Weekend Writing: 2020 Gift Guide for Writers & Readers

It might be hard to believe, but the 2020 holiday season is already here. After the stressful, challenging year it has been, we need every reason to enjoy this holiday season. We need festive cheer. We might not be able to celebrate in large gatherings, but we can still participate in holiday activities, including buying gifts for your loved ones.

For the past three years, I have provided gift guides for writers and readers. I typically save this blog post for after Thanksgiving, but this year is different. We need to buy our holiday gifts in advance, just in case there is a delay in mail deliveries. If you're like me, you're strictly shopping online this year. You'll need to place your orders soon to make sure your gifts arrive in time for the holidays. 

If you're looking for ideas on what to buy for the creative writers and bookworms in your life, please enjoy this gift guide. I fully recommend these gifts. I wouldn't include anything on this list that I personally wouldn't want to own myself. So, trust me. Your special writer and reader will love these fun gifts. 

Gifts for Writers 

1. Typewriter Keyboard 

The AZIO Retro Classic typewriter keyboard (photo/Amazon.com).

Typewriters have become popular again in recent years. Writers love them because they're nostalgic. For decades, our favorite writers used typewriters to write their famous novels, stories, and poems. Personally, I love receiving gifts that have anything to do with typewriters. 

Enjoy the tactile touch of a typewriter with the AZIO Retro Classic typewriter keyboard for your laptop or desktop computer. Made with genuine walnut wood, the mechanical keys are tuned to be "clicky," like a real vintage typewriter. It has a USB port so you can use it with any computer, laptop, or tablet to have a vintage, high-quality writing experience. If you love typewriters as much as I do, then you can "use" a typewriter on your modern computer. 

2. Bookbinding Kit 

The VENCINK bookbinding kit (photo/Amazon.com).

Have you already written a book? You can bind the project in a genuine, smooth book with the VENCINK bookbinding kit. The kit includes a guidebook on how to bind books, as well as supplies designed for beginners. It includes a durable genuine bone folder creaser, paper awl, large-eye needles, waxed thread, 79-inch binding ribbon, glue brush, a steel ruler, binder clips, scissors, a thimble, and more. 

This kit is ideal for beginners who want to learn bookbinding at a professional level. If you have always wanted to bind your book, you can get started today. 

3. Writing Prompts 

The BestSelf WordSmith Deck with writing prompts (photo/Amazon.com).

Writer's block affects every writer in the industry. Sometimes, you need a little inspiration to get started. If this happens to you or a writer you know, the BestSelf WordSmith Deck promises to cure writer's block. The box contains 150 thought-provoking writing prompts to inspire creative writing.

The prompts will help you sharpen your writing skills while also providing reflective, supportive insights. You will never run out of ideas. Place the box on your writing desk and whenever you're battling writer's block, turn to it for fun, intelligent writing prompts to get those creative juices flowing. 

4. "Writer at Work" Door Hanger 

The "Do Not Disturb" door hanger for writers (photo/Amazon.com).

When writers are working on a project, they need to be left alone. They shouldn't be distracted, or else their work will never be completed. Their writing space is their sanctuary. 

Help writers mark their territory with a fun "Do Not Disturb" door hanger just for them. The sign lets everyone know that a writer is at work and they shouldn't be disturbed. Made of a 3.5" x 9.5" durable thick plastic and printed on one side with UV- and water-resistant inks, the hanger will hold up well to either indoor or outdoor use. The hole is large enough for all standard doorknobs. 

Let the writer in your life know that you understand that they're passionate about their jobs, and that you'll leave them alone when they need some peace and quiet. 

5. Notebooks/Journals 

(photo/Girls In Power)

This is the most basic gift you can buy for a writer, but it's also one of the most essential items. I have read many blog posts encouraging people to step up their gift-buying game by not buying notebooks for writers. We already have so many notebooks. Do we need another one? 

Yes, the answer is always yes. Writers can never own too many notebooks. There is something special in knowing that a person in your life recognizes and appreciates your profession as a writer. This person knows that you love to write, so he/she personally chose a new notebook to add to your collection. How can anyone be upset about that? It's such a sweet gift! 

