A clip-on reading light that is genuinely good
Warm, rechargeable, narrow beam. Solves the actual problem — reading next to someone who is asleep.
Have a look →Gifts for readers, other than a book
A committed reader has a list, and it is longer than their remaining life. Adding to it uninvited is a gamble; they may already own it, or have deliberately not bought it.
So buy around the book. The conditions of reading are easier to improve than the reading itself.
A bookshop gift card, deliberately generous
The unglamorous right answer. Enough for three hardbacks so the choosing is a pleasure rather than an arithmetic exercise.
Have a look →A reading chair blanket
Wool, large enough to cover feet. Reading is mostly a temperature problem.
Have a look →A subscription to a literary magazine
Short things to read on the days a novel is too much. Also introduces writers they would not have found.
Have a look →A second-hand copy of something out of print
The highest-effort, highest-return gift on this list. Find a book they mentioned once and could not get hold of. It takes twenty minutes and lands like an heirloom.
Have a look →Stop guessing next year
Holiday Registry is a private gift list for your family. Everyone writes down what they’d actually like, anyone can claim something to buy, and the person it belongs to never finds out. It is free.
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