A Last-Minute Bookish Gift Guide: Perfect Presents, Without Blowing Your Budget at Barnes and Noble

Here's an uncomfortable truth I've observed about the world: we're only few days away from Christmas Eve, and for many, there's still a lot of panicked, last minute shopping to be done. 

Listen, you were preoccupied, you didn't prepare, and now, every parking lot you enter is a warzone. Stepping through the doors of Target, at this point, could be classified as reckless endangerment of self and sanity. This is not the time for donning rose-colored glasses alongside your gay apparel; instead, this is crunch time, and lest you be the one who gets crunched, you need to find a good present ASAP. The good news is, be it a Work Secret Santa, a Family White Elephant, or what have you, there's always joy to be found in delivering a new book-shaped present to the pile under the tree. 

And yet, here's an additional wrinkle: the damn things are certainly getting expensive these days, aren't they? I recently fell into a bit of a quandary while shopping for my brother, and realized that one of the titles I had been planning on picking up from B&N was currently going for over $40 in hardcover. While sliding a new freshly-printed set of titles off of the shelves might be easy, it certainly isn't cheap. 

The good news is, there's something we can do about that. In fact, by combining a new recently-procured read with a few other budget-friendly and easy-to-find basic pieces, not only does your bookish present come across as thoughtful and deliberate, but they'll never know how many parking lot brushes with death you avoided to do it. 

Consider the following method: 

A GREAT BOOK + A BUDGET-FRIENDLY BOOSTER + A FUN CONSUMABLE

Note: I understand why some people don't like combining multiple presents in one package. In the words of one of the family's most-quoted seasonally-appropriate SNL music videos of all time (which is now, horrifyingly enough, seven years old), you might think that "that just makes each gift seem smaller and dumb." But to be fair, maybe you want to repay a special amount of kindness this year, or maybe you're dealing with someone who has a tendency to get extravagant with their generosity... and besides, I'm not advocating for buying two gifts. I'm saying go for three!

1. first, focus on a great read

First of all, we need to pick out a Really Good Book, one that you know they're going to enjoy. 

Consider how to best select a great bookish present (in a very sneaky way):

• Ask them what some of their goals are for 2024... a really good friend would want to help them achieve those goals! Are they looking to try their hand at penning some words of their own in the new year? Try Stephen King's On Writing. What about spending more time in the kitchen? A cookbook or piece of food writing could be really beneficial here. Want to explore more classics? Pick out one of your favorites, one you know will hold their attention. Use your own experience, but don't be afraid to look up a good list of recommendations or two. Just try to make sure you're aligning with what they've got envisioned for themselves! 
• Check out their home shelves, especially their favorite genres. For best practices, you should probably have an idea of what they have and haven't read already - if only so you can avoid buying a duplicate of something they already own - but it can also tell you what they gravitate towards naturally. For instance, if they've got every single copy in the Murderbot series, then you've got a decent sense they might appreciate Martha Wells' latest release, Witch King, or something like Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot series. 
• Think about ebooks and audiobooks: not every likes reading on ink and paper! Maybe they've got a long commute that lends itself to an engaging audiobook, or maybe they live in a small space that can't accommodate a ton of shelf room. Amazon or Spotify giftcards may ensure they actually use your present in a way that works for them! An easy way to "upgrade" it, of course, is to accompany it with a list of recommendations that you think they might want to look at when they're thinking about how to spend it. 
• Casually ask them to tag along, and help you pick out a present for someone else. While you're doing your own "browsing" watch carefully for what they pick up and put down. If there's something they mention or focus on in particular, something that grabs their attention, you know what to do! 
• And here's the big alternative: ask your friend what kind of reading year they've been having in 2023: if there's something in particular that's been keeping them from reading lately, it might not be the year for a bookish present; maybe something like a Hello Fresh delivery or a homemade "in-house babysitting" coupon would help them enjoy some reading time, more than just another book sitting on their shelf! 

2. something they can reuse + a treat to up the ante

Once you've got your book in hand, it's time to put it together with a few budget pieces that will really make the package perfect. By including something they can reuse time and again, you guarantee that your present has some mileage on it, and with a fun consumable accompanying alongside, they can start enjoying your gift as soon as they open it! 

For instance, lets say your best friend's favorite kind of coffee talk is dishing about The Great British Baking Show, and she can't stop pointing out all of the butter-related Christmas ornaments that all seemed to hit stores this year. Naturally, you've decided to pick her up a copy of one of Paul Hollywood's cookbooks, like Bake, or maybe you grabbed something penned by a past contestant, like Ruby Tandoh's Cook As You Are, or Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain. What next? 

