10 Holiday Gifts for the Booklover

A selection of gift cards in a store in New York on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. (�� Richard B. Levine) (Photo by Richard Levine/Corbis via Getty Images)

2. A Gift Card to a Bookstore

Here’s a holiday debate that shows no signs of stopping: Is it actually rude to give someone a gift card? Some say it just feels so impersonal. Here’s the counterargument to that. Pick a gift card for your booklover’s favorite bookseller. That might just be Amazon, and that’s okay.

We speak from experience for this next part here. There is something very satisfying about knowing that you have a license to spend on that book you’ve been keeping an eye on for a while, or figuring out how to maximize that gift card to get the most books that you want to read. For yours truly, it’s basically a game, actually. (“How many novels can I buy? Can I fit more in if I buy e-copies?” This may or may not be actual dialogue that I’ve said at one point or another. It’s like Tetris, but with books and real money.)

If you really still feel bad about it, pair it with a small gift, as suggested by gift-giving experts, which are a real thing in this day and age. Again, a mug may not go amiss here, or a set of bookmarks.

Just let the bibliophile get their kid-in-a-candy-store action on at Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, or wherever else you find most convenient for you and the recipient in question.