There is an ever-present warmth in the air at Christmastime, something that glows golden and can be felt in every enchanting moment of festivity. It’s a feeling of anticipation, of pure happiness, of everything good in the world being bundled up into one shining moment that lasts the whole season. There is such magic within the Christmas season and, at its heart, family and friends, kindness and joy.
“For Christmas is tradition time—
Traditions that recall
The precious memories down the years,
The sameness of them all.”
-Helen Lowrie Marshall
At House of Cadmus, we have our own little Christmas tradition–our annual Literary Gift Guide! This year’s guide is especially exciting, being our largest one yet. In curating this Literary Gift Guide, we aimed to find items that will satisfy readers who love things that are classically bookish–bookmarks, tea, mugs–among more unique and unexpected literary items that the readers in your life will certainly be surprised by. We love these literary gifts, and we hope you will too.
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
–Mother Theresa
Related: Literary Gift Guide 2020
“Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection.”
–Pindar
Bookmarks
Personalized Resin Bookmark | $10.30
These handmade bookmarks feature gold leaf in resin for a uniquely striking design. They come in a variety of colors and can be personalized with a name, initials, or a word.
Gypsophila and Gold Flake Bookmark | $7.66
A similar style to the previous ones, these bookmarks come only in black to allow the gold flake and gypsophila–real baby’s breath flowers–to stand out all the better. These bookmarks make for a perfectly unique and beautiful gift for any reader.
Forest of Vikings Bookmark | $7.19
These bookmarks are fantastic gifts for readers who love fantasy and anything Viking inspired. Choose between three choices of wood color–beige, ebony, or walnut–and personalize the back, if you’d like.
These beautiful wooden bookmarks come in your choice of design–wolf, lion, deer, owl, or a woman’s cameo. They can be personalized with a name or quote. I recommend taking a look at SibberryWood’s shop for more incredible wooden bookmark designs.
Buying for a fantasy reader? This dragon bookmark is the perfect little gift.
Mugs
In Libris Libertas Book Mug |$18.87
This eye-catching black mug makes an incredible gift for all readers. In Libris Libertas–In Books There is Freedom. What reader wouldn’t agree?
This mug was designed with all readers of the fantastical and witchy in mind. Each sip will be magical for the readers on your list.
This set of A Christmas Carol mugs features an illustration of the miser himself from the original 1843 edition of the Christmas classic.
Jane Austen Literary Quotes Mug | $16.95
With Jane’s own image on the mug and quotes from her collection of classic novels, this mug is a must-have for Austenites.
Ornaments
Night Before Christmas Book Ornament | $7.93
While this Christmas Eve classic has its place on every Christmas tree, this lovely little book ornament would make an extra special gift for readers.
Bookish/Writing Wood Slice Ornament | $10.00
These sweet handmade ornaments feature a typewriter and book stack design that will speak to all book lovers.
Handmade Custom Mini Book Ornaments | $12.00
Perhaps what is most incredible about these sweet little mini book ornaments is that you can have one made of any book you want. You can even order multiples–like a set of twelve–and choose twelve different books! And if you’d like a specific book cover, just send the link over to the shop owner and it will be done. What a fantastic gift for readers whose tastes you’re familiar with.
6 Literature Classic Book Ornaments | $54
These beautifully crafted book ornaments each feature a passage from the book it represents that takes place in a wintery Christmas setting. I personally own the A Christmas Carol ornament and it is the most beautiful quality and such a special gift.
Bookish Christmas Decoration Set | $29.47
This bookish decoration set would make for the perfect early Christmas gift for readers who are looking to add a literary flare to their Christmas decor. The set contains 5 different sized ornaments, 5 rolled page scrolls, 1 small envelope made from mixed book pages, and 2 gift tags made from mixed book pages. It’s a unique and memorable gift that they will enjoy for many Christmases to come.
Journals
Handmade Library Notebook | $5.22
This little notebook is covered with charming library-inspired artwork that’s irresistible for readers who love a very quintessential book aesthetic.
