10 Last Minute Book Gifts The Reader in Your Life Won’t Want to Put Down

Finding the perfect book gift seems easy – you can just stop by and pick up a new read, right? – but it can actually be surprisingly difficult. This article is for anyone who popped into a bookstore to buy a gift and found themselves standing before a shelf of new releases with no idea where to go from there.

Luckily, you don’t have to know exactly what your favorite reader’s taste in books is to get them an awesome book gift, even at the last minute. We’ve searched high and low for the best book-adjacent presents out there, so buckle up! Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on our list: 

• Ways to a simple book into a fabulous gift
• Odds and ends your bookish friend would love to have in their reading nook
• Practical books gifts that will upgrade their personal library

So let’s get to it!

1. Text a Gift Card

Help Them Add to Their TBR – Without Picking Out Any Books Yourself

Text or email a digital gift card in just a few clicks

If you’re not sure what book to gift the reader in your life, why not let them pick out one for themselves? The best way to make sure you give them something they’re truly excited to read is to put the choice in their hands with a gift card.

Luckily, you don’t have to settle for old school gift cards. GiftYa gives gift cards an upgrade. Choose from thousands of local and national brands. You can customize your gift with a photo or short video clip – if you have a boomerang of them with their nose in a book, this is the perfect time to break it out! Round out your present with a personalized message, then send it off to be delivered immediately or schedule it for any date and time you choose.

But GiftYa isn’t just easy to send, it’s easy to use, too. Your recipient can redeem their gift right from their phone like a traditional e-gift code, or they can link it to a card they carry with them everyday anyway. When they make a purchase at the qualifying brand, their gift balance will automatically be applied until it is used up. And if they don’t love the gift you send them (not likely!) they can re-gift or exchange their balance for another brand in just a few clicks.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few of our favorite options in the catalog to get you started:

• Text a Barnes & Noble gift card so that they can choose a title from millions of new releases, signed and special editions, ebooks and audiobooks, and more
• Buy a Target gift card so they can rack up the savings with Target’s discounts on new releases and bestsellers
• Send an Amazon gift card so they can order their next read for delivery in two days flat

Not feeling the digital options? You can always customize a physical Visa gift card for your favorite reader with Gift Card Granny’s build a card feature, too. Just choose a photo of one of your favorite memories together for the front, add a personal message, and a physical card is on its way.

2. Bookmarks

The Perfect One-Stop or DIY Book Gift

Every reader needs a bookmark. Whether they already have a collection of nice ones or they just grab whatever is on hand – receipts, post it notes, napkins – to mark their page, a bookmark is a thoughtful gift for any reader. 

Stop into your local bookstore, and you should have plenty of bookmark options to choose from. But you can also take a DIY approach and make your own bookmark if you’re feeling creative. Consider decorating with clip art or original doodles of their favorite literary characters, or some quotes you think are meaningful.

Here are a few quote ideas to get you started:

• “The more you read, the more things you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Suess
• “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King
• “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” – Ernest Hemingway

3. Book of the Month Subscription

New Books Delivered to Their Doorstep Every Month

As a kid, the mail you get is fun – birthday cards, toy catalogs. But as an adult, fun pieces of mail are few and far in between. When you sign the reader in your life up for a Book of the Month subscription, they can look forward to a book on their doorstep every month.

Book of the Month has been around since 1926, but it’s gotten a major upgrade since its early days. Here’s how it works – the staff at Book of the Month selects 5 titles every month from a variety of genres. Selections often include contemporary fiction, thrillers, fantasy, nonfiction, and romance books. Members can select one with their subscription – but if they can’t pick just one, they can add on additional books for a small fee. 

Not to mention, the Book of the Month shop has plenty of other bookish gifts – like book-themed socks and a tote bag with a built-in book pocket so they can carry their latest read wherever they go. 

