The best gifts for book lovers that aren't books are the things that make reading feel better: a DIY book nook for her shelf, a thumb page holder for one-handed reading, cat magnetic bookmarks, a book vase, a bookish hoodie, a canvas book tote and cozy fingerless gloves for cold reading nights. Below are 9 bookish gift ideas for her from Bright Crate, from $15.99 to $54.99, with free shipping on every order.
Buying a book for a reader is risky: she's probably read it, owns it, or has a 40-book TBR pile already. A gift that lives around her books is safer, and she'll use it every time she opens one.
What do you get a book lover who has everything?
Skip the book and give her something for the ritual: where she reads, how she holds the book, what keeps her place and what keeps her warm. These are the picks we'd choose for a birthday, Christmas or Secret Santa.
1. The Twilight Library DIY Book Nook Kit, $44.99
The Twilight Library DIY Book Nook Kit builds a tiny lit-up library that slides between her real books like a secret doorway: shelves of miniature books, a grandfather clock, a reading lamp and warm battery-powered lights. It's the "wow" gift on this list and a cozy weekend project.
2. The Book Lover's Night In Gift Set, $54.99
Want it ready to wrap? The Book Lover's Night In Gift Set pairs the book nook kit with a set of our cat magnetic bookmarks, so you don't have to put a gift box together yourself.
3. The Page Keeper Wooden Thumb Book Holder, $22.99
The Page Keeper is a little wooden thumb page holder (about 4.5 x 1.3 in) that holds both sides of a paperback open in one hand. Coffee in the other hand, reading in the bath or in bed: this is the gift readers didn't know they needed.
4. The Book Club Kitties Cat Magnetic Bookmarks, $15.99
Book Club Kitties are sets of 6 or 7 black cat magnetic bookmarks that fold over the page and snap shut, so a tiny cat sits on the edge of her book. The easiest stocking stuffer for a reader, and double points if she's a cat lover too.
5. The Plot Twist Acrylic Book Vase, $24.99
The Plot Twist Book Vase is shaped like a hardcover (about 7.9 x 5.9 x 1.6 in) and slim enough to tuck between real books on the shelf, with an opening on top for fresh or dried flowers. Bookish decor for the nightstand or reading nook, under $25.
Bookish gifts she can wear or carry
6. The Chapter One Bookish Hoodie, $34.99
The Chapter One Bookish Hoodie is an oversized pink pullover printed with a black cat curled up on an open book, framed in flowers. It runs S to 4XL, and it's the gift that says "I know you" to the girl who'd rather be reading with her cat.
7. The Library Day Canvas Book Tote, $29.99
The Library Day Book Tote is a thick canvas tote with front pockets, an inside pocket and a long crossbody strap, big enough for a book, a water bottle, her phone and snacks. Library, campus, coffee shop: it goes everywhere her current read goes.
Cozy gifts for reading nights
8. The Hot Cocoa Cable Knit Fingerless Gloves, $16.99
Cable knit fingerless gloves keep her hands warm while her fingertips stay free to turn pages (and text her book club). Five colors, wrist length, under $20.
9. The Cat Nap Cat Ear Beanie, $19.99
For the reader who's also a cat mom, the Cat Nap Cat Ear Beanie is a chunky cable knit beanie with two little cat ears, in eight colors. Pair it with the Book Club Kitties bookmarks for a cute under-$40 cat-and-books gift.
Book lover gifts by budget
- Under $20: cat magnetic bookmarks ($15.99), fingerless gloves ($16.99), cat ear beanie ($19.99)
- Under $25: thumb book holder ($22.99), book vase ($24.99)
- Under $35: canvas book tote ($29.99), bookish hoodie ($34.99)
- The big gift: DIY book nook kit ($44.99) or the Night In gift set ($54.99)
What is a good Secret Santa gift for a book lover?
Keep it small and useful: the cat magnetic bookmarks or the thumb page holder both come in under most Secret Santa limits and work for any reader, whatever genre she's into. If your limit is $25, the book vase is a pretty pick that doesn't need to match her taste in books.
How to pick the right gift for a reader
- She reads in bed or the bath: the thumb page holder.
- She has a bookshelf she's proud of: the book nook or the book vase.
- She's always carrying a book: the canvas book tote.
- She's a cat person: the bookmarks, the hoodie or the cat ear beanie.
- She's always cold: the fingerless gloves.
Questions, answered
What are good gifts for book lovers that aren't books?
Reading accessories she'll use every day (a thumb page holder, magnetic bookmarks), bookshelf decor (a book nook or a book vase), and bookish things to wear or carry (a bookish hoodie, a book tote).
What's a good book lover gift for Christmas?
A DIY book nook kit is the standout: it's a project for the holidays and a lit-up piece of decor for her shelf after. The Night In gift set adds bookmarks so it's ready to wrap.
Is there free shipping?
Yes, shipping is free on every order. Most orders leave us within 1–3 days and arrive within 7–15 business days.
Do you have a first-order discount?
Your first order gets 25% off automatically at checkout.
Want more ideas? Browse our cozy winter gifts for women or our stocking stuffers for her under $20.