Lined Journal with Personalized Classic Hardback Book Cover | $41.68
This personalized journal is a stunning, special gift. Each of the six color choices has a unique antiqued design that makes this journal look like it truly belongs on the bookshelf with the rest of the special editions. The best part? You get to choose what appears on the spine. While this makes for a beautiful journal, you could use the customized spine to turn this into something more specific to the reader in your life’s habits like a reading journal, a writer’s journal, or a place to keep track of their favorite books, etc.
Unlined Midi Velvet Cape Hardcover Journal | $19.95
This gorgeous, impressive journal is bound in green velvet with gold accents. It is one of many stunning journals from this shop that would be perfect for readers and writers.
Get Cozy
All the little things that make up an ideal cozy winter night–baths, candles, warm drinks, and sweet treats.
Hogwarts House Dessert Teas | $5.00
Though Harry Potter-inspired gifts are some of the easiest to find for the book lovers in your life, these Hogwarts House inspired loose leaf teas are a unique and flavorful gift that will stand out from the crowd.
Charles Dickens Inspired Tea Infuser | $16.71+
Featuring a Charles Dickens charm, this tea infuser has a little literary twist that adds a bit of classic fun to tea-making.
Bram Stoker Tea Gift Set | $55.70
This tea gift set features a Dracula-inspired tea caddy filled with Very Cherry Fruit Infusion tea, a mug with a quote, and a tea infuser with charms that match the vampiric theme. Literary Tea Company also offers similar gift sets for other authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley.
Literary Inspired Christmas Tea | $7.66+
Each of these teas is inspired by a Christmas tale–The Nutcracker, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Winter’s Tale, and A Christmas Carol–and each has its own special blend of flavors. You can buy them individually or as a set. You can also choose to buy the teas in packets instead of tins for a lesser price.
Pride and Prejudice Decorative Book Tin and Tea | $44.95
This “Pride and Peppermint” book tin comes with two Jane Austen inspired teas and two matching bookmarks.
Required Reading Candle Box Set | $34.00+
This fantastic set of candles includes candles from this shop’s Banned Books and Nostalgia candle collections inspired by classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird and Moby Dick. Each candle has a library card style label and each candle set comes with a vintage library card inspired bookmark. You also have the choice to upgrade the box to include two tea samples.
King of the Wood Elves Candle | $30.00
Mythologie Candles is a beautiful brand making the most alluring literary, mythology, and history-inspired candles. This particular candle, King of the Wood Elves, is inspired by Lord of the Rings and smells like “fresh herbs & lavender, cedar & cypress on a soft bed of cashmere woods.” Take a look at their website for more incredible scents.
Leather-bound Book Shaped Soap Bar | $8.50+
Made to order and scented by an old book-inspired fragrance, these leather-bound book soaps will be an unexpected addition to the perfect cozy nighttime ritual before reading.
Beyond the Lamppost Narnia-Inspired Artisan Soap | $6.00
These beautiful Narnia-inspired artisan soap bars are fir tree scented and a fantastic gift for all fans of Narnia.
Venchi Mini Book Christmas Chocolates | $22.50
A collection of fine chocolates from the 140+ year old Italian brand Venchi in charming book-shaped Christmas tins.
Open Books Chocolates is making gourmet, handmade chocolate bars inspired by classic literature. Their online store is temporarily closed, but they will be back soon–hopefully in time for Christmas orders as these chocolate bars are a wonderful gift for bookish friends.
Literary Experience and Book Boxes
Blind Date With A Book Box Experience | $39.95+
Surprise your reader friends with a book box that’s also a blind date with a book with this incredible curated book box. You choose the genre, the shop owner will choose the book. If you’d like a more personalized experience, you can link to your reader friend’s Goodreads page for the shop owner to peruse and get an idea of their taste. Speaking of taste, this book box also comes with three tea bags of your choosing (or hot chocolate), some edible treats, a bath bomb, and a handwritten note sealed with wax.
Christmas Book & Hot Chocolate Gift Box | $34.80
Give your reader the gift of the perfect sweet, cozy evening with this box featuring a surprise novel (you choose the genre), artisan treats, hot chocolate spoons, marshmallows, and a little wooden ornament for the tree.
