Finding the Perfect Gift for a Book Lover

It's that time of year, reader. The holidays are creeping up and will be here before you know it. It's been a great year—you've read lots of books and have made nearly as many book besties, but you're a wee bit stressed wondering what to get them for their birthday or the holidays. It's hard to know what gifts to buy a fellow book lover when there are so many fun things out there. 

But worry not! We've put together a fun gift guide for book lovers that accomodates every reader and every budget. Keep reading this post and you might just find some good insights on what would be a truly special gift for your book bestie (or yourself—let's be so for real). 

#1 The Fashion-Forward Reader

We all know her. She has the most unconventional, CUTE bookish style you've ever seen. People are often asking her, "Omg, where did you get your top?" For these readers, we've come up with a truly special list of fashion-forward bookish apparel. 

The Diviner in Shining Armor Tee

For fans of Rachel Gillig and The Knight and the Moth, the Diviner in Shining Armor Tee is a MUST HAVE.  It features a beautiful, body-aligned medieval armor design that is stylistically the perfect blend of feminine and fierce. One of our favorite parts of this design is that there is a quote from book 1's dedication hidden among the three moths! Since The Knave and the Moon was released fairly recently, this would be such a unique gift for any fan of the Stonewater Kingdom series. 

The Diviner in Shining Armor Tee

 

Bookish Holiday Sweater

A high quality fashion piece that can be integrated into your everyday wardrobe, the Bookish Holiday Sweater was created to wear for any occasion. It's oversized and boxy, resulting in a cozy and flattering silhouette. At Next Chapter, we love creating apparel that can be worn to the office, on your couch, and anywhere in between and this Bookish Holiday Sweater is a prime example. If you or your friends consider themselves fashionable readers, this sweater is a MUST HAVE this winter season. Available in a traditional red/green "Christmassy" color palette, as well as a blue/pink/burgundy winter color palette that's perfect for readers who may not want anything that screams "Christmas." Available for sale starting November 18th at 5pm CST.

Bookish Holiday Sweater

 

The Sweetwater Peak Rugby Polo Top

It's not merely merch, it's actual fashion. Long sleeve striped polo tops are yet another 90's trend that has returned in full force, and we can't get enough of it. If your book bestie happens to be incredibily fashionable AND a Lyla Sage lover, this is the perfect gift! The Sweetwater Peak Rugby Top is inspired by the Soul Searching + Free Falling duology and is officially licensed by Lyla Sage. It's made of incredibly comfy cotton, and has a wide boxy fit. 

Sweetwater Peak Rugby Top

 

#2 The Fantasy Reader

We've got some incredibly special gifts in mind for the Fantasy Reader! A quick sidenote: Next Chapter exclusively offers fandom-specific merchandise that is officially licensed and authorized by the respective authors. You can learn more about our officially licensed partnerships here. As far as the fantasy genre is concerned, we currently have partnerships with Stephanie Garber and Rachel Gillig. If the reader you're buying for is a Stephanie Garber fan, you can't go wrong with the Once Upone a Broken Heart Art Print or Lounge Set. On the other hand, if Rachel Gillig happens to be one of their auto-buy authors, we've go SO MANY options. If we had to narrow it down to just two, the Bartholomew Gargoyle Ornament or the Bartholomew Gargoyle Plush feel like the most special! We've also included a few other Rachel Gillig-inspired options below.

The Knight and the Moth Art Print

Printed on high quality, thick matte paper that is suitable for fine art. The result is a super crisp, vibrant print that's perfect for a book lover's reading nook. The print features several notable symbols from the Stonewater Kingdom duology, including Bartholomew the Gargoyle and his lovable quote "Fear not, Bartholomew! Every day has its dog." 

The Knight and the Moth Art Print

 

The Knight and the Moth Lounge Set

We've rambled on quite a bit about the lounge sets throughout this blog post, so we'll keep this short and sweet. Just know that it really IS that good. We have very limited quantities available at this point, so if you see your desired size in stock, act quickly!

#3 The Cowboy Romance Reader

Yes, more Lyla Sage-inspired recommendations and yes, they're amazing. We've released several Lyla Sage bangers over the years, but nothing stands out quite like the Meadowlark Crewneck and the Rebel Blue Ranch Lounge Set. 

The Meadowlark Crewneck

To this day, this crewneck is one of the most special things we've released. Why? It has a combination of both screen printing and embroidery along with an incredibily uniqe design placement. You can't find something like this just anywhere and that's exactly why we designed it. These features make the item feel uncharacteristically fashion-forward for a sweatshirt, and that's why we love it for the cowboy romance readers out there!

