Every year, I say the same old thing … it’s nearly impossible to buy books for book lovers as a gift, unless they’ve specifically told you what books to get them. Because chances are? That book lover has already grabbed whatever read they’re eager to devour. (Though we WILL have a guide to some of our picks for favorite gift books for this year next week on the blog!)
But there are still PLENTY of book friendly gifts to give the book lover in your life. So let our 2017 Book Lovers Gift Guide help you shop for the reader in your life — or make a wish list of your very own. Use this as a way to get ideas for items you can shop for, and check out some of my favorite tried-and-true shops featured in the guide.
HOT TIP: Look for exclusive coupon codes throughout our guide to save while shopping!
Bookish Candles
I feel like 2017 has been the Year of the Bookish Candle. There are literally dozens of companies out there now making candles inspired by books and fandoms, and plenty of them are great. I’m going to recommend my favorite shops at the moment for you, based on customer service, product quality, and uniqueness of selection.
Flickering Tales is home to the Sarah J. Maas-approved Rhysand candle, inspired by the character from the ACOTAR series. I was in the room when SJM smelled the candle and declared it perfect! And I have to agree; I’ve bought this candle three times now because I love it so much. But Flickering Tales is also home to a plethora of amazing candles. Right now, get the limited edition Writer’s Box – featuring 5 candles themed to a writer’s life, only available for the month of November. Or check out her candles inspired by Daughter of the Pirate King, ADSOM series, or Stalking Jack the Ripper. The shop also features candles inspired by your favorite genres, plus Book Boyfriend and Book Girlfriend candles – which smell incredible.
My favorite candles from Flickering Tales? Rhysand and Book Boyfriend, hands down.
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
Wanderlights Candle Co features gorgeous location-inspired candles – plus some other book lover favorites. Their specialty is original and unique scent blends, and I’m always amazed by what they cook up. Her collection includes popular fandoms like Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Game of Thrones – as well as some cool, unexpected ones, plus generally cozy and bookish themes.
Wanderlights is also a Canadian shop – so if you live in Canada, this is a GREAT option to avoid shipping costs from the U.S. BUT if you do live in the U.S. (like me), fear not! Kelsie actually has AMAZING shipping rates to the U.S. and the costs are comparable to what you’d pay from any stateside shop. (Please note: prices listed on her website default to Canadian dollars, but there is a drop-down menu within individual listings to switch to USD.)
Right now, I’m obsessed with Wanderlights Holiday Collection, especially the Svalbard candle inspired by His Dark Materials series. But you also can’t go wrong with the cozy scent of Reading Nook, inspired by your favorite place to curl up with a good book.
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
Stubtail Candle Co is the brainchild of my friend Ali (a fellow book blogger), and she specializes in creating candles you don’t see anywhere else. Sure, she has some inspired by popular series by Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo – but she also has candles for Cora Carmack’s Roar, Marie Lu’s Warcross and Legend series, Morgan Rhodes’ Falling Kingdom, and Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On, among others.
Some of my favorites include “The Study” and “Detective” inspired by Jackaby, and the “Reading Past Bedtime” candle, which smells like lavender and clean sheets. Or nab one of her limited edition Christmas Candle Boxes, which is basically a ready-made gift.
COUPON CODE: NOVELNOVICE for 10% off
(plus a portion of proceeds go towards animal nonprofit organizations!)
Some honorable mentions should go to Flick the Wick and Three Knocks Candles, for having excellent candle offerings and good turnaround times. I’ve also loved the candles I’ve received from Wick & Fable and Reverie Library, but turnaround times can be unpredictable, so shop accordingly.
SHOP SPOTLIGHT: ICEY DESIGNS
For a one-stop shopping experience, Icey Designs has plenty of gorgeous goods to offer. I’ve been a big fan of these guys for a long time, and it shouldn’t be hard to figure out why. Their products are beautifully designed and executed, made of excellent quality materials, and the customer service can’t be beat. Orders ship out so quickly. And Hafsah, the young lady who runs the shop, is one of the nicest humans I’ve ever met. (And also insanely talented; she has a lush YA fantasy coming out soon!)
Icey Designs is home to beautiful candles, hand-lettered journals (and planners), fun and whimsical pencil sets (my favorite), and gorgeous enamel pins. You can pick out each item yourself, or go the easy route and select one of their pre-packaged gift sets for easy giving. She has items based on specific fandoms and books, as well as generally bookish items.
As of today, you can also nab one of their new monthly boxes, filled with unique candles and goodies that you can’t buy in her shop. These would make stunning gifts.
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
Book Sleeves
Okay, I admit, I was skeptical of this product when they first started showing up – but ever since I tried my first one, I’ve become a full-fledged convert. I bought my first one with travel in mind, and that’s still probably the #1 best reason to use these – to keep books safe in bags and luggage while traveling.
But I also love having them to keep books safe when running out to the coffee shop or to book signings, or wherever I’m headed and want to bring a book along. It keeps my book protected from the elements (I live in Oregon; I walk through the rain a lot) and from getting banged up in my bag.
