Last Minute Gifts for the Bibliophiles in Your Life
You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi
Did you just find out your cousin is bringing his girlfriend to dinner tomorrow and you don’t have a gift for her? Did your niece let slip her parents got you a gift when you clearly stated no presents? Did you just lose track of time and never made it to the mall to snag your sister a gift for under the tree? Well you’re in luck!
I’ve compiled a list of gifts you can snag online that will make any book lover happy, and definitely won’t seem like an afterthought!
The obvious!
Gift cards! This way they can get whatever they want, however they want. Trust me. They will be over the moon! One year my soon-to-be sister-in-law gave me an Amazon gift card for the amount of the Throne of Glass kindle set. I was floored by the thoughtfulness.
BookShop.org
This is a wonderful website where readers can order books online while supporting the independent bookstore of her choice.
Gift Card of your choice
Will$ once gave me a Ripped Bodice gift card as a non-wrap-gift (still unsure of the context) but it was the most thoughtful thing ever! If you have a favorite independent book store or you know where your reader loves to shop, I promise she’ll be delighted. You can’t go wrong with the big box stores either (Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, etc). At the end of the day, no one would turn up her nose to an Amazon gift card either! (Still where I get most of my kindle books at the very least.)
Giftly seems like a great site that can send virtual gift cards for many small business and bookstores.
Creative eGifts that will show you know your stuff!
Libro.fm
Gift a bundle of audiobook credits! Libro.fm is a marketplace for audiobooks. It’s wonderful because for the most part the books are listed for the same price as audible, but instead of supporting Amazon, readers can choose to support the local book shop of their choice.
They’re currently running a sale specifically for gifting audiobooks for the holidays. You can gift anywhere from 2 credits for $27 to 24 credits for $324.
The StoryGraph*
The StoryGraph is the superior competitor to Amazon-owned GoodReads. They have moved some of their swankier features behind a paywall, but we love to support a Black woman-owned company!
*The caveat I make with this recommendation is: make sure your recipient is already active on StoryGraph. I’m sure any reader (especially if chronically online) would appreciate this generous gift, but I’d make sure it’s something your bibliophile will utilize before dropping the $49.99 on an annual subscription.
The gift that keeps on giving!
I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I feel pretty confident in saying, book lovers love books! We love book mail! We love new releases! And we love displaying colorful shelves. There are several book subscription options that would make all the readers I know eager to get out of bed and check their mail every morning.
The incredible team at Wirecutter compiled a list 7 Book Subscription Services We Love.
Book of the Month
BOTM is a monthly book subscription service that dates back to 1926. I have had a subscription since the beginning of my reading renaissance in 2017. In the past year they have expanded to include audiobooks! However they’ve never even acknowledged me the several times I have applied for employment there… so like meh. This subscription is special because it’s one of the few where the reader gets to choose their book from a selection, and can opt to skip months.
They are currently running gift bundles for 3, 6, and 12 month memberships.
Books Are Magic Book Club
I had no idea this local gem had a book club! They have 3 subscriptions to choose from: Adult Hardcover ($30/month), Adult Paperback ($20/month), and Kids & Teen ($25/month). First-time subscribers will receive a FREE Monthly Magic tote bag, exclusive to Book Club members. You can specify the reader’s preferences by genre within each category too!
The Book Drop
This kit is by far the most stinkin’ cutest! They have 6 categories (Adult Fiction, Adult Large Print, Young Readers (8-13+), Early Readers (6-7), Little Readers (0-6), and 1,000 pc Jigsaw Puzzles)!
There are multiple selections within each category too!
Used Book Monthly
I didn’t know this existed, but how fun! They have options where you can order tea with your books! They have a “Box of Classic Romance” that reminds me of the boxes of random romance novels you can order on eBay. (I’d never heard of this until Chandler Ainsley did a reading vlog for it.)
Banned Book Box
Such a cool concept with lots of options. I want to order one of these for my mom sometime because I know she’ll go gaga for it!
Options for everyone!
What better way to let the young ones in your life know you’re thinking of them year-round?! I’ll do many things to keep Aunt Katrina / Nouna in the forefront of my God-Sons’ minds!
Reading Bug Box
You can customize book boxes for any reader between the ages of 0 and 13.
Momo’s Book Club
Another customizable subscription, but what I like about their options is the inclusion of multi-age boxes! This is key if you want to get one subscription for a household or set of siblings that aren’t close in age.
OurSleves
Another cutesy one with a multi-age option!
Bookroo
Can you tell I’m running out of things to say about book subscription services? This is the cutest box though!
How’d I do?
Will you be using any of these this year? Honestly I’ll be keeping this list in my back pocket for future birthdays and holidays when I’m in a pinch!
Let me know if this is helpful or if you have any other secret weapons in your gift-giving arsenal.
Hyper-fixation du jour: Holiday Episodes
Hulu (and Max I believe) has been doing this cool thing where they curate a collection themed episodes across beloved shows. I’d rather watch New Girl and Reba Thanksgiving episodes than football every year. If you’re looking for something light-hearted and festive tonight, check out their Family Winter Holiday collection.
Beware, this is how I wound up re-watching all of American Housewife last year. (A very underrated 21st century sitcom.)
Tonight, I’ll be watching It’s a Wonderful Life with Papa Peed & Lil Bro Peed, as is our annual tradition.
I love this movie so much, even though it is way too long. We have basically every line of dialogue memorized and love to speak along with iconic lines. Linked above is my favorite scene (if I had to choose one).
BONUS REC: Merry Happy Whatever
This mini-series gem is on Netflix. I watched it the year it came out and remember enjoying it. But that could just be because I adore Bridgit Mendler and Ashley Tisdale.
(trigger warning: horrendous wig on Ashley Tisdale)
Babygirl, in theaters tomorrow! Don’t miss my first ever background work (in front of the camera).
