My Personal Gift List for Writers and Readers

Posted: December 3, 2023 in books, horror, recommendations, science fiction, Tips, writing
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If you’re like me, your eyes may glaze over at another book lover/authors’ gift list. Countless of these bookish articles pop up every year, inevitably containing the same items: novelty bookmarks, reading lights, novel-themed candles, furniture, swag and more.

This may not be for you, but I’ve picked a few of my personal favorite book- and writing-themed gifts to offer a simple, curated list to help navigate the seemingly endless possibilities and scrolling. Many of these I have gifted or been gifted in the past so can vouch for them. These are obviously highly subjective and based around my own horror/sci-fi/fantasy interests.

My personal favorites include interesting pen holders; book nooks for those craftier souls; eye-catching book ends; genre subscription boxes; and of course–books!

For the Readers

Indie bookstore certificates and subscription boxes

My number one recommendation for bookish gift-giving ideas is to peruse indie bookstores’ online offerings. Mysterious Galaxy, for example, offers free shipping over $100 and has curated book recommendations. They also have a gift subscription box that I gifted to a friend last year. Many local indie bookstores also have signed books or rare books available, such as Artifact Books in Encinitas.

If you’d rather hand-pick speculative books for gifts, I recommend browsing the recommended reading lists and recent award winners from organizations like HWA and SFWA to find a unique variety of speculative anthologies, books, novellas, and more. Then head over to Bookshop to place an order.

For must-read horror book picks for 2023, check out this handy list by Melissa DeWild & Becky Spratford at the Library Journal.

For more ideas, check out the creatively packaged themed “book dates” on Etsy. Or use the images for ideas to create your own book gift packages.

Bonus book recommendation! For the horror lovers in your life, 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann is a beautiful and exceptionally well done reference for literary horror. (And it looks great on a coffee table!)

Description: Curious readers and fans of monsters and the macabre, get ready to bulk up your TBR piles! Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann has curated the best selection of modern horror books, including plenty of deep cuts. Indulge your heart’s darkest desires to be terrified, unsettled, disgusted, and heartbroken with stories that span everything from paranormal hauntings and creepy death cults to small-town terrors and apocalyptic disasters. Each recommendation includes a full synopsis as well as a quick overview of the book’s themes, style, and tone so you can narrow down your next read at a glance. Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman and five brand-new essays from rising voices in the genre, this illustrated reader’s guide is perfect for anyone who dares to delve into the dark.

Bookends

Two of my favorite bookends that have held up to the test of time (and loads of book weight) are the Portal bookends (which always evoke comments from guests) and the raven and skull bookends. A bookend tip: while the solo slanted book holders look cool, in practice I’ve found they do a poor job of actually holding up a book.

Book Nooks

These adorable miniatures are fun to put together and look magical on a bookshelf nestled between real books. I constantly get compliments on my sitting library nook and elfin library nook (check out my TikTok video of the latter here). But be warned – they require a fair amount of basic crafting so these are gifts best suited for your hands-on friends.

Bonus tip! These are the glues I use for mine – Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue (a tad pricy) and Turbo “Tacky” Glue (more economical).

For the Writers

Pens and Notebooks

Dissertations could be written on pen and journal recommendations, so I’ll keep it simple. I personally like the BaronFig products as elevated gift offerings, both to give and receive. I love the Squire Rollerball Pen and Squire Click Ballpoint Pen, which have been my go-to “fancy” pens for years. Be warned – they aren’t cheap! But they are meant to last for years and are a heavenly writing experience. Pair the pen with one of their elegant writing journals and you have a lovely gift.

BaronFig also offers sleek organizers, cases and a plethora of themed journals.

Pen Holders

The pen is mightier than the sword! Since I enjoy the fantasy genre, these knight and dragon pen holders are two of my favorites. These are both fairly sturdy and look great on a desk. Pro tip for the knight holder: ditch the cheap pen it comes with and replace it with a high-quality pen instead. Themed pen holders should be tailored to your recipient’ interest and genre of choice, but IMO you can’t go wrong with a dragon.

Craft Books

For the short story writer: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life by George Saunders. A masterclass in short story writing; I recommend this to everyone who writes–or wants to write–short fiction.

Description: For the last twenty years, George Saunders has been teaching a class on the Russian short story to his MFA students at Syracuse University. In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he shares a version of that class with us, offering some of what he and his students have discovered together over the years. Paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, the seven essays in this book are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it’s more relevant than ever in these turbulent times.

For the novel writer: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maas is an extremely helpful and practical workbook for novel writers both new and experienced. I find it especially useful to help with writer’s block.

Description: This powerful book presents the patented techniques and writing exercises from Maass’s popular writing workshops to offer novelists first-class instruction and practical guidance. Maass also carefully dissects examples from real-life breakout novels so you’ll lean how to read and analyze fiction like a writer. With authoritative instruction and hands-on workbook exercises, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook is one of the most accessible novel-writing guides available.

Bonus book recommendation! I also enjoy Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere) by Lisa Cron. Aside from an excellent title, the book also contains a fresh take on novel writing.

More Resources

I hope these recommendations were helpful. As you navigate the season’s gift giving, please try to support indie shops and indie creators as much as possible. And if you’re looking for more ideas, here are a few general literary lists:

Happy shopping!

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