The best bookish gifts are the ones a reader would never think to buy for themselves. They already have a shelf of books waiting to be read, and they choose their next one with care, so a book from someone else is a gamble. An art print about reading is a safer and more personal choice. It celebrates the habit rather than guessing the title, and it will hang beside their bookcase for years. Our reading prints start from £16, and here are our favourites, sorted by the kind of reader you are buying for.
What Do You Buy Someone Who Loves Reading?
Many gift ideas for book lovers start and end with a book, and that is where things go wrong. Keen readers often own the book you picked, have it on their list for later or already know they would not enjoy it. A bookshop voucher is kind but can feel a little impersonal.
A gift that is about reading, rather than a single book, avoids all of that. Think about how they read. Are they a bedtime reader, a Sunday afternoon reader in the same armchair, or someone who takes three novels on every holiday? Once you know that, choosing a print is easy.
Why Give Art Instead of Another Book?
A book is read once and shelved. A print stays in view, in the reading corner, above the bed or by the desk, and it reminds them who gave it every time they sit down with a story. It also suits readers of every kind, from crime fans to poetry lovers, because it is about the pleasure of reading rather than a genre.
10 Bookish Gifts for Every Kind of Reader
Every print here starts from £16 unless we say otherwise, and all of them suit a bedroom, a study or a reading nook.
1. For the bedtime reader
Some readers only really settle once they are under the duvet. The Cosy Bookworm is a red panda tucked under orange and cream stripes, holding a green book with both paws. The Bedtime Reader is a white duck propped against blue and white striped pillows, holding an open book just below its little orange beak. Both are soft and calm enough for a bedroom wall.
2. For the reader whose pile keeps growing
Plenty of book lovers know the feeling of buying more books than they can read. Surrounded by Stories shows a reader in bed with colourful books spread across a pink duvet, a mug on the bedside table and a lamp on the wall. Never Too Many Books is the same joke told standing up: an armful of pink, teal and yellow books so high that only her curly bun shows above it.
3. For the reader who dreams of a library
The Endless Library has shelves of books rising far out of view, with tiny figures wandering across the floor below. It is warm and golden, and the bigger sizes show off the detail. A lovely one for a home study or a hallway lined with bookcases.
4. For the slow Sunday reader
For the friend who disappears into an armchair for a whole afternoon, The Sunday Chapter shows a reader stretched across a mustard chair under a green floor lamp, red shoes on and a red book in hand. The Quiet Chapter is softer still: a woman in pale clothes curled in a cream armchair, her face hidden behind a green book.
5. For the holiday reader
If their suitcase is half paperbacks, try Between Chapters, a reader in a sun hat resting on a grassy bank above a blue sea, with a dog asleep beside her. Lost in a Good Book has a reader stretched out among big pink flowers, an orange book held up over her face.
6. For the reader with a houseplant habit
Books and plants tend to share the same shelves. Books in Bloom is a tall stack of patterned books topped with a leafy plant in a blue and white pot, all on a soft blush background.
7. For the reader with a pet
Readers with a cat or dog on their lap will recognise these. Our Cat Book Print has a black cat sitting up against striped pillows with an open book, as if it has taken over your side of the bed. The Dog Reading Print shows a pale dog in little glasses, wrapped in a blue and white striped blanket with a book open in front of it.
8. For the morning paper reader
Not every reader is a novel reader. For the person who will not start the day without the paper and a coffee, The Morning Edition is a bold black, cream and red print of a man with a moustache half hidden behind his newspaper, a small cup of coffee on a red table. It suits a kitchen or a breakfast nook and is a good pick for him.
9. For the sci-fi and fantasy fan
Astronaut Reading Art sits an astronaut on a bench inside a spacecraft with an orange book, the Earth showing through a round window and a small potted plant on the shelf. For the reader of myths and magic, Moonlit Wisdom, from £27, is a tarot card style print of a robed figure reading by the water under a crescent moon, with lanterns and birds around her.
10. For the daydreamer
Head in a Book takes the phrase literally. A woman leans back with an open blue book lying across her face, set against deep green. It is a gentle joke for the person who is always somewhere else, mid chapter.
How to Choose a Print for a Reader
- Match the reading habit. The best book lover gifts reflect how someone reads: in bed, in a favourite chair, on the beach or with a pet on their lap.
- Think about the room. Calm blues and creams suit a bedroom, while bolder prints like The Morning Edition work in a kitchen or hallway.
- Build a reading corner. Two prints side by side make a reading nook feel finished. Our reading room wall art has more to mix and match.
- Add a note. A line about a book you both loved makes the gift feel even more personal.
Buying for a teacher who loves books? Our teacher Christmas gift ideas have more for the classroom and the staff room.
Ordering for Christmas
Every print is made to order and usually dispatched within 1 to 2 days, and UK orders typically arrive in 3 to 6 days, so for Christmas we recommend ordering by early December. Tick "Mark as gift" in the basket and we leave the invoice out, so the print can go straight to them. UK delivery is free on orders over £50.
Not sure which reader they are? Our wall art gift card lets them choose their own print and size, and it is delivered by email.
Reading Gift FAQs
What do you get a book lover who has every book?
Something about reading rather than another title. A print of a reader in bed, in an armchair or by the sea is personal, does not need to match their taste in genre and will not end up in the charity shop pile.
Are prints a good gift for a book club friend?
Yes. They are a thoughtful small gift for a book club swap or Secret Santa, and our A4 and A3 sizes start from £16 for most of the prints in this guide.
Which print suits a reading nook?
Calm prints work best above a reading chair. The Quiet Chapter, The Sunday Chapter and The Endless Library all have warm, soft colours that sit well beside books and a lamp.
Will they need to buy a frame?
Our prints are sold unframed on premium matte paper, so they can choose a frame that suits their room. A4 and A3 fit standard ready made frames.
Readers are easy to buy for once you stop trying to choose their next book. Pick a print that shows how they love to read, and it will be on the wall long after this year's novels are back on the shelf. Browse all our gifts for book lovers and find the bookish gifts that suit every reader you know.