There are so many notebooks to choose from. I personally like the Muji Recycled Paper Sketch Book. I have met many writers who also like to sketch their characters or scenes from their writing projects. This sketchbook provides enough space for writers to make sketches and also write. The large-format has had a great effect on writing. 

The Muji Recycled Paper Sketch Book (photo/Amazon.com).

I also recommend this magnetic notebook from Uncommon Goods. It looks and feels like a traditional hardcover notebook, but the pages are "bound" to a magnetic spine. You can pull out the pages and put them back in anywhere you like. 

Sometimes, writers change their minds about the pacing and plot of their stories. They might want to rearrange the story's events. This notebook allows them to "tear out" the pages and rearrange them in a neat, orderly fashion. Your notebook won't be a mess. The pages won't be ripped and you won't have to worry about the pages falling out of the notebook. I have never seen a notebook like this before! 

Uncommon Goods' magnetic notebook (photo/uncommongoods.com).

Gifts for Readers 

1. 100 Books Scratch Off Poster 

The 100 Books Scratch Off Poster from Uncommon Goods (photo/uncommongoods.com).

Do you know someone who is determined to read as many books as possible? They have a bucket list just for the books they have to read in their lifetime. They'll enjoy this scratch off poster from Uncommon Goods. The poster encourages bookworms to read their way through 100 iconic books. 

As they do, they can use a coin to scratch off each title and reveal the literary artwork underneath. The poster features classic books, including Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Macbeth, The Great Gatsby, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, and many others. This is an interactive, fun way for any bookworm to feel motivated to complete their reading bucket lists.  

2. Bookstore Candle 

The Book Lovers' Bookstore Soy Candle (photo/etsy.com).

Do you love the smell of books and a bookstore? You can bring this scent into your home with the Book Lovers' Bookstore Soy Candle from Etsy. The soy wax, lead-free cotton wick candle features mahogany, leather, and coffee, all made with natural and synthetic fragrance oils. 

The candles burn nice, clean, and they're eco-friendly. Lose yourself on a lazy afternoon with a good book, smelling like you're in your favorite bookstore from the comfort of your home. 

3. First Lines Coffee Mug 

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild literary coffee mug (photo/Amazon.com).

The best books hook readers from the very first line. Readers can celebrate some of literature's finest opening sentences with this colorful, creative coffee mug from the Unemployed Philosophers Guild. 

The mug features the opening lines of many classic books, including Anna Karenina, Lolita, Pride and Prejudice, The Color Purple, and others. This is a very thoughtful gift for the bookworm in your life! 

4. Banned Book Tote Bag 

The Out of Print banned book tote bag (photo/Amazon.com).

It might be hard to believe, but some of our favorite books were once banned or challenged. Bookworms love to embrace these banned books, and they engage in literary conversations about why these books should never be banned. 

This Out of Print banned book tote bag is the perfect gift for a bookworm who appreciates banned books. The tote bag is designed to spread the joy of reading. On one side of the bag, the book titles are printed, and on the other side, they are marked out to demonstrate that they were banned books. The tote bag is crafted from 100% cotton canvas to provide a durable, high-quality tote bag that can withstand any weather condition. 

5. "Little Women" Quote Pencils 

Little Women quote pencils (photo/Etsy.com).

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has become more popular in recent years, especially after the 2019 film adaptation. The book features beautiful quotes, especially quotes about female empowerment. 

In honor of this, you can buy Little Women quote pencils from Etsy. The set includes five pencils with different quotes. This includes one of my favorite quotes: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." If you know someone who loves Little Women, this is a very sweet gift! 

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Personally, if someone were to give me these gifts, I would love them. As I mentioned in my introduction, I wouldn't feature a product on my blog that I wouldn't enjoy. So, the writer and bookworm in your life will also love these gifts. 

Have fun (online) shopping this season for the perfect literary-themed gifts for your favorite writer and reader. They will love the gift you choose because it's from you. You thought of them and you care about their passions. 

That's the best gift of all. 

Happy holidays! 

-KJL-