9 Unique Valentine’s Gifts for Book Lovers
Have you been searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a book lover in your life? I’ve got you covered with this list of unique gift ideas for readers.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, a holiday more polarizing than a pair of Ray-Bans. Love it or hate it, do or don’t celebrate it. Is it a scam for Hallmark or an ancient holiday and worthwhile tradition? For me, Valentine’s Day has always been a time to express love, and romantic love is only one of the many beautiful forms of love we might have for a person.
Chances are, if you’ve found your way to this blog post, it’s because there’s someone in your life whom you love, for whom you need a present, and one of this person’s identifying characteristics is their love of books. Most likely you googled something like “Valentine’s Day gifts for book lovers.”
Well, friend, you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to help you out as you search for a special Valentine’s gift for a book lover in your life.
Throughout this post, I might refer to your valentine, but whether it’s your valentine, galentine, or just a friend or family member who loves to read, any of these should be adaptable enough to gift.
Read ahead for 8 unique Valentine’s Day gift ideas for book lovers…. and note that I’ve saved the best for last!
Pin this post to reference as you shop for your book lover Valentine.
As always, this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, shopping from them may generate small commissions to support the operations of this blog.
Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.
1. Bookish Valentine’s cards
When it comes to buying a Valentine’s Day gift, you’ve got to have a card, right? Whether you’re the type to write a heartfelt message inside or let the card do the talking, the card you choose says a lot. So if you are buying a gift for a reader, why not choose a bookish valentine?
Here are just a few ideas to get you started.
A bookish valentine for romance readers:
The Netflix phenomenon, Bridgerton, is based on a series of romance novels by Julia Quinn, the first one titled The Duke and I. If you are shopping for a gift for someone who loves romance novels, odds are, your valentine has seen and/or read it. More than once. They likely swooned when the Duke confessed to Daphne that he “burns” for her. Take a page out of the Duke’s book and let your valentine know you feel the same:
A bookish valentine for someone with a twisted sense of humor:
If your valentine loves books and has a dark sense of humor and an appreciation of the macabre, I’ve found the perfect Valentine’s card for you inspired by the King of gothic writing, Edgar Allen Poe. Look Poe further than…
A card for the erudite Valentine:
If the one you wish to woo loves classic novels and poetry, look for bookish Valentine’s cards that quote Shakespeare (like the one below), John Keats, Lord Byron, or Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
A bookish valentine for the fantasy-lover:
If your valentine loves Outlander like the millions of other readers who have fallen in love with Diana Gabaldon’s series, they will love this romantic card inspired by the love story of Jamie and Claire.
A bookish valentine for the classics reader:
Jane Austen is famous for good reason. Her masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, has inspired countless story tellers and is arguably one of the original enemies-to-lovers plot lines. Show your bookish valentine how well you know and love them with a valentine’s card inspired by Mr. Darcy.
Related: Check out my list of 17 unique gifts for book lovers for more ideas.
2. A book bouquet
I love this idea for a unique Valentine’s gift for a book lover. Instead of getting a traditional flower bouquet that will only last a week, why not get creative and give a book bouquet? It’s a thoughtful and beautiful alternative to Valentine’s flowers.
On Etsy, you can find several sellers who make flowers out of recycled book pages. Here are a few I found to give you some inspiration:
I love these book flowers you can find on Etsy, because the flowers are made from the pages of Pride and Prejudice, one of the most romantic classic novels of all time.
I love this full book bouquet as a gift for bookworms. Just plan ahead! The turnaround time for these handmade book flowers is three weeks.
These book page flowers are made from the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare, which adds a nice touch, and you can purchase them through Amazon for convenience. These are still custom made by a small business, however, so make sure you allow as much time as possible before Valentine’s day to make sure you get it on time.
If you’re short on funds but feeling ambitious, a nice budget Valentine’s gift option for a book lover would be to DIY your own book page flowers. There are plenty of online tutorials, but a word of caution: make sure you’re not cutting up a beloved favorite book of your Valentine’s! It’s probably safest to choose a book from Goodwill or a book that’s been damaged and unreadable.
Related: For more inspiration for gifts for readers, you can check out my ideas for stocking stuffers for book lovers. Many of those ideas will also work for Valentine’s Day!
3. Book-inspired chocolates
While researching ideas for this post, I stumbled upon the small business, Open Book Chocolates, and knew immediately I’d found an amazing gift for book lovers. Open Book Chocolates is a craft chocolate company that creates high-quality chocolate bars inspired by classic books and poems, like Pride & Prejudice, “The Raven,” Les Miserables, and more. Plus, all the chocolate is fair trade, so it’s ethically made. What a cool idea!
If your valentine loves books and chocolate, this is a perfect, unique Valentine’s gift.
