Reading Notes · Gift guide
Gifts for book lovers who already own every book
The short answer
A book voucher is never the wrong gift. If you'd rather give something they can hold, match it to their shelf: Sarah J Maas, Fourth Wing, or a bit of everything. Not sure of their size? Go for a mug, tote, notebook or tumbler. And if a tee doesn't fit, it can be exchanged.
Buying a book for someone who already owns every book is a gamble. They might have it already. They might not want it. And there's every chance a pile is already waiting for them.
So first things first: a book voucher will never be the wrong thing to give. Even if there's no room left on the shelf. There's never room left on the shelf.
But if you want to give them something they can actually hold, let's work this out together. And let's make it easy.
Start with their shelf
You don't need to know their favourite character or which book wrecked them most. Just have a look at the shelf.
If the spines look like this, that's Sarah J Maas. Run with it.
If they look like this, that's Fourth Wing. Dragons it is.
And if you spot the same book on there more than once? You're onto a winner.
A bit of everything up there, no one series taking over? There's a section for that too.
If there's Sarah J Maas on the shelf
These are the ones we keep coming back to, whichever of the three worlds they call home.
If they can't pick one seriesMaasverse T-Shirt$32.99All three worlds on one tee, and one of our most-loved Sarah J Maas designs. Nobody has a favourite queen.
The Velaris crowdFeyre's Tattoo Sweatshirt$48.99Feyre's tattoo, worn on the outside this time. Cosy enough to live in for an entire reread.
Under $20 and always rightSarah J Maas Shelfie Mug$14.99Every Sarah J Maas spine lined up on a mug. Basically their shelf, except it holds coffee.
The ones with opinionsThe Suriel Notebook$17.99The Suriel never lied, so neither should their notes. For TBR lists, reviews and every thought about that chapter.
Complete the gift: the Feyre's Tattoo Sweatshirt with the Sarah J Maas Shelfie Mug, $63.98 together. Cosy and caffeinated, sorted.
If there's Fourth Wing on the shelf
Dragons, banter and a war college that's trying to kill everyone. Here's where we'd start.
Our most-loved Fourth Wing teeViolence T-Shirt$32.99Violet's nickname, worn with pride. It stopped being a phase a long time ago.
Cold mornings at BasgiathBasgiath War College Sweatshirt$44.99Basgiath War College on a sweatshirt. All of the loyalty, none of the parapet.
Dragon people, under $20Tairn and Andarna Mug$14.99One grumpy, one chaotic, and they get all the best lines. Morning coffee with both.
Our top Fourth Wing toteViolence Tote Bag$21.99Big enough for the one book they went in for, and the four they came out with.
Complete the gift: the Basgiath War College Sweatshirt with the Tairn and Andarna Mug, $59.98 together.
If it's a bit of everything
No one series, just a lot of fantasy, romance and men who should know better. These work on any shelf like that.
Our best-selling trope toteMorally Grey Tote Bag$21.99Room for books, snacks and a very specific type. Morally grey, obviously.
Under $20, main-character morningsSiren Era Mug$19.99Siren-era confidence before the first coffee is even finished.
For the villain defendersMorally Grey Notebook$17.99Space for every reason the villain is the better character. There are a lot of reasons.
Book club regularsRomantasy Book Club T-Shirt$32.99Swords, spice and a happily ever after. Works whether the book club meets weekly or only in group chats.
Complete the gift: the Morally Grey Tote with the Morally Grey Notebook, $39.98 together. A matching set for a very specific type.
Guilty. I once ordered the same special edition twice without realising.
Not sure of their size?
Don't know their size? Don't go down that road. Mugs, totes, notebooks and the tumbler fit everyone.
And if you do go for a tee and it doesn't fit, don't panic. We do returns and exchanges, so if it isn't 100% right, we'll sort it out. We're good.
Working to a budget?
A quick scan by budget (prices are in US dollars):
- Under $20: A mug or a notebook. Small, useful, and used every single day.
- Under $50: A tee, a tote, the tumbler, or a sweatshirt from their shelf.
- Going all in, around $100: A sweatshirt, a mug and a notebook from the same shelf. That's a whole gift.
Still stuck?
Still not sure? Our gift card lets them choose for themselves. Same idea as the book voucher, just with more dragons.
If it's a Sarah J Maas or Fourth Wing person you're buying for, I've written about both: where to still buy Sarah J Maas merch from a small business and where to buy Fourth Wing merch.
Thank you for looking after one of us.
Tracy Smallman founded Caffeine and Curses after a Kingdom of Ash hangover sent her to her iPad. Every design is hand drawn in-house. Read her letters.
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