500+ Reading Gift Ideas (Under $50) 2024

Expert Tips

Your Essential Guide to Gift Shopping for Well-Read Readers

There are more people - and more bookworms - in the world than a generation ago, but now there are volumes of options for readers. Does your book lover want to unwrap a hardcover book? Is your reader an e-book convert? And what about all the non-book gifts for our beloved readers? Where do you even begin researching gifts for avid readers? Consider us your librarian in the gift section and we'll lead you to the right spot to hunting down perfect gifts for any readers.

Traditional or Digital

One of the first questions you want to ask (and sleuth out if you don’t know) is whether your reader likes the traditional hardcover or paperback books — or prefers reading e-books on a tablet.

Fave Genre

Can you pinpoint your reader’s favorite genre of book? If not, sleuth around to find out whether you should be shopping in nonfiction memoirs or fiction mysteries. A great place to start is checking your reader’s bookshelf. See if you can find their Amazon wishlist, or ask your reader’s spouse about what’s bookmarked on the nightstand.

Just Borrowing

Is your reader a generous soul when it comes to lending out good books to friends? Then think on gifts to help keep track of the back-and-forth of books (like personalized bookplates), so borrowed books make their way back.

Literary Nerd

If you can’t pinpoint a book title you know your reader will love, think on more unique gifts for readers. Your book lover would probably appreciate accessories and accents for the home that channel a literary vibe or feature a book-theme pattern.

Reading Hazards

Maybe you’ve watched her read with less-than-adequate light for a long while. Or maybe your spouse keeps you awake with a bedroom light on, and you wish he had some book light to read in bed. Think about your where your reader reads and how easy it is to see (maybe give the gift of better lighting). After all, your reader needs good eyes!

Carry All

Find out if your reader is someone who often totes books around for work or pleasure (books for school, books for the book club, books to drop off at the library). A sturdy bag or tote for carrying all those books could be a simple gift that solves problems.

Orderly Stacks

When searching for Christmas gifts for readers, think about how your reader organizes books at home. Are there book stacks and piles on shelves? Could the books use some bookends or organizing? Look for solutions to organize your reader’s collection of books.

Want gift ideas for other well-read people in your life?

Here's inspiration for other book lovers: How to Study up on Finding Gifts for a Professor You Know Get Schooled on the Best Christmas Gifts for Teachers