Are you struggling to get yourself or a reader in your life a gift that isn’t just another book? I understand the feeling. After a while, a book can start feeling like a repeat gift. As much as we readers love our books, we want something different, and that can add value to our reading experience. Many of us have created a special curated space where we can put to rest our daily life and escape to our world of books. For many, it is called a reading nook or book nook, where you read outside the reach of the rest of the world.
This holiday season, instead of giving only books, consider thoughtful items that can complete a book nook. The key to the perfect book nook is making a cozy, inviting space every book lover dreams of relaxing in. Whether it’s a bookish blanket, pillow, map, decor, or reading light, each contributes to a magical reading escape. I encourage you to break out of the usual gift routine — choose from the nine recommended gifts to help create a book lover-approved book nook, and give the reader in your life a truly memorable holiday gift.
Bookshelf Decor
To start off your holiday gift shopping, look into buying decorations for a bookshelf as a place to start. A reader’s bookshelf is unique to them and can give you the spark of comfort that can come from reading. Bookshelves to a reader are like a piece of art that you like to show off to others, your reading style, and your interests. Pieces of decor include bookends, book inserts, book vases, candles, and, of course, little battery-powered lights. All these pieces of decor are perfect for any bookworm and will add a little personality to any book nook.
One item that is a must-have for bookshelf decor is the A Court of Thorns and Roses book silhouettes that stick in between your books to add a little design to your shelves. Bookshelf Decor like the ones mentioned above can be found at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, The Bookish Shop, and Etsy, and can go along with any popular series you like. So get creative and get a gift that adds personality to a bookshelf and book nook.
Reading Pillows
An item that no reader can live without is a comfortable pillow, which is the foundation of the perfect reading experience. Pillows are the item that every book nook needs to get a reader comfortable and able to sit for hours on end to escape into reading. While pillows might be the generic gift that everyone gets, they mean more to a reader and can be a part of a warm, inviting reading room.
However, not all pillows are seen in the same light, and one of the ideal pillows for a book nook is a pillow designed with a backrest cushion. This pillow is specifically designed to have a comfortable and cozy feel with supportive arms and a backrest. Allow this gift to put you at ease, sitting with the pillow, and be able to sit for hours, escaping into the world inside your books. This pillow or other back pillows can be found on Amazon and Etsy that can be specially designed towards any book or color that you would like. Deliver a world of comfort to the reader in your life with this reading pillow as a gift.
Cozy Reading Blankets
In addition to reading pillows, every reader’s nook needs a cozy reading blanket that can keep you warm during the winter season. With different designs and textures, you can always get the perfect blanket for the space. Cozy blankets are a part of the perfect recipe for a reader and can make or break your reading experience. Blankets can provide extra warmth and coziness in the life of the reader and can be a part of the decoration of your space. Make sure to get a fluffy, soft blanket that is bound to feel homey and warm all year round.
Add a little extra spark in your life by buying a book-designed blanket that can be as subtle or as decorative as you want. You can pick up your cozy reading blanket at Amazon, Etsy, and The Bookish Shop. Blankets can be a perfect gift for anyone and can bring the relaxing atmosphere of a book nook to life.
Book Reading Light
Prepare to light up your readers’ nightly reading routine with a book reading light. Book reading lights can range from clip-ons, standing lights, little light figures from books, and actual book lights. Book lights have the power to bring a sense of warmth and light to a book nook while adding a little something special. These book lights can sit closed on a shelf to look like a book, or they can open to light up the shelf or space. With different settings and colors, you are bound to keep your reading experience interesting.
You can find book reading lights from Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, the Bookish Shop, and Etsy. Choose the book light that speaks to you or your reader and give them the chance to read in the shadows at night in their own personal space.
Fantasy Book Maps
Bring a little piece of your reader’s books to life with Fantasy Book Maps. Book maps can be made from any fantasy book and can add a bit of fantasy to their book nook. Instead of having basic prints or fan art, a book map can have you thinking up your own stories and allow you to fall back into your reading with ease. Book maps are something that readers hold close to their hearts and something that we go crazy over seeing inside our books. With the ability to place it on our walls and inside our special space, it brings the magical world of books to life.
Fantasy book maps can be found on Amazon and Etsy. Designs can carry across different fantasy fandoms and bring to life the lands that many hold dear to them.
Special Edition Books
While I said no books in the beginning, special edition books are a different type of book and, therefore, a different type of gift. Special edition books can make any beloved book feel extra special and not so ordinary. In fact, many readers have different copies of their favorite books so that if one gets damaged or if they are a notetaker, their book still has an untouched copy to read.
Special edition books can be any book that has sprayed edges, a newly designed cover, bonus content, or even painted edges of characters or a scene. Each special edition is unique in its own right and can bring the love of the fandom to its cover. Shops like Etsy, The Bookish Shop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million carry a multitude of special edition books to cater to any reader. Be sure to grab a special edition book and add a pop of color and style to a book nook or bookshelf.
Book Nook Kits
Bring to life your reader’s bookshelf and book nook with a mini Book Nook Kit. These book nook kits are customizable, little kits that you put together to create charming miniature worlds inside books that reflect your style. Enhance your reading nook and transform the space into a cozy haven. Book Nook Kits can be DIY or bought to fit any little world you can think of. Not only is the unique design beautiful to look at, but it is also enjoyable to put together.
Book nook kits or DIY supplies can be bought from Amazon, Books-A-Million, and Michaels. Unleash your bookworm’s inner artist and allow them to craft their own unique display to make a more whimsical reading area.
Book Holders
Holding a book in your hands can, at times, become tiresome and feel like a chore. Every reader feels the pain of holding a hardback book late at night when you are reading, and one way that you can alleviate the hand pain is with a book holder. Book holders can hold your book for you, keeping your hands open and free from cramping. Book holders of any style and size can add a little something unique to a book nook. Much like the one from The Bookish Shop, they can be designed for a certain book or be other bookish designs.
Book holders can range in any size and can be a statement piece or a little something special for any bookshelf/reader nook. Book holders can be used for almost any book at any time of day and can be used for everyday use. You can find book holders at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Etsy, Books-A-Million, and The Bookish Shop. This is the perfect gift for readers who find themselves reading a lot of hardback books and want to alleviate the hand pain that comes with being a reader.
Candle Warmers
The final gift that is perfect for any bookworm’s book nook is candle warmers. Candle warmers can be used as a reading lamp or for their intended use of warming a candle. Perfectly designed to bring the scents to life, these candle warmers add an exceptional piece of style and a sense of welcoming to a reader’s nook. Paired with a scene-setting book candle, candle warmers can make a space feel like the space inside of a reader’s book.
This gift can be versatile and offers a variety of designs to fit just about anyone. Allow your reader to set the scene in their reader’s nook without lighting the candle, but rather warming it to keep the space feeling relaxed and not overpowered by the candle. Shops that offer these candle warmers are Amazon and Etsy. Give your bookworm the chance to preserve their candles and purchase a candle warmer to make their reader’s nook more inviting and homey.
A reader’s book nook or reading nook is where a reader can come to life and enjoy their hobby to the full extent. Take part in this holiday season in creating the perfect book nook for your book lover. Put down the never-ending book list on their Christmas must-haves and surprise them with a gift they will never forget. Gifting a book nook essential item is more than just a gift, but rather an investment in a small space full of wonder.
Want to learn more about gifts for the perfect book nook? Click here.
Find books to get to read in your cozy book nook on our Holiday Romances Perfect for Sparking Magical Connections shelf on Bookshop.org.
