32 Affordable Gifts for Readers

amazon.com

In his famous memoir, On Writing, Stephen King said: “Books are a uniquely portable magic,” and he was right. A powerful novel has the ability to transport and transform—but every reader has his or her own preferred genre or author. So, instead of taking a guess on your friend's next read (though, you could consult our favorite books from 2019) or going the gift card route, opt for something a little more personal. We selected a variety of unique, thoughtful items that complete any reading experience, and we’re sure that these novel gifts for book lovers will delight all of the avid readers in your life.

RELATED: 25 Creative, Inexpensive Stocking Stuffers for Everyone on Your List

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Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

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White Marble Bookends

crateandbarrel.com

Marble edged in brass will hold even your heaviest tomes upright while also upgrading your shelfie game.

To buy: $40 for 2; crateandbarrel.com.

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Juniper Books Harry Potter Set

Juniper Books

Harry Potter fans are a proud bunch, so gift the Potter fanatic in your life a set of J. K. Rowling's books a reader can be equally as proud of. These gorgeous hardcover sets from Juniper Books include all seven novels, each wrapped in a unique book jacket designed in the colors of each Hogwarts house. Choose from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin so you can match the best set to the witch or wizard in your life.

To buy: $275; juniperbooks.com.

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Booklight Clothespin

amazon.com

Not a plain old clothespin, this ingenious placeholder has a built-in LED so you can continue turning pages in the dark.

To buy: $7; amazon.com.

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Custom Book Print

idealbookshelf.com

Immortalize your most beloved books with a custom archival print.

To buy: $105; idealbookshelf.com.

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Book Darts Metal Line Marker

thegrommet.com

Flag meaningful passages with these paper-thin and easy-to-remove metal markers.

To buy: $5 for 125; thegrommet.com.

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Where the Wild Things Are Pin

urbanoutfitters.com

Use them as friendship pins for the book lovers on your list. Whatever you choose, these classic storybook characters will instantly transport them back to their mischievous childhood antics.

To buy: $18; outofprint.com.

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Bibliophile, by Jane Mount

Amazon

Gift a book lover this gorgeous illustrated celebration of literature from Jane Mount, founder of Ideal Bookshelf. Each page is packed with lots of fun, including quizzes, literary facts, and book recommendations. This colorful cover will look great displayed on a coffee table or will elevate any #shelfie when tucked away on a bookshelf.

To buy: $19; amazon.com.

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Customizable Kindle Case

popeq.etsy.com

Customize this handmade leather Kindle case with a monogram or quote and your choice of colors.

To buy: $54; etsy.com.

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Fingerprint Bookmark Band

momastore.org

She’ll never lose her spot again. This flexible bookmark has a pointer to mark the exact word she last landed on.

To buy: $7; momastore.org.

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The Storymatic Game

uncommongoods.com

If he’s running into roadblocks while writing his novel or just looking for a creative outlet, these story-starter cards are just what he needs. Gold cards provide the characters while the copper ones give the impetus for the tale’s events. Select your cards and get creative.

To buy: $30; uncommongoods.com.

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I Cannot Live Without Books: Literary Tattoos for Book Lovers

amazon.com

If you had to talk a friend out of nearly getting inked with a Harry Potter quote, this book is for them. Filled with six pages of literary-themed temporary tattoos, your friend will be able to show off that they’re a bibliophile, without any of the long-term regret.

To buy: $9; amazon.com.

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Bibliophile Keychain

chroniclebooks.com

Wear your heart on your key ring with this declaration of your love for reading.

To buy: $15; chroniclebooks.com.

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My Life With Bob, by Pamela Paul

amazon.com

Pamela Paul has kept a record of every book she’s ever read over the past twenty-eight years, a collection she calls Bob: her Book Of Books. In this collection of stories, Paul reflects not only on the books that have shaped her life, but on the special relationship between book and reader.

To buy: $18; amazon.com.

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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die, by James Mustich

workman publishing

If someone in your life is always challenging him or herself with reading goals or it seems like a person has read everything, give the ultimate challenge of reading all 1,000 titles in this compendium. The book lover you know is sure to find a mix of beloved familiars and exciting new titles on each page.

To buy: $22; amazon.com.

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The Book Lover’s Journal

amazon.com

Readers know the stress of seeing another list of the best books to read this month, this season, or this year. It’s hard to keep track of a reading wish list when there are so many genres and authors to tackle! This journal helps organize any reader’s inventory—the notebook includes spaces to record books you want to read, books you’ve loaned to or borrowed from friends, and the contact information for your book club. The main attraction: Pages and pages to record details from the books you’ve read, making it easy to reference and recommend your favorite novels in the future.

To buy: $12, amazon.com.

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NUACAshop Felt and Leather Kindle Case

NUACAshop.etsy.com

Even if she prefers actual books, chances are she still carries some kind of e-reader to make enjoying a book while commuting a little more convenient (an 800-page novel is not easy to store in your purse). Or maybe she’s a traveler, and the Kindle is the easiest way to load up her suitcase with her favorite books before she boards the plane. This handmade felt sleeve is a chic, minimalist way to protect her tablet. If she doesn’t have a Paperwhite Kindle, shop the Etsy seller’s other sizes and fabrics for the ideal dimensions and material for her device. The case comes in gray and black felt, as well as red and white leathers for a more polished vibe.

To buy: $29, NUACAshop.etsy.com.

