What do you get someone who loves to read? What they love, of course.
But buying a book for someone who reads constantly is a bit harder than it looks. There’s a good chance they’ve read it. Or they already own it.
Or, even if you’re lucky enough to find one they haven’t read or own yet, they might prefer choosing their own copy for their personal library.
Reading is the one category where knowing somebody’s taste well makes the gift riskier instead of safer. So here’s the other approach that will make the holiday season easier this year.
What Do You Get Someone Who Already Owns Every Book?
The usual bookish gifts? Most people go with a bookmark or a good tote bag. If you happen to get a real creative gift-giver, they might go unique with a candle that smells like “ old, rustic library”.
And yes – readers like all three. That’s also exactly why they already have these gifts.
Most bookworm gift ideas land in the same list that every gift guide points to, because everyone shopping for the same person arrives at the same short list.
There’s a number behind this too. In a 2025 holiday survey of just over 8,200 adults, people were asked what they truly want to receive for the holidays.
Clothing and accessories came in at 46%, behind only gift cards, while books and other media came in at 27%.
So why not get them a high-quality shirt or accessory that they’ll love and one that shows you know they are a reader at heart?
Our Books & Writings collection runs over 130 unique products, and the shirts for book lovers in it are all-over prints. Here are some great options you can pick based on who you’re shopping for this year.
The Book Shelf Button Up is a great all-around option that celebrates a love of reading without being too on-the-nose. A fun print that gets people talking - just be ready to tell them what's on your bookshelf!
For the Cat-and-Books Lover
"G********, Donut!"
Books and cats have always been a perfect duo. But the meteoric rise of Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl series has helped elevate furry friends into iconic status.
Know someone whose love for a cat rivals that of Carl himself? Get them a gift that shows you appreciate their loyalty.
Tobe Fonseca’s Purrrfect Library Button Up is the one to start with. Book spines run floor to ceiling, and the cats lounge, peek, and plot between the shelves.
He also drew the Mondrian Cat Library Shirt, a black-lined grid in primary reds, yellows, and blues with cats tucked among the spines. Good pick for a reader who loves a gallery as much as a library.
The Book Nerd Cats Button Up Shirt features curious cats among neat stacks and fluttering pages.
And if you have a younger reader in your life, it also exists as a youth Hawaiian shirt they’ll love.
For the One Who’s Still Working On That Novel
We named our collection Books and Writings for a reason. We’re not just celebrating the love of books – but also the art of bringing them to life!
Gift guides tend to treat a book lover as “a person who reads”. But book lovers are creators as much as they are curators.
Look no further than the friend who disappears every November to write a novel. And that friend (or you!) deserves to write in style and comfort.
Zirkus Design has it covered. A popular option is their Writer Fuel Button Up. It’s comfortable and fun, perfect for those late-night word sprints.
The Scripted Ink Button Up features an all-over field of inky handwritten lines on a light background. From a distance it reads as texture. Up close it reads as pages. Perfection.
Give the gift of comfort and style this year – and leave the “Gonna finish that novel?” jokes at home.
Not sure if they'll love a shirt? We make many of the same fun designs in other products too - like the Scripted Ink bucket hat!
Geek Tropical Covers the Gift-Giving Range
The more specific your gift, the better. After all, your moody friend who loves the dark classics may appreciate a bright and snappy button up, but they may not wear it all the time.
Luckily, we’ve got a wide range – so you’ll find something for pretty much anyone in the bookish community.
-
Zirkus Design’s Book Shelf Button Up is exactly what it sounds like: illustrated spines on warm wood shelving wrapped around the whole shirt.
-
The Adventures Bookmark Button Up lines up illustrated page-savers in neat columns with tiny title blocks – fun for the careful eye.
-
Nathan Winsor’s Magical Books Purple Button Up cascades hand-drawn spines at playful angles across deep purple for someone who wants it said a little louder.
Know someone who is a bit more Poe than Game of Thrones? Go with Raven Library. This style features ravens perched on stacks of old books and has all the Poe-y vibes: candelabras, dripping candles, quills, inkwells, spiderwebs. (Also works well for Halloween!)
For literature-major energy, the Shakespeare Red Macbeth Button Up has a bookish micro-pattern inspired by the play. And Amy Brown’s Tales of the Sea dress is perfect for a reader who still loves an illustrated edition.
And if someone can name more dragons than classic Shakespeare, the Fantasy collection has plenty to pick from.
A few of these fit some people specifically. An English teacher gets the Shakespeare – and if they cover more than one subject, our guide to math shirts for teachers has you covered.
Tips on Getting the Size Right
We all know that a gift that doesn’t fit stops being a gift. We take great care to make sure your gifts are perfect for those you buy for, which is why our fabric products are made after you order them, so the size you want exists when it’s time to buy.
The trade is that it’s worth getting right the first time. The fit runs slightly large across most of the collection, so if you’re between sizes or guessing on someone else’s behalf, size down.
Sizes run XS through 5XL, with curvy cuts, long sleeves, dresses, youth shirts, and bucket hats across many of the designs. If it does turn up wrong, let us know, and we’ll make it right.
Made-to-order does mean it is not an overnight gift. Production runs a few business days before the shirt ships, so a present that needs to be under a tree is one you order in November, not the week of. (That’s why we’re putting out gift guides in September – don’t procrastinate!)
Give a Gift They’ll Love – and Wear All Year Long
A reader rarely needs more books. But what they’ll love is a gift that says what they’re about during the hours they’re not reading. Most of these are signed works from artists like Tobe Fonseca, Zirkus Design, Nathan Winsor, and Amy Brown – all printed with eco-friendly inks and made to order.
Check out our full Books & Writings collection and find the perfect gift this year.
Who knows, maybe they’ll wear it to book club, and somebody will ask where it came from. Make sure they say it’s from you.
