12 best Christmas gifts for book lovers for people who love to read

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

This quirky light from Pooky doubles up as a lovely reading lamp. As with all the brand’s offerings, you can choose from a wide range of patterns for the shade, with this marble colourway being bang on trend for 2022. Its main draw, however, is its portability due to the rechargeable design, meaning you can set up shop whenever you are in the house, with up to 10 hours of use. We also love the elegant brass base that feels like it has come straight out of an old library. There are also three dimming settings.

Best: Reading challenge

Rating: 8/10

Those that like a challenge or want to broaden their reading horizons will love this scratch-off poster from The Literary Gift Company. Get inspired to delve into a varied range of fiction, non fiction, contemporary and 20th-century tomes, as well as classics – simply rub off each panel once the book is read to reveal a hidden image. There’s plenty to get stuck into, from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho to James Joyce’s Ulysses and Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It also makes for nice wall art.

Best: For cocktail connoisseurs

Rating: 9/10

An ideal gift for the cocktail and literary obsessed, this fun recipe book features 65 very tempting drink concoctions paired with wry commentary on infamous novels. From “The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose” to “Love in the Time of Kahlua”, Federle’s witty notes are paired with inventive and delicious tipples – and even if they don’t make them, they’ll devour the book in one sitting with its quirky illustrations and punchy writing.

Best: Collector’s item

Rating: 9/10

This Folio Society edition of Maya Agelous’s seminal memoir I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings features artist Shabazz Larkin’s beautiful binding design and enthralling illustrations that capture key moments in the book. Written in 1969, Angelou’s emotive account of her childhood in the segregated deep South of America recounts poverty, racism, community, and burgeoning womanhood, with this limited edition also including an introduction by novelist Tayari Jones that explains the lasting significance of the memoir. Folio’s editions of The Color Purple (£39. 95, Foliosociety.com), The Great Gatsby (£39.95) and The Handmaid’s Tale (£44.95, Foliosociety.com) would also make charming gifts.

Best: For audiophiles

Rating: 8/10

Whether you’re on a walk, commuting or even just washing up, audiobooks are a great companion. Amazon’s Audible library contains a vast collection of recorded tomes, spanning memoirs, non fiction, novels, poetry and plenty more. You can gift a subscription for one, three months or six months, with the membership including one credit a month for a book of their choice, unlimited listening to the Plus Catalogue and access to thousands of Audible Originals and podcasts. For some laughs, we’d recommend the recently released podcast From the Oasthouse by Alan Partridge, or use up a credit on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s excellently narrated novel Half of the Yellow Sun.

Best: Wall art

Rating: 9/10

One of our favourite affordable print companies, King & McGaw, offers a charming collection of Penguin book cover prints, including this A Room of One’s Own design. The replica is a homage to Virginia Woolf’s 1929 feminist polemic for women’s financial and intellectual freedom – making it a thoughtful gift for any devotee of the author. To help preserve the precise detailing and original dimensions of the cover, the design contains a small white border. The high-quality print comes mounted in your choice of frame; black stained ash, natural oak, grey ash or white satin. King & McGaw’s collection caters for a wide range of literary tastes, too, from F Scott Fitzgerald to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and many more – so you’re bound to find something in there for a loved one.

Best: Statement bookend

Rating: 8/10

You may have seen this coveted piece all over your Instagram feed and it also earned a spot in our best bookends review. While pricey, it makes for an impressive gift. It comes from Copenhagen-based design duo Wang & Soderstrom, which specialises in 3D printed sculptural objects and unique moulded stoneware. The ceramic boulder is weighty and supportive enough for a number of books, making it functional while adding some Scandi flair to your recipient’s shelves.

Best: Ereader

Rating: 9/10

While nothing can beat the feel of real pages, the Kindle paperwhite comes close. There are plenty of benefits to opting for an ereader, whether its their portability, storage or low-price books, and Amazon’s Kindles are top of the range. This latest paperwhite boasts a waterproof design, twice as much storage as its predecessor, access to books, magazines, comics and audiobooks through its Bluetooth connectivity, as well as week-long battery life and a backlight with adjustable temperature for reading day into night. For those wanting endless tomes at their fingertips for prices as low as 99p, Amazon’s ereader is the answer.

Best: Literary subscription

Rating: 8/10

Ideal for those who not only like delving into books but also the literary world surrounding them, this London Review of Books subscription includes the magazine’s latest print issue delivered every two weeks. Your giftee will also enjoy unlimited access to the entire LRB online archive and the latest issues via its app. The magazine caters for anyone with a passion for literature, politics, history, philosophy, poetry and biography, and also features opinion pieces on the arts. Doing much more than just reviewing, the LRB uses books as a jumping-off point for exploring the world. A Christmas gift that keeps on giving, your recipient will receive 12 issues for £12 over six months, as well as a complementary LRB 2022 calendar.

Best: Reading accompaniment

Rating: 9/10

There’s nothing like getting cosy with a book come evening, especially around the holiday period. And if you want to gift something that’s a step-up from your run-of-the-mill throw, then may we suggest a weighted blanket. Designed to offer comfort and relaxation, this one from Mela contours to your body and creates a cocooning effect, with the glass pellet composition creating pressure. Whether bundled up on the sofa or wrapped up in bed, it will be your recipient’s new favourite reading accompaniment.

Read our full review of the Mela weighted blanket

Best: Bath reading accessory

Rating: 8/10

Know someone who loves to read in the bath? Help them avoid soggy books with this rack from Dunelm. Crafted from natural, hard-wearing bamboo, it boasts a metal stand to elevate your book, while the extendable design leaves plenty of room for bathing essentials, from salts and candles to a well-deserved glass of wine at the end of the day.

Best: Budget bookshelf

Rating: 8/10

A practical and cute gift for any lover of literature, this compact bookshelf is a thoughtful choice for anyone battling overflowing collections in a small living space. Easily attached to your wall with two nails, the design’s sturdy, especially considering it’s only £12. The metal frame is inlaid with a 40 x 14 x 24cm wooden shelf that can also be a home to plants, candles, trinkets and more.