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Out of Print Banned Books Matchbox Set

amazon.com

These clever collectible matchboxes are miniature replicas of some of the most famous banned novels in history—the matches, of course, being a nod to book burnings that used to occur around the world as a form of censorship. From Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 to Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, each box features the original cover illustration for the novel and on the back, a line about why the book was banned from shelves. Fun fact: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was banned from the Brooklyn Public Library in 1876 because the protagonist was of “questionable character.” Each box contains 20 matches.

To buy: $8, outofprint.com.

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The Great Gatsby Socks

Out of Print

Help a book lover add a literary touch to any outfit with these Great Gatsby-themed socks from book-inspired clothing company Out of Print. In addition to being a soft cotton blend, each purchase from Out of Print helps fund literacy programs and pays for book donations to communities in need.

To buy: $12; outofprint.com.

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Knock Knock Personal Library Kit

knockknockstuff.com

Share the latest and greatest must-read titles with friends, while knowing they’ll be returned (and on time!). This old-school kit is filled with all of the tools you’ll need, including 20 self-adhesive pockets and checkout cards, a date stamp and ink pad, and a pencil, to keep tabs on your precious paperbacks and hardcovers. The whole set comes packaged neatly in a box that can be used to house and keep all the supplies organized in perpetuity. When you’re all out of cards, a refill kit that comes with 15 self-adhesive pockets will keep your lending library open for business.

To buy: $11, amazon.com.

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Homesick Candles Library Scent

amazon.com

With notes of nutmeg, cedarwood, and amber, this candle evokes the aroma of a library filled with leather-bound books.

To buy: $30; amazon.com.

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The Puffin In Bloom Book Collection

riflepaperco.com

Penguin enlisted Anna Bond, founder of the chic stationery brand Rifle Paper Co., to redesign the covers for beloved children’s classics, including Anne of Green Gables, Heidi, Little Women, and A Little Princess. The result? “Puffin in Bloom,” a collection of pretty, floral-themed must-reads, perfect for classics fans and new readers, alike. The set even includes four matching bookmarks. Together, the four novels will bring life to any bookshelf. You can buy the whole set together, but if you know your friend already owns one or two of the novels, you can find them individually on Amazon.

To buy: $58 for the set, barnesandnoble.com.

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Amazon Echo Dot

amazon.com

Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon’s Alexa voice-controlled assistant is great for readers because it supports Audible, so you can start, stop, and even rewind or fast forward while listening to your favorite audiobook easily just by giving the command. We love that the all-new Echo Dot comes in pretty new fabric designs and colors, including charcoal, heather gray and sandstone.

To buy: See holiday pricing on amazon.com.

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Literature Rocks Glasses

theuncommongreen.etsy.com

This gift is great for people who like their spirits the same way they like their literature: classic. Have him pour his nightly Old Fashioned into a rocks glass that’s etched with the first edition inside cover and opening lines of Pride and Prejudice (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”) Not an Austen fan? Etsy seller theUncommonGreen also sells the 11-ounce glass decorated with opening pages from more than 15 other great works, like H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and James Joyce’s Ulysses.

To buy: $15, theuncommongreen.etsy.com.

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Weather Bookmark Set

easytigerco.com

Metal page markers make a great gift for readers as they cozy up with their wintertime reads during snowstorms or when it's just too bleak to go outside.

To buy: $18 for 4; easytigerco.com.

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Read Harder (A Reading Log)

amazon.com

From the editors of the popular site Book Riot, this journal challenges readers to diversify their bookshelves.

To buy: $10; amazon.com.

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Library Candles

paddywax.com

Know a fan of Mark Twain or John Steinbeck? The brand curated ten collections of fragrances inspired by these literary greats’ works.

To buy: From $8; paddywax.com.

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Scojo Reading Glasses

scojo.com

Avoid straining your eyes while reading with these colorful magnifying glasses that pair well with just about any outfit.

To buy: $60; scojo.com.

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Bibliophile Vase: The Writer’s Companion

amazon.com

These gilded vases, designed to look like hardcovers, come in three sizes that fit pens and pencils or bouquets. This clever gift idea for readers lets the book lover in your life incorporate some literary flair in his or her home decor.

To buy: $18; amazon.com.

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Library Card and Pocket

presentandcorrect.com

Attach this old-school library card to your favorite novel to ensure borrowers return it in due course.

To buy: $1.50; presentandcorrect.com.

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Books Are Magic Lightning Bolt T-Shirt

booksaremagic.net

A cotton-blend shirt from the Brooklyn, New York-based shop Books Are Magic that says it all.

To buy: $22; booksaremagic.net.

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More

32 Affordable Book-Themed Gifts for Bibliophiles

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White Marble Bookends

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Juniper Books Harry Potter Set

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Booklight Clothespin

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Custom Book Print

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Book Darts Metal Line Marker

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Where the Wild Things Are Pin

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Bibliophile, by Jane Mount

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Customizable Kindle Case

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Fingerprint Bookmark Band

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The Storymatic Game

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I Cannot Live Without Books: Literary Tattoos for Book Lovers

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Bibliophile Keychain

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My Life With Bob, by Pamela Paul

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1,000 Books to Read Before You Die, by James Mustich

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The Book Lover’s Journal

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NUACAshop Felt and Leather Kindle Case

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Out of Print Banned Books Matchbox Set

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The Great Gatsby Socks

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Knock Knock Personal Library Kit

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Homesick Candles Library Scent

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The Puffin In Bloom Book Collection

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Amazon Echo Dot

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Literature Rocks Glasses

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Weather Bookmark Set

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Read Harder (A Reading Log)

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Library Candles