We all know bookworms. Maybe the person reading this is one! While books make great gifts for readers, well, reading is a highly personal experience. Sometimes it’s tough to pick titles! After all, everyone has their own tastes.
Luckily, books are not the only great gifts for readers. There are lots of great things to give to a reader (or to give yourself as a treat) including the following…
1. A protective book case, cover, or carrier with a storage pocket
If you’re protective of your precious library (as the writer of this article is!) then you wouldn’t dare take a book anywhere without the proper protection. Books are expensive, fragile, and precious!
If you know a reader, get him or her a protective book cover. There are some really nice models out there that can keep your books safe and protected against sun, wind, rain, and more.
Pro tip: if your book carrier has a handle, insert the book so that when the case is lifted by the hand or strap, the book slides away from it, spine-first. This will help prevent creases and frayed page edges and corners.
Also, get a book cover or case with a pocket. You’ll need that for storing the remaining essentials, when not in use.
2. A small notebook and pencil
Keep a small pencil in the pocket of your book carrier. As you’re reading, you can use the pencil to keep notes on the text in an accompanying notebook.
This is great if you’re a teacher, in a book club, or otherwise just enjoy discussing the literature you’re reading with friends, family, or other literary acquaintances. Take note of the page and passage in question and jot down your thoughts, comparisons, and observations.
Now, we’re on no conditions advocating marking up the book itself. Far from it – that’s what the notebook is for!
3. Custom bookmarks
It’s easy to lose your place if you’re not in the habit of using bookmarks. While any bookmark will do, custom bookmarks with tassels and other personalized bookmarks are best.
Why? Because they’re more visible and they add color and personality. We recommend BookMarkStore.com. They sell everything from custom bookmarks with tassels to full-color, themed, matte and high-gloss bookmarks.
(Note: they’re even better for those that have classes, are in clubs, or want to give out bookmarks are marketing tools, since they accept bulk orders.)
Skip the folded, improvised oak tag or card stock place holder. Get yourself a high-quality, personalized bookmark printed with appealing imagery that reflects your love and passions.
4. A reading light
All of us read in the dark from time to time, but not all of us have a reading light. There are specialized lights that can clip onto a book cover or spine, which are small enough to be stashed in most book carriers or covers. Get one of these and never fear reading after dark again!
5. Page anchors
While not an absolute necessity, page anchors are still nice to have and make very nice gifts for readers. They’re especially useful for readers who like to read on a table; the anchor sits at the top of the open pages and weighs them down, preventing the book from closing. They’re simple and highly convenient!
Now that you’ve gotten a break from the classic “buy books” suggestion, get out there and get some creative gifts for the readers in your life. All of the entries in this list are not only original – they’re highly useful!