This seller on Etsy will custom-wrap Hershey minis in tiny little book covers for a mini book chocolate. My goodness, the creativity. Can you imagine the look on your beloved reader’s face when they open a box of mini books and also find out they’re full of chocolate?
For the best chance of success, this gift for book lovers is best paired with an actual book (or book gift card… try Bookshop.org which supports indie bookstores). Seeing their favorite book covers will definitely have them pining for a real copy to read as they eat.
Related: Make sure to check out my ultimate gift idea list for tea and book lovers if your valentine also loves tea.
4. A romantic, bookish candle
It might be something of a cliché to gift your special someone a candle for Valentine’s Day, but rather than heading to the nearest box store to pick up yet another generic vanilla bean-scented candle, get one that shows how well you know them!
Gifting a thoughtful, book-inspired candle is a great way to show your beloved bibliophile how well you know them.
Here are a few ideas I love:
A paddy wax library candle scented like a classic author’s library, including Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, John Steinbeck, William Shakespeare, and more. These are soy wax candles, so they burn much longer than traditional wax candles.
I love this romantic twist on a literary candle as a great Valentine’s Day gift for a book lover: this is a Pride and Prejudice-scented candle. Some people say that all modern romantic plot lines are based in some way on the Austen novel. Impress your bookish valentine with the scents of Mr. Darcy and Pemberley.
Here’s another bookish candle for your valentine who loves the Outlander books: a candle designed to smell like Jamie Fraser. It’s sure to make your bookish valentine swoon.
If your bookish valentine is a fantasy romance fan or is one of the millions of Sarah J. Maas fans out there, then opt for a candle inspired by the ACOTAR series. This candle is designed to smell like Rhysand and burns for 50 hours (hard to compete with, eh?). Pair this with a luxurious bubble bath for your bookish valentines.
5. A book subscription box
A book subscription box is a gift that keeps giving, so your bookish Valentine will feel your love not just on Valentine’s Day but for months to come. This is a unique Valentine’s gift for book lovers that’s sure to impress.
There are so many companies making book subscription boxes these days, but here are a few of the best book boxes to consider for a variety of interests and at a range of price points, from deluxe Valentine’s gifts to budget gifts:
- The Literary Book Club (my personal favorite) is a deluxe book club box for those who love classic novels and pretty packaging. Gifts are well curated and are wrapped and labeled to be opened at certain pages in the book. I’ve been a subscriber for the last year and don’t intend to give up my spot any time soon!
Sent quarterly; $74.99 per box + shipping; waitlist may apply
- Once Upon a Book Club is a monthly box that includes a new release book and 3-5 gifts labeled with page numbers. There’s also the option to participate in an online book club discussion each month. If your valentine loves new fiction, this might be a perfect Valentine’s gift for them.
Sent monthly; $64.99 per box
- Bookishly Classic of the Month Club is a monthly book box for a Valentine who loves classic novels and is perhaps more of a minimalist. The Classic of the Month box comes with a classic novel in an exclusively designed dust jacket, and you can choose whether it comes with tea or coffee.
Sent monthly; £39.00 GBP per box plus shipping (~$48 USD); minimum 3 months
- The NovelTea Book Club is an Australian-owned small company that sends monthly boxes including a book, a tea sample, and other small goodies. You can choose if they will be sent a Penguin classic, a second-hand book, or a new release by an Aussie author. You can also opt for coffee over tea.
Sent monthly; options from A $42-$84 a month (~$29-$58 USD)
- Call Number is a quarterly book box that aims to build up your library of books written by contemporary black authors. Books are selected by a librarian, and you can choose the Fiction, Nonfiction, Indie, or Young Adult box. You can choose the book-only option or the option that includes 3-4 library- or book-related gifts.
Sent quarterly; book-only options from $25/box; complete box options from $45/box
- Book of the Month is a monthly book box that allows subscribers to choose from a selection of the latest fiction. This is a book-only box, with no extras.
Sent monthly; gift subscriptions start at 3 months for $49.99
- Used Books Monthly is a no-frills monthly book box that includes 2 or 4 previously loved books and is great as a budget Valentine’s gift option. You can set the subscription for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.
Sent monthly; $8.49 – $16.99 per box
You can also keep it simple and just order them a subscription to a book a month club on etsy.
6. Bookish jewelry
Book-themed jewelry is another great Valentine’s gift for book lovers. To give this gift, you have to know a little something about your Valentine’s taste in jewelry, so it can be a little riskier than some of the other Valentine’s gift ideas on this list. Still, if you think you’ve got an idea of what they like, here are a few examples of bookish jewelry to inspire your shopping.
Jewelry for the quirky, bookish valentine:
If your bookish Valentine likes wearing quirky earrings, check out these fun ones. They are earrings made to look like antiquarian books! Just make sure your valentine likes dangly earrings (and that they have pierced ears!). If you only see your valentine wearing stud earrings, I wouldn’t take the risk on these.
