This week I’ve decided to take part in ‘Top Ten Tuesday’ hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl again. So, the topic we’ve been given is ‘love freebie’ and unfortunately I am not a massive fan of the genre of romance, nor do I ship many book couples so this was a hard one for me. Instead I’ve decided to interpret this a bit liberally so I’ve compiled a list of some bookish gifts to give to your loved ones (friends, family, partners whatever) on that special day; or if you’re a reader reading this just send it as a forceful hint.

1. A Book Subscription

This is a pretty obvious one, and also an option with a number of choices. It’s always one of the easiest options to tailor to your recipient with multiple different companies offering a range of boxes with one time purchases, or rolling subscriptions, across different genres; you can also chose whether or not to go with a subscription that just sends books or bookish gifts with it too. The cheapest option I could find was for £10 a box from ShelterBox which is a charity run book subscription, but there are a number of companies specialising in different books and genres: A Box of Stories, Books That Matter, Rare Birds Book Club and Mr B’s Reading Subscription with many others also available (if you live outside the UK The Notting Hill Bookshop does subscription offers that will cover you).

2. A Blind Date With a Book

This was an idea I saw on Tumblr a lot back in the early to mid 2010s, but haven’t seen a lot of since. However, the good news is lots of sellers and small businesses offer this product, meaning you don’t have to feel guilty in supporting a mega conglomerate to surprise someone you love, and some even appear to offer Valentines Day editions to help you stay on theme. There are lots of different options on Etsy (some contain pre-loved books whilst others also come with goodies), The Book Matchmaker also lets you chose a book from a four word description, and even The Notting Hill Bookshop allows you to purchase one online.

3. Book Pages

My family bought me one of these years ago now, and it still looks stunning and I absolutely adore it, so this is one I can personally recommend to you all. It’s such a nice gift as you can ensure it relates to something they love, as there are some many different quotes to chose from featured Shakespeare lines to love declarations from Pride & Prejudice, and even items that highlight the joys of reading. Bookishly has a lot of different choices.

4. A Vase Bookend

I may have personal motivation in putting this item on the list, as I can’t get over the thought of owning one, however that doesn’t make the idea of this and execution any less beautiful. This is very much for a reader who lives for the light and flowery aesthetic and it would make a stunning home décor addition, especially if you know a reader whose books can no longer be contained to just their shelves and have begun to migrate to other surfaces. There are plenty of different kinds from this one on Etsy, to others like this at Urban Outfitters.

5. A Book Embosser

Now, every book lover knows the perils of lending out a cherished book, and just so you all know, if someone lends you a book it means they trust you most in the world; so don’t fuck it up. A personalised book embosser seems like a fabulous way of keeping track of what books are yours (and help guilt your friends into giving them back), and just a nice touch any book lover can add to their collection. These are wide range of options available on Etsy, with some that include floral touches to images associated with fandoms and books (mainly Harry Potter from what I can see).

6. A Reading Journal

Most readers I know enjoy keeping track of their reads throughout the year and what they thought of each book – it certainly makes blogging easier too, so this may be an even better gift for a book blogger – and a reading journal seems to be the perfect gift in helping someone achieve this. Options range from one at Waterstones, to a more simple look from Literary Emporium, and a journal that includes pages for monthly and a yearly wrap up from writingdstudios on Etsy, so you truly have you pick here.

7. Personalised Bookshelf Print

Now, if you know what books your nearest and dearest holds closest to their hearts this could be an excellent gift for you to give. It allows you to get a print that is uniquely for them, and for those readers who don’t want anything décor that is too loudly bookish in their homes, I think it will fit in quite nicely with most modern day décor. Be warned, these items are more pricey than other options, however they are in my opinion an incredibly touching gift. Both Frankie Rosello and RBIllustrationStudio offer one on Etsy.

8. Bookish Themed Coasters

A more tame option on this list, but one that isn’t any less nice of a gift than the others. It provides a sweet bookish touch to anyone’s life, as well as actually being purposeful by ensuring their surfaces aren’t ruined by tea stains as mine is. This choice also allows you to play around a little more with coasters that look like Jane Austen’s books from CuttingBoredom, to Twilight pages on coasters from NovelTouch, or a cute general bookish option from DoodleGiftShop.

9. A Book Nook

I’m sure you have seen these before on Instagram posts, beautifully lit and sandwiched between some books. The good news is there seems to be lots available online in a variety of different themes stretching from Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley to one that seemed to feature Stephen King’s Pennywise. Prices appear to range from £30 upward, so it’s definitely a higher range option on the list. There are a number of these available on Etsy.

10. Book Bucket List poster

Personally, this idea scares me a little because it sounds like a lot of pressure, but there will undoubtedly be people out there who will love this. The main iteration of this poster appears to be from The Literary Gift Company and features titles from The Odyessy to The Chronicles of Narnia at a reasonable £12.99, however there are a couple of other options out there as well so take your time browsing.

So what do you, the readers think, did I miss any obvious gifts out? And would you like to receive any of these?