Meadowlark Crewneck

 

The Rebel Blue Ranch Lounge Set

If you know any book lovers who love Lyla Sage's Rebel Blue Ranch series, you can't go wrong with this Rebel Blue Ranch Lounge Set as a gift. Truthfully, this could pass as a general cowboy romance item rather than an item inspired by a specific book series, but it does have some minor specific nods to Rebel Blue Ranch specifically. For instance, the dog is meant to be Weston Ryder's dog, Waylon, and the calf is meant to be Loretta (Wes's bottle fed companion in Swift and Saddled). Our favorite thing about this lounge set is that it CAN be pajamas, but it doesn't HAVE to be. You can easily wear the top out and about with your favorite pair of blue jeans (I do this all the time). It also has the coziest ribbed cotton/spandex blend that is anti-pilling. 

Rebel Blue Ranch Lounge Set

 

#4 The Reader Who Insists on "Cozy" 

This section of the blog post is for the reader who has a very strict "If it's not comfy, I'm not wearing it policy." And honestly, good for her. Her skin may be sensitive to certain fabrics or maybe she just has a specific preference for how fabrics feel. We get her, because we ARE her. For this reader, we've got several very cozy items in mind. Any of our lounge sets would be perfect for this reader. They're all made from high qualily, ribbed cotton fabric, and the material is lighweight but not thin. Another item that comes to mind is the Reader Mock Neck because of its wider neckline and 100% cotton material. 

The Lounge Sets

Versatile, made with quality COMFY materials, anti-pilling, and incredibly cute designs. There's a reason the lounge sets have been some of our top best sellers of 2026. The ruffle hems are super adorable, too. There's not much bookish loungewear that exists at the moment and definitely none that is THIS versatile, which is why we think it would make a steller, unexpected gift for your friendly neighborhood book lover!

Once Upon a Broken Heart Lounge Set

 

The Reader Mock Neck

We love this option for a reader that insists on being comfy! The Reader Mock Neck is 100% pre-shrunk cotton with a super roomy (and stretchy) mockneck that's not going to choke you. It's also naturally oversized which just adds to the cozy factor. The dark magenta color is so unique and you can't go wrong with a subtle embroidered design either. When a book lover unwraps this cutie, they will want to put it on immediately and keep it on indefinitely! 

#5 For the Shopper on a Budget

You've got a LOT of reader friends and all those gifts might add up to... more than you want to spend— let's just put it that way. We've got you! Here are a couple of super affordable, yet unique gifts under $30!

Kindle Cases

Kindle cases are one of the most affordable gifts for book lovers AND there are so many fun designs out there. Our cases have a magnetic backing and a hand strap for optimal comfort. For the reader of all genres, you can't go wrong with the Next Chapter Kindle Case. If you happen to be shopping for a reader who is also a Swiftie, the Dear Reader Kindle Case is PERFECT. It's inspired by her "Dear Reader" song off the Midnights album and features a lyric on the back! On the other hand, if the reader is a child of divorce like us and also loves Harry Styles, we highly recommend the Read All the Time Kindle Case inspired by his latest album! It's so colorful and fun.

Conclusion

Shopping for book lovers is easier than ever. Not only are there A LOT of various items available nowadays, but there is also some seriously unique bookish merchandise being created that stands out among the rest. When shopping for your book bestie, we recommend looking for high quality items that are intentionally designed without the use of AI. For apparel, be sure to look for a high cotton content and pre-shrunk material so that the gift will hold up and last for years to come. 

And in case you're new at Next Chapter or just need a refresher on a few things, here are some Frequently Asked Questions that may help you out as you're shopping around for the best gift:

FAQ's

• I really want to buy a thoughtful gift for a book lover in my life, but I don't know where to begin. Help!

Think back to the conversations you've had with them in the past regarding their love for books. Did they mention any specific authors or genres? Or maybe they mentioned a specific book that first got them into reading. Start there and then Google "unique gifts for lovers of X book series." Since many book lovers already have more books than they can count, we recommend gifting them something book-related rather than actual books! That way you don't accidentally get them something they may already own.

• Is Next Chapter's bookish merch officially licensed?

Yes! All of our fandom-related merchandise is officially licensed by the authors of the books. You can learn more about this on our Officially Licensed Book Merch page. We offer officially licensed book merchandise for Rachel Gillig, Stephanie Garber, and Lyla Sage.

• Is Next Chapter's artwork created with AI software?

No! We do not utilize AI to create any of our designs. We believe real art is created by humans. Our designs are created by real graphic designers with years of experience. We've worked closely with each of them for years now, and their views on AI align with ours. 

• What is Next Chapter's processing time? Will I receive my order in time for the holidays? 

Great question! Be sure to check the product listing for specific processing times. However, in general, all of our items have a 4-6 day processing time unless the item is labeled as a Preorder. If you're interested in purchasing an item that is labeled as a Preorder, be sure to check the product description for the estimated ship date!

 

Happy shopping!