Keep the book club discussion lively with a prompting card game.
Splurge on a special cover or deluxe edition, like this illustrated copy of "Catching Fire" that doubles as a coffee table book.

Holiday gift shopping for the booklovers in your life is deceivingly tricky – buying one of this year’s biggest bestsellers seems like a safe bet, but what if they already have it?

If you’re confident of your pal’s shelf status, take our Best Books of the Year list to your local bookstore and shop your way through 2025’s standout stories.

But I’d argue that books aren’t always the best gift to give a booklover. There are plenty of creative accessories that’ll supplement their reading routine and give them space to whittle down that never-ending TBR list. Gift them cozy blankets and reading lights to curl up with during the chilly season. Send them on a personalized tour to the setting of their favorite series. Even a subscription goes a long way to let your reader know you want to celebrate them.

Gifts for book lovers

Whether you're spending $10 or $100, there’s a little something for every reader on this highly customizable list. Here’s what we recommend gifting the well-read people in your life:

A game to play with their book club

Bonding Over Books is $24.99 and includes over 100 thoughtful questions like “Assign a character to each member of your group” and “Were you able to judge the book by its cover?” This game is sure to spark discussion at book club.

Deluxe edition of their favorite book

Some readers are content to borrow from the library, while others are collectors. Many readers are both. What better way to show how well you know them than to get a special edition of their favorite book? This could be a new cover design on a classic, a first edition from eBay or an illustrated edition, like these new “Hunger Games” hardcovers.

Bookish subscriptions

Let them choose their next read with a gift card to a local bookstore or bookish subscription. An annual Book of the Month subscription will keep them well-read all year, plus you’ll get brownie points for the free hat included. If they’re an audiobook listener, gift them a membership to platforms like Audible, Libro.fm or Spotify, which allows audiobook listening hour “top-ups” for members.

Acrylic book vases

I was gifted one of these acrylic book vases from a friend and guests ask about it all the time. It's the perfect addition to any bookshelf. Biblio Bloom sells them for $29.95 and has several book options, from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” to “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Plus, they’re running a 20% off holiday sale (including a free literary bookmark with purchase) through Dec. 15.

Trip to visit the setting of their favorite book

If you’re looking for a big-ticket item, give your booklover the trip of a lifetime to tour the setting of their favorite series. EF Ultimate Break is hosting a new series of BookTok-themed tours across the globe, including a “Fourth Wing”-inspired trip through Scotland and Ireland, a “Percy Jackson” tour of Cairo, Athens and Rome, a Switzerland trek inspired by “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and a Croatian cruise based on “People We Meet on Vacation.”

Bookish shirts and sweatshirts

If you know your giftee’s favorite author, you may be able to scout some book-specific merch on their website. But if you want something more general, we like these sweatshirts from The Bookish Goods. Or how about socks that say “Book Daddy” or a shirt repping the "Banned Book Club"? You can find genre sweatshirts and quippy tees on the merch shop of the “Books That Changed My Life” podcast.

Custom book embosser

Upgrade their libraries with a book embosser or stamp. You can customize these embossers to read “From the library of” or “This book belongs to” and your loved one’s name. Options from My Pickled Stamp run from $18.50 to $31.50.

Romance trope hats

Know a reader who loves love? Gift them one of these romance trope hats from 831 Stories. At $35 each, they have all the classics like “Holiday Romance,” “Forced Proximity,” “Enemies to Lovers,” and “Second Chance Romance.” We know the romance readers in your life will swoon over the colors and dreamy cursive design.

Floating bookshelves

No matter what genre they’re into, every self-identifying reader has the problem of too many books and too little space. Solve that issue this holiday season by gifting them floating bookshelves to store their novels. You can get basic ones from Amazon for $25.87 or try these rustic wooden shelves from Etsy – bonus points if you help them set it up.

Bookish candles

For the reader who eats, sleeps and breathes books, gift a candle designed with their favorite title in mind. We like these literary classics candles from Noble Objects for $38 or the fandom-specific ones from Briarwick, which specializes in candles that smell like your favorite “book boyfriend.” They even have a set of candles based on the boys of “A Court of Thorns and Roses.”

Reading journals

Reading journals can help keep track of new books and reflect on beloved ones. Give the book lovers in your life a head start on next year’s goal with a reading journal. It can be as simple as a blank notebook, or try one of these predesigned options available at Barnes & Noble – “A Clockwork Reader Reading Journal” or “The No-Pressure Book Journal.” I have this journal from Papier; whimsical in design and practical in function.

Literature-inspired tea

Get your favorite reader a tea blend that reminds them of their comfort books. NovelTeas sells punny blends inspired by classics – check out “Pride and Peppermint,” “War and Peach” and “The Picture of Earl Grey.” Or, from Uncommon Goods, buy your bookworm the “Book Lover’s Tea Collection Gift Box.” This is the perfect gift for readers who like to curl up with a mug and their nose in a book.

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazing gifts for readers that go beyond books

Reporting by Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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