The best Christmas gifts for book lovers suit the season: a few slow days off, a pile of new books and time to read them. A good book light. A bookshop gift card. A personalised book embosser that marks every book on their shelf as theirs.
We've grouped 17 ideas by budget, from stocking fillers up to $25 / £20 to a few splurges. Five are ours, and we say plainly who each one suits. You'll find the rest in most bookshops and gift shops. If you're shopping for a birthday or an anniversary instead, our best gifts for book lovers list works all year round.
Our prices are shown in US dollars and pounds. If you browse from Canada, Australia or Europe, the shop shows prices in your own currency.
Ordering a personalised gift? See when to order for Christmas.
Stocking fillers and Secret Santa gifts for book lovers, up to $25 / £20
Small, useful stocking fillers (stocking stuffers, in the US) and office Secret Santa gifts. Prices for other shops' products vary, so we've grouped them by what they usually cost.
1. A rechargeable clip-on book light
For long winter evenings, and for reading in bed without keeping anyone else awake. Look for one that charges by USB and has a warm, amber setting, which is gentler late at night than a cold white light. Check the clip opens wide enough for a thick hardback.
2. An annotation kit
Sticky tabs, a soft pencil and a gel highlighter, which is less likely to bleed through thin pages. Plenty of readers now mark up their books as they go. A small kit in a pouch is a stocking filler that gets used before New Year.
3. A thumb page holder
A small wooden ring that sits on the thumb and holds a paperback open with one hand. It costs very little and earns its place on trains, in queues and in the bath.
4. A book-themed tree ornament
A glass or wooden ornament shaped like a stack of books or a tiny bookshelf. It goes on the tree every December, and they will remember who gave it.
5. A candle that smells of old books
Several small candle makers now do a "library" or "old books" scent. Choose one in a tin if it's going in a stocking. Glass jars and wrapping paper don't always get along.
6. An Extra Design Clip, for someone who already has our embosser
$25 / £18.50. If they already own a Stamped Pages embosser, the Extra Design Clip is a second engraved brass clip that slots into the handle they have. They can swap seals without tools: one for novels, one for cookbooks, one for the children's shelf. Like the embosser, it is made from a proof you approve. It's the clip only, made to fit a Stamped Pages handle.
Christmas gifts for book lovers from $25 to $65 / £20 to £50
The middle of the list, where most Christmas presents sit. Two of these are ours.
7. A personalised book embosser with a winter seal
US$49 / £37. Our custom book embosser is a hand-held press with a solid brass plate, engraved with their name, initials or a seal you choose. One press leaves a raised mark on the title page or front endpaper, with no ink. They can press the books they unwrap on Christmas morning. Pick from our library of seals, including seasonal designs such as Winterberry Wreath, Snowbound and First Snow Robin. Or describe your own idea and we will draft it.
It comes with 50 gold stickers and a travel case.
Best for anyone who lends books, keeps a home library, or is just starting one.
8. The Gift Set, ready to give
$70.99 / £54.95. Our embosser comes in its book-shaped keepsake box with a ribbon and gold foil details, plus 200 gold seal stickers, a travel case and a personalised metal bookmark. It is ready to hand over as it arrives, so there is no rewrapping on Christmas Eve. Choose the Gift Set.
When to order a personalised gift for Christmas
Each embosser is made to order. You approve the proof of your design, then we engrave a brass plate to match. That takes a little longer than something picked from a warehouse shelf, so it pays to order early.
Our shipping policy says each custom embosser is typically crafted within 3 business days. Delivery then takes 3 to 7 business days, depending on where it's going. Shipping is free on every order. Expedited shipping options are available at checkout. Orders placed after 12:00 PM Pacific time are processed the next business day.
We will add the last order dates for each country here in November.
Christmas is a busy time for every carrier, so order as early as you can. Check names and spellings before you approve the proof. If you spot a mistake after ordering, tell us within 1 hour of purchase. Left it late? The last-minute gifts further down arrive by email.
More gifts from $25 to $65 / £20 to £50
9. A Christmas Eve book box
In Iceland, books are given on Christmas Eve, a tradition called Jólabókaflóð, the Christmas book flood. Borrow the idea. Wrap a new book with something warm to drink and hand it over on the 24th.
