The Best Bookish Gifts For Under $30

⚓ Books    📅 2025-12-01    👤 surdeus    👁️ 2      

surdeus

Several years ago, I found myself scrolling through the annual deluge of gift posts that make their way across websites this time of year and was struck by “stocking stuffer” guides, including items that cost upwards of $20, $30, $100 a pop. I don’t know what tax bracket those writers were in, but it was not mine—the GIFTS cost that much, not the stocking stuffers. It inspired me to pull together what has become an annual guide to the best gifts for readers under $30. There are a wide variety of options, some of which will make for fun stocking stuffers—looking at you, stickers!—and many of which make for a solid gift-gift.

I’ve organized this guide to the best gifts for readers under $30 by price point. You can look for gifts under $10, under $20, and then under $30. I’ve kept to non-specific gifts for readers. This means they’re not going to highlight a single author or book but rather encompass reading and books more broadly. In other words, these gifts are thoughtful but just generic enough to not offend a book lover because you accidentally bought them something about Jane Austen, and that’s not their jam. Your book club gifts are probably in here, too.

And look, I’m not going to judge you if, in your pursuit of the perfect bookish gift for someone else, you end up slipping something for yourself into your cart, too.

Take note this year of shipping costs. Several awesome items that I wanted to include in this roundup had some out of control costs with shipping; this is in part because the cost of mailing anything has gone up and in part because of tariffs. One sticker, for example, cost $5 to buy but was going to then cost an additional $24 to ship. I’ve tried to stick to items where the cost to get the item did not cost more than the thing itself.

The Best Bookish Gifts Under $30

Under $10

Image of white embroidered socks. They each have a purple book on them with scalloped edges.
Image courtesy of DisorientedDesignCo on Etsy

Coming in right at $10 is this pair of adorable embroidered book socks. Look at the scalloped edges! $10.

Image of a colorful sticker that reads "protect libraries, archives, and museums."
Image courtesy of CozyStickerStore

This is the perfect sticker for readers who believe in public goods and public history. $4.

Image of a bookshelf decoration. It is in the shape of a sleeping dragon and that dragon is snuggling a stack of three books.
Image courtesy of WyvernWorks3D on Etsy

A sleeping dragon? Snugging books? It is indeed the perfect little bookshelf decor. You can choose from a couple of different colors for your sleepy sweet dragon. $8.

Image features four different bookmarks that all feature mushrooms.
Image courtesy of AmpleTaste on Etsy

Not only are these mushroom bookmarks cute, they look really sturdy, too. Pick your favorite fungi for $10.

Image of two colorful hairclips that look like a stack of books.
Image courtesy of NVDsignz on Etsy.

Keep your hair out of your face as you read with a colorful book hair clip. $8.

Image of a pink notepad with white lines. There are colorful flowers and a colorful bookstack on the notepad.
Image courtesy of EmilyCromwellDesigns on Etsy

Tuck a colorful bookish notepad inside a stocking stuffer and your gift recipient will find plenty of uses for it. $8.50.

Image of an embroidered bookshelf with dog bookends.
Image courtesy of Fellenn on Etsy

This is a downloadable embroidery pattern featuring a bookshelf being held by dog bookends. You can make this and gift it or pair it with some thread and gift the book lover in your life their own craft kit. $9, but higher if you purchase with thread and needles.

Image of three notepads that are designed for writing book reviews.
Image courtesy of ArtsbyBooksnmae on Etsy

Perhaps a notepad specifically designed for reviewing books is what’s needed. These have forty pages, so they should keep a reader going for a good chunk of the year. $9.25.

Image of a sticker. It features a worm in what looks like a kid's toy car. The car is towing a wagon full of books.
Image courtesy of TurtlesSoup on Etsy

Beep beep! Bookworm coming through. This adorably playful sticker would make any book lover’s heart happy. $3.50.

Image of a blue bookmark featuring blue and purple dinosaurs.
Image courtesy of EarthCuriousArtCo

There are many cute bookmarks and bookish stickers to choose from in this shop, but I’m partial to this dinos in love bookmark. $3.

Under $20

Image of a stack of library due date card styled post-it notes.
Image courtesy of PocketfulofProsey on Etsy

Sticky notes that look like library due date cards? Count me all the way in. These are practical and nostalgic all at once. $16, with a choice from several colors.

Image of a golden retriever bookmark on the inside of a book.
Image courtesy of FritoPaw on Etsy

Here’s a fun, unique, and personal idea: customize a pet bookmark! I know how much I’d love seeing my beloved pets’ faces show up inside my book (if the bunny doesn’t chew them first). Starting at $15.

Image of a mug that has an image of two bookshelves. They are filled with colorful books.
Image courtesy of FlyPaperProducts on Etsy.

There are never too many mugs, and there are definitely never too many mugs for book lovers. This one’s bright and colorful. $16.

Image of a rechargeable book lamp on an open book.
Image courtesy of ForTheIntroverts on Etsy

Choose from a few color options with this cutie rechargeable book lamp. It’s small, making it easily portable and something that won’t keep someone else awake if you’re using it in bed. $16.

embroidered green hat. The white embroidery reads "support your local library."
Image courtesy of LuminousThreadsLTD on Etsy

Depending on which of these embroidered hats you pick, you’ll land just under or just over $20. As of writing, there was a nice sale making all varieties under $20–and not only are these good-looking hats, they send a necessary message. You can choose from several colors as well.