For the readers and writers on your list who love to get creative, this DIY Bookbinding Kit could be a perfect gift. This kit comes with everything you need to bind your own book, including your choice of 13 different colors of bookbinding leather, and will certainly be a memorable gift.
Books and Literary Accessories
Replica of Original A Christmas Carol | $28.00
While A Christmas Carol themed gifts always make for great literary Christmas gifts, a copy of the book isn’t necessarily at the top of the list of those gifts. This edition might be an exception. A Dickens Museum exclusive, this edition of A Christmas Carol is as close to the 1843 original edition as possible. A wonderful gift for all fans of the Christmas classic.
Custom Flower Book Page Holder | $10.00
These custom page holders are designed to make the book holding of a long reading session a little more comfortable on the hands. They’re beautiful little gifts, made of resin in your choice of shape, flower, and color.
Golden Poppies Bookplates | $20.00
These gorgeous bookplates are inspired by vintage designs and come in a set of 24.
For Writers
Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely From Around the World | $12.29
Full of unusual words that are little known, this book will be an unexpected, fun gift for the writers in your life.
Victorian Letter Writing Set | $13.58
For writers (and readers) who are fans of the Dark Academia aesthetic or just love to romanticize their life with small, charming pieces and rituals such as letter writing on beautiful stationary, this Victorian Letter Writing Set is an incredible gift. It includes 8 sheets of thick letter papers that feature the artist’s original Victorian-inspired artwork, 4 envelopes fully-lined with artwork, and 4 handmade gold wax seals.
Quill and Ink Wax Seal Set | $29.85
In the same vein as the last gift, this Quill and Ink Wax Seal Set is technically a writing gift, but most certainly will appeal to many readers and writers of historical and fantasy novels or anyone looking to add a bit of flair to their writing desk.
Stories to be Written Notebook | $15.92
Give your writer friends the perfect little notebook for jotting down story ideas, bits of dialogue that randomly pop into their heads, or anything else they need to remember for their future bestseller.
The Ultimate Writer Gift Set | $48.00+
This gift set comes in two different sizes with different writer-inspired items in each, including fun pencil sets, notebooks, bookmarks and more, that will surely put a smile on your writer friend’s face while also being practical.
Set the mood for writing with this Writing Hour candle. It comes in three scent options–Comfort Spice, Sea Breeze, and Vanilla Bean.
Scribbler Creative Writing Subscription Box | $29.99+
Scribbler boxes are an incredible gift for writers. Whether you treat them to one month or an ongoing subscription, the writers in your life will surely benefit from the contents of these boxes. Going beyond the fun of writer-themed accessories and products, Scribbler brings real practical help to the writers they reach to improve their craft and learn about the industry. Each month’s box comes with “teaching tools from bestselling authors, live chats with publishing pros, writing gifts, and a new release novel.” I couldn’t imagine a more thoughtful and helpful gift.
Charities
“Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart. ”
— Washington Irving
“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white.’”
— Bing Crosby
“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.”
— Ruth Carter Stapleton
Pajama Program believes in the power of bedtime routines for children and aims to provide pajamas, books, and resources to parents and caregivers for children in uncertain circumstances so that they too can have good nights that lead to great days. Donate here.
First Book distributes books and educational resources to children in low income communities all around the world. Every $3 helps give one new book to a child. Donate here.
Litworld aims to increase literacy around the world and encourages creativity in children, focusing on the importance of reading aloud and writing as a way of teaching children creative expression as well as teaching them that their voice matters. Donate here.
Room to Read focuses on literacy and gender equality in education in low income communities around the world, encouraging reading and helping support girls through secondary school. Donate here.
Reading Partners works with under-resourced schools and focuses on encouraging and supporting struggling young readers by providing individualized one-on-one reading assistance to help children read at grade level by fourth grade. According to their website, “Students reading below grade level in third grade are four times as likely as their peers to drop out of school before earning their diploma.” $100 funds reading support packets for two students and their families for an entire year. Donate here.
Help Santa this holiday season by ‘adopting’ one of his letters from some of the many children and families who send them his way. Send kind responses and give the gifts or necessities asked for in the letters to take a little off Santa’s plate while helping children who need a little extra joy this season.
Which of these literary gifts might you be treating a reader or writer friend to? Or yourself?