, but I'd definitely suggest a rechargeable one. Again, great for travelling and it will be more economical than one you have to replace batteries in constantly. Booklights seem to use up batteries quite quickly.

Bookmarks

I usually have a few books started at once. Since I read fiction and non fiction in a variety of genres, I'm sometimes in the mood for one type of book over another. I may have a mystery, a sci-fi, a writing book, and a history book all in my currently reading stack at once. This means I need plenty of bookmarks. Bookmarks are also the easiest things to misplace, so a stash is nice.

If you are artistic or crafty, this is a great thing to make as a gift. Whether your medium is crochet, embroidery, sewing, paper crafts, or drawing/painting, there are plenty of book mark ideas out there.

Notebooks

Another seemingly boring thing that hand-writers will love.

Well, it depends. When I was a teenager, the most popular thing to get for girls seemed to be small decorative notebooks with cute scenes or inspiring quotes on them. The small diary/journal size is fine for keeping a diary/journal, but I don't really like writing longer content in a small notebook.

I'm pretty old-school when it comes to notebooks and paper. I use plain old notebook paper or composition books because the size is more standard and can be put in my binder or organized in a folder. However, many writers are avid collectors of notebooks of any size and shape and there are plenty of cute ones out there to match any genre and style.

Even in the composition and spiral notebook sizes I prefer, there are pretty options to choose from as well.

Mugs

If they are like me, they don't need any more mugs! However, something to hold a cozy caffeinated beverage is an essential for writers and readers. If the someone on your list doesn't have a favorite mug, fill that gap. There are plenty with funny quotes, cute patterns and images, or even designs inspired by their favorite book.

To round out the gift, include a favorite tea or coffee and a sweet snack.

Themed Goodies

If you know your writer or reader's favorite book, genre, or time period, there are all sorts of themed items you can find. These are sure to please and it's an easy way to make the gift seem more personal. They also make for an awesome gift basket if you are looking to spend a bit more.

Favorite book

If you know someone's favorite book, see if you can find a pretty collectors copy of it. Even new books may have various editions these days. For an older book, look for a vintage edition. If they like classics, there are many publishers that do decorative editions. For a bigger gift, add in a themed item that goes with the book.

PSA in the book department: If the person on your list is as picky as I am, it might not be a good idea to try and guess a book they'd like unless you know them well. It's also hard to know what people have. Multiple editions of an all-time-fave might be ok, but usually there's no need for duplicates. If you want to buy a book but aren't sure, ask the recipient for a favorite author and a list of that author's books they already own.

White Marbles

Speaking of books... mine would be a great gift! It's a humorous mystery that's the perfect length for an evening curled up by the tree. It's also a great price for adding into another gift or for a stocking stuffer or gift exchange where there's a spending limit.

You can get White Marbles using this link.

Before I end this shameless self-plug, if you want to give me a great Christmas present, leave a review of White Marbles on Amazon or Goodreads if you've read it. Positive reviews keep my average high and will help me get more noticed by those pesky algorithms.

Cozy clothes

This can be anything from a whole loungewear set to a pair of fuzzy socks. If you do your reading and writing at home, being cozy is an essential. This is another thing that would pair well with other gifts on the list for a bigger present.

Gift Cards

If you aren't confident about any of these ideas, go the safe route with the thing that's always the right size and color. A gift card to a local or online book store is always a good bet. For the writer who is always needing new supplies, a gift card to an office store, or even somewhere like Target or Walmart would be appreciated. Another option is a gift card to a favorite coffee shop or restaurant so they can treat themselves to something yummy and a new atmosphere for writing or reading. If you want to spend a bit more, gift cards are great to pair with any of the other gifts mentioned.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I'm having fun writing about holiday-themed topics. Next week I'll be hopping in my writing time-machine to share something I wrote several Thanksgivings ago, so stay tuned.