10. Heavy bookends
Light metal bookends slide, and then the whole shelf leans. Stone, cast iron or solid wood with a felt base will hold a row of hardbacks upright.
11. Thick reading socks
Good wool socks, for the reader whose feet are cold by page fifty. Merino or a wool blend is soft and warm, and less itchy than rough wool. Give two pairs, so one can be in the wash.
Splurge gifts, over $65 / £50
For a partner, a parent, or the friend who taught you to love reading.
12. Two seals for one household
$74 / £55.50 together. One custom book embosser plus an Extra Design Clip, so the household gets two engraved seals that share one handle. One for each partner, or one for novels and one for cookbooks. The clip slots in without tools, and each seal is made from a proof you approve.
13. An e-reader
Even devoted paper readers tend to like one for holidays and late nights. Kindle and Kobo both make models with a built-in light. If they borrow e-books from the library, check which library apps the model supports where they live.
14. A special edition of a book they love
An illustrated or clothbound edition of a favourite novel, from a publisher such as The Folio Society, or a signed copy from an independent bookshop. This is the one book on their shelf not to emboss. Not sure which book? Look for the most battered copy they own.
15. A wool throw for the reading chair
A proper wool throw, heavy enough to stay on the knees through a long chapter. It turns any armchair into a reading chair.
Last-minute Christmas gifts for book lovers
If it is too late to order something personalised, these still make it in time, because they arrive by email.
16. A Stamped Pages digital gift card
Choose the amount. Our digital gift card is delivered by email straight away, or on a date you choose, so it arrives on Christmas Day. They design their own seal, with their own wording. It works across the whole range, including embossers, extra design clips and accessories. It's also the safest choice if you're not sure of their taste.
17. A bookshop gift card
In the UK and Ireland, a National Book Token can be spent in hundreds of bookshops, and you can send it as an e-gift card by email. In the US, Bookshop.org gift cards are sent by email and can be scheduled for a set date. Bookshop.org says a portion of every sale goes to independent bookstores.
Which gift suits which reader?
| If they... | Try |
|---|---|
| Lend books and want them back | A personalised book embosser |
| Read in bed | A clip-on book light |
| Mark up every page | An annotation kit |
| Already own our embosser | An Extra Design Clip |
| Are hard to pin down | A digital gift card, so they design their own seal |
| Teach, or run a school library | Our gifts for librarians and teachers |
| Collect first editions | Our gifts for serious book collectors |
A few questions worth answering
Is a book embosser a good Christmas gift?
Yes, for most readers. It's personal without being fussy, and it gets used every time a new book comes into the house, including the ones they unwrap on Christmas Day. It needs no ink and takes up no shelf space. If you're not sure what they'd want on it, send the digital gift card and let them design it.
How long does a custom embosser take?
Each embosser is made to order. You approve the proof of your design, then we engrave the brass plate. Our shipping policy says custom embossers are typically crafted within 3 business days, and delivery takes 3 to 7 business days depending on where you are. Expedited shipping is available at checkout. Before you order, see when to order for Christmas, above.
What should the seal say?
Keep it short. "From the library of" with a name is the classic. A family surname works for a household gift, and initials suit a seal with a border. Our guide to library stamp wording ideas has plenty more, from a line of Latin to a polite request to bring the book back.
Will an embosser damage their books?
Not on everyday books. It raises the paper rather than cutting it, and the title page or front endpaper is the usual spot. It works best on paper between about 80gsm and 300gsm. Thin paperback pages and glossy coated card don't take an impression as well. Leave signed, rare or valuable copies unmarked. Our post on whether embossing is safe for rare books explains why.
I've left it too late. What now?
Send a digital gift card. It's delivered by email straight away, or on the day you choose, and they can design their own seal in the new year.
Where do they read?
Picture their favourite reading spot. A book light for reading in bed. A wool throw for a cold armchair. Heavy bookends for a shelf where the books lean. A seal of its own for a growing home library. For ideas that work beyond December, see our best gifts for book lovers guide.