4. Blind Date with a Book

Pair a Surprise Book with a Bundle of Goodies for the Ultimate GIft

Blind dates with people can be stressful, but a blind date with a book is always awesome. You can order a bundle online if you have some time to wait for a gift to ship – there are plenty of options on Etsy based on different genres. But you can also take the DIY approach. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A basket or bag for your gift
• A wrapped book with a few hints written on the packaging
• An assortment of small gifts related to the book

5. Cozy Beverages

Give Your Reader Something to Sip While They Dive Into Their Next Book

Don’t want to gift an actual book? Not to worry – there are plenty of other gifts any reader would appreciate. And nothing pairs with a good book quite like a cozy beverage. This can be simple – a mug and some tea packets picked up from the grocery store – or more elaborate – like literary inspired coffee and teas.

GiftYa Recommends: Complete the gift when you text a Dunkin gift card, send a Caribou coffee gift card, or select your local coffee shop from the GiftYa catalog.

6. Book Themed Candles

Help Them Set the Ambiance for a Cozy Reading Night

Picture a cozy night of reading – maybe it’s storming outside.  Your favorite reader is curled up with a good book,  a mug of tea, and a soft blanket. And flickering on the table beside them? A candle.

Candles are a great option for an easy last minute gift. Whether you stop by your local home goods store to grab a classic vanilla scent or you order candles inspired by their favorite books, your reader will appreciate it.

7. A “Book” Bag

Turn Their Favorite Tome Into a Cool Accessory

Most readers have a stockpile of bags that can carry around their favorite books – most likely, some spacious canvas totes. So why not get them an accessory that’s more of a statement piece for when they need a more formal getup? These bags are designed to look like the covers of famous books, from 1984 to Alice in Wonderland. 

Any reader will love to have an accessory that doubles as a conversation starter on their favorite subject – books!

8. Personal Library Kit

Make Sure The Books They Lend Out Always Make it Home

There’s nothing readers love more than sharing their favorite stories with their favorite people. But sending your books out into the world can be nerve wracking – what if someone dog ears the pages or takes a highlighter to them? What if a drink spills on your book, or even worse, they never remember to give your book back at all?

This Personal Library Kit helps keep that worst case scenario from happening. With pockets that stick right into the front cover of any books they’re lending out, they can stamp the card with the borrower’s name and check out date to help encourage them to return the book before too long. 

9. TBR Cards

Picking Their Next Read Has Never Been Easier

Ask any reader about their to-be-read (TBR) pile, and they’re sure to talk your ear off with a long list of titles. Even if they’ve picked out plenty of books they want to read, choosing which one to read next can be a challenge. That’s where TBR cards come in! They have various prompts on them to help you reader pick out their next book.

You can also take the DIY approach on this one with these printable TBR cards, or you could even make them up yourself.

10. Bookshelf Diorama Kit

Add Some Pizzazz to Their Bookshelf

Readers take great pride in having beautifully organized, well-stocked book shelves. Take a tour of your favorite reader’s shelves, and you’ll see books (of course) but also some decorative trinkets. They might be candles or figures of their favorite characters. But now you can upgrade their setup with a bookshelf diorama.

These nifty decorations slide right into the shelf along with their other books, but contain a whole scene. This diorama on Amazon is designed to look like a book shop, but you can also find dioramas of scenes from their favorite books or reminiscent of their favorite genre. 

There you have it – the best last minute book gifts.

Finding a last minute book gift can be tricky – especially if you aren’t sure what the reader in your life wants to dive into next. But whether you choose a book gift like a book of the month subscription or blind date with a book, or you choose something for their book nook like cozy beverages or a bookish candles, we’re sure any book-lover would be thrilled to receive any of the ideas on this list.

Still haven’t quite found the perfect gift? Not to worry. Check out the full GiftYa catalog for more ideas. Whether you text them a gift card to their favorite local bookstore or to a coffee shop where they can refuel before their next book binge, GiftYa has something for every book lover on your list. Happy shopping!