Well, stopping by a HomeGoods or chef supply store could easily add to the conversation, with something like a large mixing bowl, a set of kitchen towels, a cutting board, or interesting cake tins. Rolling pins and spatulas are typically in pretty good supply, and the same goes for cookie cutters. Then, all you have to do is swing by the local grocer and pick up a pretty baking mix, or favorite ingredient - nice baking chocolates are always appreciated, but you could also try a pretty jam or even just a slightly nicer-than-normal bag of flour -  and voila! You've got a great set of ingredients for a very happy afternoon spent in the kitchen. 

Or lets say you've got a real Romance reader on your hands. Sure, you could just walk down the mass market paperback aisle at your local Fred Meyer with your arm outstretched, and aim for anything with a brightly-colored color block illustration on the cover... but chances are, if you give a girl a Romance, she's going to need at least one or two favorite beverages to enjoy it with. What about a set of pretty thrifted wine glasses or champagne flutes, and a great bottle of something to sip on? If she's a Historical Romance girl, a set of gorgeous thrifted teacup-and-saucer combos and a box of her favorite tea go together like the leads in your favorite Tessa Dare or Eloisa James story. 

Someone who lives and dies by their latest Self Help obsession - think bullet journals, 5am wakeup calls, and reformer Pilates - might appreciate yet another paradigm shift before the new year. James Clear's Atomic Habits is a best seller for a reason, but they might have picked that one up already; look for displays nearby to guide you into what titles generated some buzz this year, or has people looking forward to 2024. A thrifted crock and a new bag of coffee beans, or maybe a thrifted mug and a sampler set of coffee syrups would definitely give this present some pizazz, but something like a fresh, pretty notebook and a can or two of their favorite energy drink works just as well: whatever will help inspire them to start generating their next life upgrade! 

The list could go on and on, really. Your favorite fast-paced Thriller or bone-chilling Horror from this year would pair perfectly with a cozy blanket and a chocolate bar to keep them toasty while things get tense; a buzzy new celebrity memoir - what about those published this year, from Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? - would go great with a new pair of fun sunglasses and some bubblegum to chew. Why not get your Fantasy reader some unique thrifted glassware (aka, goblets and decanters, which I always find while shopping secondhand!) and pair it with one of their favorite sodas? The list goes on and on. 

The point is, of course, that you make the whole thing feel like an experience in itself. It's not just the book, but the environment you create around the book... and besides, this way, even if that title ends up getting a two-star review on Goodreads, your friend still ends up with something cool they can reuse, and when's the last time you turned up your nose at a tasty treat? 

3. don't have time to think that hard? just go with the bookish vibes

Listen, I get it: the last minute always isn't the best time to think creatively. Sometimes, you just need a guaranteed win, something that doesn't require combing the thrift store's homewares section or a Target snack aisle for just the perfect touch. 

Here are a few easy ideas for pieces that can amplify every bookish present: 

• a snack pack, with something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, and/or something chewy, for them to enjoy while making their way through a new stack of books!
• a container of their favorite hot chocolate brand, preferably with marshmallows or peppermint sprinkles alongside!
• a big ol' candle for them to light to set the mood while they're reading. Bonus points if you manage to make it match the book cover! 
• fuzzy socks or slippers. It is a truth universally acknowledged that whether you're playing video games, watching a movie, or reading a book, that your feet are going to get cold. Everyone could use some cozy toes!
• a new journal or notebook, especially when paired with a set of really good pens!

4. make it personal

If you've managed to read this far in this blogpost - or if you've somehow made it out into the Target parking lot with all of your bags, extremities, and sanity intact - then chances are its because you really care about the person who will be on the receiving end of this present. It never hurts to tell them that sort of thing yourself! 

Regardless of what book you buy them, or what you're stashing into your cart alongside, I think it's always a great idea to write a card, too. Listen, you've already established that you're shopping for a reader; why wouldn't they want to read what you might have to say, too? Just a few brief sentences about why they are important to you, and why you chose that particular book out for them, will really make your gift feel special and deliberate.

It's the thought that counts, and when you're putting this much care and attention into giving someone a present, it will undoubtably be one of the most meaningful things they find under the tree this year. 

(Never mind the fact that you waited until the night before Christmas to wrap it.)

Are you done shopping for everyone on your list? What's your favorite present you've purchased for someone this year? Let me know, in the comments below!