A necklace for the Valentine who’s a proud book nerd:
If your valentine prefers understated, simple jewelry, get them something like this book necklace for Valentine’s Day. I have owned a similar necklace and have gotten a lot of everyday wear from it.
Tip: Make sure you know if your loved one has a strong preference for gold or silver-colored jewelry.
Bookish Jewelry for the Jane Austen fan:
This bookish necklace is more of an investment, at about $100, but it’s absolutely stunning. This handcut necklace features a book cover of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and is likely to be treasured by your bookish valentine.
Bookish Jewelry for the ACOTAR fan:
For those looking for Sarah J. Maas merchandise for their book lover, you’ve got bookish jewelry options, too. Try this Night Court Necklace, a handmade item available for sale on Amazon. It is both subtle and romantic, a win-win in my book.
7. A beautiful book
If you don’t think any of the above gift ideas for readers will really satisfy your valentine this year, you really can’t go wrong with getting your favorite bibliophile a beautiful book. It would also make a great addition to any of the aforementioned present ideas!
But which book to buy for Valentine’s Day?
If there’s a book you know they’ve been pining for, that’s an obvious choice. If you’re not sure, try getting them either a gorgeous collector’s edition or a beautiful antiquarian book, if they collect those.
You can also consult my lists of the best books I read in 2020, 2022, and 2023 as well as my list of the best cozy reads and 8 great reads by contemporary Black authors for some ideas.
Here are a few collectors edition books that I think are absolutely gorgeous:
- Chiltern Classics
- Penguin Clothbound Classics
- Canterbury Classics
- Puffin Classics
- Word Cloud Classics
- Laser Cut Jane Austen collection
You can also check out my list of beautiful classics at Bookshop.org. Get some bonus points by letting your valentine know that your purchase supported indie bookstores all over the country.
8. Romantic poetry
If your favorite bookish valentine has a romantic heart and loves poetry, then there’s no better opportunity than Valentine’s Day to give them the gift of poetry. You have many options here — gift them a book of romantic poetry, like this book of French love poems:
Or, you can get them a specific poem displayed in a beautiful way, such as a gorgeous print of a poem that you can find on etsy. If you want to take a step further and you’ve planned far enough in advance, you can even pay someone to compose a personalized love poem for your valentine.
Even if you’re not good with words, there are so many thoughtful ways to show your bookish valentine how much you love them.
9. The best Valentine’s gift for book lovers: A Bookstore Date
All right, I’ve saved the best gift for book lovers for last. Now I will tell you the secret to making a book lover swoon on Valentine’s Day. If you really want to romance a bibliophile, take them to a bookstore for your Valentine’s Date. No, I am not joking. This is perhaps the most romantic thing you can do for a book lover.
Tell your valentine you are going somewhere special for Valentine’s Day, but keep it a surprise. Research a great indie bookstore near you (a chain will work, too, if you don’t have a good indie bookstore nearby), and make sure you know their opening and closing hours.
Take your Valentine there, and set them loose! You can even give them a set price or book limit (or tell them no limit, but be ready to shell out!). There is no better gift for book lovers than this.
Make sure you allow ample time at the bookstore (definitely no less than an hour, but two is probably a safer bet). There’s nothing worse than being rushed through a bookshop! Then follow it up with a visit to a restaurant or café and let them tell you about all the books they chose while you listen rapturously. Trust me. Your date will be riding high on all of their book finds and looking at you with all the heart eyes.
To help you out, I’ve got a number of posts listing the best bookstores to visit in many places around the world (and I’m always adding more!), so be sure to check those out if you live nearby any of these locations:
- Best bookstores to visit in Boston, Massachusetts
- Best bookstores in San Francisco, California
- Best bookstores on O’ahu
- Best bookstores on the Big Island, Hawaii
- Talk Story Bookstore on Kauai
- Getting Lost in Baldwin’s Book Barn, Pennsylvania
- Best bookstores in Utah
- Best bookstores in Paris, France
- Best bookstores in Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Istanbul’s Book Bazaar
- 3 English Bookstores in Prague
- Boekhandel Dominicanen in the Netherlands
- Livreria Lello in Porto, Portugal
- Bookshops in Barcelona, Spain
- Best Bookstores in Athens, Greece
- Atlantis Books in Santorini, Greece
- Bookstores to check out in Manchester, UK
I really think any of these Valentine’s gift ideas for book lovers will be a hit, but this last one is almost a guaranteed slam dunk.
Those are my 9 unique Valentine’s gift ideas for book lovers. Do any of these look promising for your special someone? If you take me up on idea number 8, please come back and let us know how it went in the comments!
Happy Valentine’s!
Don’t forget to pin this list for later