There are lots of shops to choose from, but my favorite is The Cozy Life Shop. In addition to shopping their restocks, you can also order custom “cozies” with fabric of your own choosing – although you may not be able to order a custom until January right now. Follow the shop on Instagram for updates on restocks!
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
SHOP SPOTLIGHT: ENCHANTED FANDOM
If you’ve dipped your toes even a little bit into the #bookstagram community, you know there is a thing called #SockSunday. And you’ve probably discovered a love of coffee, tea, and other hot drinks. So it goes without saying that fun socks and fandom-inspired mugs are a big hit with the reading crowd. (After all, how else are you supposed to get warm and cozy for a day of reading?)
Enchanted Fandom is the perfect place to one-stop-shop for these goodies and more. The shop is home to cozy socks with hilarious sayings on the bottom of the feet, and mugs (and wine glasses and shot glasses and other drinkware) inspired by being a nerd in general, as well as specific fandoms. (Tamlin’s Tears shot glasses, anyone?) My personal favorite is the Harry Potter-inspired wine glass that says, “I Solemnly Swear I Am About to Have a Drink.” It even includes footprints like you’d see on the Marauder’s Map!
Enchanted Fandom also has a monthly subscription box catering to multiple fandoms every month, and you can find one-time boxes in their Etsy shop along with all of the aforementioned goodies – or head to their website if you want to look into a regular subscription.
COUPON CODE: FANDOMFAN for 15% off
(Coupon valid only at Enchanted Fandom’s Etsy Shop)
Journals & Stationery
Book lovers, journal junkies, and writers alike have a tendency to hoard journals like they’re going out of style. (Or is that just me? No? Good.) So naturally, journals make an excellent gift. Aside from the offerings mentioned above at Icey Designs, The Inked Page is home to insanely affordable journals with a variety of customization options.
The shop boasts a large selection of covers to choose from already (with new ones joining the rotation often), plus your choice of paper inserts: plain, lined, dotted, planner, or scrapbook pages. Right now, there are even some adorable holiday themed covers in the shop – including some really charming Harry Potter ones.
But take note! The Inked Page will be closing for the year on December 1st, so get your journal orders in while you can!
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
Bookish Jewelry
For book lovers who also love a little bling, why not pick out the perfect bit of bookish-inspired jewelry. Plenty of shops abound that feature fun pieces – try Elissa J. Designs or When Melissa Reads for classic pieces inspired by your favorite books.
More unique offerings can be found at Aspiring ArtistA, where you can find stunning key necklaces wrapped in wires and charms to show off different themes and fandoms. What’s more, if you don’t see exactly what you want listed in the shop, Aimee is happy to take custom requests for the perfect gift. I have several of these necklaces now, and honestly, photos do not do them justice. They are so stunning in person, and are so different from anything else I own – they are always a statement piece. Plus, Aimee has extended a killer coupon code for you to use:
COUPON CODE: BLACKFRIDAY for 20% off
SHOP SPOTLIGHT: BOOKMARK’D TATTOOS
For a fun stocking stuffer or gift add-on that’s unexpected and whimsical, why not give some bookish temporary tattoos? Bookmark’d Tattoos is home to some amazing and gorgeously designed temporary tattoos, all inspired by books or a general love of reading.
I’ve been weirdly obsessed with temporary tattoos since I was a kid, and though I have no actual tattoos, I’m still really enamored with temporary ones – and especially so when it comes to those available at Bookmark’d Tattoos. The designs cover a range of fandoms, and are super affordable.
Love the designs but not sure about temporary tattoos? Many of Katie’s creations can also be found on a variety of fun products in her Society 6 shop – including totes, mugs, and pillows.
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
(Coupon only valid on the Etsy shop, but check Society 6’s website for savings over there!)
Bookmarks Galore
I’m a firm believer that one can never have too many bookmarks. I mean, for practicality reasons, sometimes you need more than one: what if you’re reading multiple books at once? What if you lose one? What if you want to mark the page of a particularly compelling passage? And for other reasons, they’re just beautiful and fun to collect. (And unlike other items, collecting a bunch of bookmarks doesn’t take up a ton of storage space!)
There are SO MANY shops out there offering beautiful bookmark designs – AND there’s the on-going debate over magnetic versus traditional bookmark styles. Personally, I prefer traditional bookmarks, though the mangetic ones are super cute. Fortunately, my favorite bookmark shop, Dreamy & Co, offers beautiful designs in both options.
COUPON CODE: NOVEL10 for 10% off
at Dreamy & Co
For some Hogwarts House pride, check out the wonderful designs from Ptchew (and nab one of her sweet felt House badge pins while you’re at it). International friends can shop at Kingdom of Stories for gorgeous bookmarks that ship from Europe. (This shop also ships to the U.S.!)
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HAPPY SHOPPING!
Tune in next week for our guide to the best gift books for 2017!
Novel Novice 
This is really good! I follow you on Instagram and just now got to looking at your blog. Super cute and I love this idea. I just looked at Icey Designs and I’m very interested in their Into The Fold box. Thanks for posting!
Ah, thanks!