It is crunch time. Christmas is almost here, and stores are starting to sell out quickly. With the huge rush of people heading to the stores and tensions high, it is my least favorite time of the year to shop. So, if you are still looking for some gifts for readers and you don’t want to leave the house or deal with shipping, this post will have a list of some last-minute gift ideas for book lovers.
It is such a burden having to deal with in-store shopping, especially during the holiday season. People are rude, places are busy, and there is never enough of what you are looking for. I usually do online shopping to avoid all of this.
However, when we are this close to the holiday, it is nearly impossible, and really expensive, to get things delivered in time. Although same-day delivery is a thing now, it is more expensive. This is why it is so wonderful that there are so many gift options that don’t require any of this.
Thinking about gift ideas for readers, you often think about books and bookish items. But there are a lot of subscription services and online store gift cards that make great gifts. I have personal experience with everything on this list, most of it I was gifted over the years. So I can say that each of these last-minute gift ideas for book lovers will be greatly appreciated by the readers in your life.
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Updated post! Originally posted on December 22, 2022.
What are Good Last-Minute Gift Ideas?
When thinking about last-minute gifts, you need something that is easy to access, and that will arrive in time for Christmas. And if you are like me, you also want to avoid the last-minute rush of shopping.
So, when I have procrastinated a little too long during the holiday season, I tend to choose gift ideas that I can purchase online, print out, and gift. Here are some options:
- Gift cards
- Subscriptions services
- Donating to a cause important to the bookworm
- Gift a membership readers love
As you can see, there are a lot of last-minute gift ideas that don’t require any shipping or shopping, but they are still much appreciated.
Last-minute Gift Ideas for Book Lovers
Now, what you came to this post for. Here are some gift ideas for readers that you can purchase and gift without worrying about whether they will arrive in time. I have personally used every product and service on this list, they are fantastic.
1. Subscription to Literati
Gift the fun of a book club this holiday season!
Literati is a subscription service that sends you a book each month. You also get access to an app, where you can discuss the book with other readers, authors, and even celebrities. There are book clubs with Chloe Lukasiak, Roxanne Gay, and Malala.
I personally have been in Jesmyn Ward and Stephen Curry’s book club and the fantastic conversations I have had with other bookworms are irreplaceable. For a complete overview of what Literati entails, Check out this post! I talk about the different book clubs, what you get in each box, and how the app works!
You can gift 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month subscriptions. This s a great gift for a book lover who wants to read new genres and expand their reading horizons while also getting to discuss the material with other readers. Literati is a super cool service that I highly recommend.
2. Audible Gift Memberships
Do you know a book lover who loves to listen to audiobooks? Then gift them a membership to Audible, where they can get new audiobooks every month. With this membership, they get access to a wide range of audiobooks and podcasts.
This is the perfect last-minute gift idea for a book lover who always has earphones in, listening to audiobooks. Whether they are listening while cleaning, walking, or crafting, they will appreciate this gift.
You can gift Audible Gift Memberships for however many months you want. They have gift memberships in increments of 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month.
Try it for free here, to see if you want to gift it!
3. A Book Lover’s Gift Card
Gift cards are the perfect gift to buy for your book-loving friend or family member and a book lovers gift card will allow them to buy a book that suits them and their interests. It is the perfect addition to any gift list and is really easy to purchase online as a last-minute gift. Check out this Book Lover’s Gift Card from giftcards.co.uk.
4. Gift a Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan
Maybe the reader or book lover in your life doesn’t like audiobooks. Do they read a lot of ebooks? Then a fantastic gift option for them would be a membership to Kindle Unlimited.
With this service, the gift receiver will have access to a large platform of books for free for as long as their membership is activated. They will have access to ebooks, magazines, audiobooks, and more. The best part is, the receiver of a Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan will have unlimited reading. There is no cap on how many books they access like so many other services. So if they read a lot of books, this is the gift for them!
This is a fantastic gift idea for a reader who loves reading independently published books. Kindle Unlimited has both traditionally and independently published books available. With a lot of romance and paranormal stories.
Try it for free here, to see if you want to gift it!
5. Gift Card to Book Shop
If you know a reader who only enjoys physical books, a great last-minute gift would be a gift card! I know, gift cards don’t seem very personal. Trust me, I get it. I used to think the same thing. But Book Shop is different.
With this online store, the customer gets to choose an independently owned bookstore that they want to support with their purchase. You get to choose your favorite or one you wish to support out of a massive list of brick-and-mortar stores. It is a great way to support small book businesses without ever leaving your home!
You can purchase a gift card here and have it sent directly to the bookworm’s email. They have different amounts starting at $10 and going to $1000.
6. Bookish Subscription Box
One of my favorite gifts I have ever received was a Birthday gift of a 3-month subscription to OwlCrate. As someone whose love language is receiving gifts, I have always loved the idea of getting books and other bookish stuff sent to my house every month.
So, if you have a book lover just like myself, who loves books and other bookish merchandise, gift them a subscription. Most companies have gift subscriptions available in 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month increments.
There are many options based on what the book lover likes:
- OwlCrate: Young Adult, mainly Fantasy
- Book of the Month: Just a book, no extra stuff, you can choose what book you want each month
- Once Upon a Book Club: You get a book and then various wrapped gifts that correspond to the book, you open them when you get to certain pages in the story
There are so many more bookish subscription boxes available. You can find one that is perfect for any book lover!
7. Donate to a Literacy Charity in Their Name
The holidays are a great time to do some good, and help others who don’t have the same resources as some people. So another great last-minute gift idea for readers is to donate to a literacy charity in their name.
A lot of these charities have an option when you donate, to put it in a specific name. If not, simply donating and letting your loved one know which charity you supported is fantastic. This is an easy, eco-friendly (no wrapping paper, packaging, etc.), and charitable gift option!
I wrote a whole post about 5 great literacy charities you can support this holiday season! Check it out if you want some options!
Whether you are scrambling because of procrastination, or have a hard time deciding what to gift people, I hope you found some inspiration from this list of last-minute gift ideas for book lovers.
This was a lot of fun to write because I love recommending services I actually use and love. Literati and Book Shop have been some of my favorite parts of 2021, and I want to spread the word about them! They make great gifts. Take it from someone who has received a lot of these as gifts!
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