Image of a black bumper sticker. In white letters it reads "pro-library."
Image courtesy of CancelEmpires on Etsy.

While we’re on the topic of supporting libraries, how rad is this pro-library bumper sticker? $14.

Image of a candle. It has a brown label and is called "comfort reads." It smells like pecan, wood spice, and almond.
Image courtesy of NovellyYours on Etsy.

If any time called for the smell of comfort reads, it’s now. Grab this candle or numerous other book-themed scents for $19.

Sheet of book-themed temporary tattoos.
Image courtesy of xoFetti on Etsy

Bedazzle arms, legs, and foreheads with these fun bookish temporary tattoos. Talk about a fun book club gift, as you could cut out individual tattoos for every person in your club and not spend a ton of money. There are over 40 on a sheet. $13.

Image of an enamel keychain that features a book stack. The book at the bottom of the stack says "cooking."
Image courtesy of LuckyFeatherGifts on Etsy

Choose from among several genres of books to anchor this enamel bookish keychain. Classics? Adventure? Romance? Poetry? Science Fiction? Fantasy? They’ve got ’em. $15.

Image of an ornament that features a stack of customizable book spines.
Image courtesy of HeartCraftedWonders on Etsy.

Starting at $15, this customizable ornament would look great with your giftee’s favorite books on the spines.

Image of an enamel pin. It looks like an open book with vines crawling on the pages, and it says "so many books so little time."
Image courtesy of Occasionalish on Etsy.

Sometimes simple is best, and while this bookish enamel pin is simple, it’s also very pretty. $13.

Image of a spiral notebook. It looks like a used library due date card and in red font reads "life is better in bed with a book."
Image courtesy of OffsideGraphicsCo on Etsy

A spiral notebook that looks like a library due date card? Check. A truism about how life is better in bed with a book on top of the card design? Check. $19.

Image of several leather corner bookmarks in a variety of colors.
Image courtesy of SbriStudio on Etsy

These customizable leather corner bookmarks look luxe and would definitely be loved by any reader. $13 and you can choose from several colors.

Under $30

Image of a pair of gold earrings in the shape of open books.
Image courtesy of BlooBleeJewelry on Etsy

Choose from silver or gold for these fun bookish earrings. $21 for silver and $30 for gold.

Image of a stamp. It has a big ribbon and reads "from the library of abigail rainsong."
Image courtesy of xoxoSugarplum on Etsy

This one comes in at just over $30 mark, and it comes in with the caveat that you won’t get an ink pad. But how fun is this big bow book stamp? Get it customized for $31, and spend a few more bucks to pick up an ink pad with it. Keep an eye on this shop, as there are sometimes sales to bring both the stamp and ink under the $30 budget.

Image of a colorful puzzle. It features a rainbow of book spines and flowers.
Image courtesy of WerkShoppeStudio on Etsy

How gorgeous is this book puzzle? I love how bright and energetic it is. $26.

Image of a light blue baby bodysuit. It has a cat, dog, and bird reading a book together. It reads "let's read together."
Image courtesy of boygirlparty on Etsy.

For the youngest bookworms–or the grown bookworms who are expecting a baby in the coming year–this is the perfect little bodysuit. $22.

Image of a big blue and white striped tote bag. In pink letters it reads "book nerd." It is on green grass and two books are inside.
Image courtesy of bibliodesignco on Etsy.

We love a good book tote, and this one has some perfect beachy vibes to it. Not to mention it looks like it can hold a lot of books. $28.

Image of a coir doormat. In black font it says "Shh...I'm reading."
Image courtesy of WoodbyStu on Etsy

This coir doormat in the two smallest sizes comes in under $30 and is perfect for outside a book lover’s home or outside their bedroom or library door inside the house. As of writing, these are deeply discounted, so you may be able to score a bigger size for under the $30 mark, too.

Image of a white woman wearing a gray sweatshirt that says "Reading is my favorite sport."
Image courtesy of InfiniteStyleTees on Etsy

Choose from a crewneck or hoodie style sweatshirt for the book lover who considers reading their sport of choice. There are many colors to pick from, and sizes go up to 3XL. Note that the 2XL and 3XL hoodies will be a couple of dollars beyond the $30 threshold.

Image of four book counters. They feature the words "books read this year," alongside numbered die that allow a person to track their reading.
Image courtesy of ChiclyBuilt on Etsy.

One of the trendy bookish gifts on Etsy over the last year has been the physical book counter, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Readers can physically track the number of books they’ve read in the year with a little shelf or hanging sign. This particular book counter look like a micro bookshelf, and there are a number of colors and designs to choose from. $25.

Image of a sun catcher. It's shaped like a half moon and inside the moon are a colorful bookshelf and a black cat.
Image courtesy of SpecialJoyGifts on Etsy

Sun catchers are always fun, and this bookish twist is one that will add delight to any book lover’s space. These aren’t made of glass but acrylic, so they’re less fragile but no less pretty. Most sizes are between $21 and $25.

Image of a linocut print. It has an open book being held by a pair of hands. Above the book are colorful rays of light.
Image courtesy of DaveHallPrintmaking on Etsy

I can think of no more gorgeous print to put on my wall than this one. Buying a frame for this gem will take you over $30, but it’ll be a gift a reader will cherish for a lifetime. $27.50.

Want even more great gift ideas for the book lover in your life? Check out these goods for audiobook lovers, fun finds for fantasy fans, illuminating bookish neon signs, and cozy bookish cardigans.

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