Gifts for Book Lovers: What to Give a Reader Who Already Owns Everything

Here is the trap with readers: buying them a book feels like the obvious gift and is actually the riskiest one. They have either read it, already own it, deliberately chosen not to read it, or have strong feelings about which edition.

The things readers genuinely want are the things around the reading, not the reading itself.

Why a bookmark is the right answer

Almost every reader uses something as a bookmark, and almost none of them own a good one. Right now it is a receipt, a boarding pass, or the book is face-down and splitting at the spine.

A crochet bookmark (₹149) fixes a real daily annoyance. It is soft, so it never dents a page. It is thick enough to find by touch. And the tassel hangs outside the book, so they can see where they stopped without opening it.

We make seven: the sunflower and the flower and leaf are the bright ones, while the green and blue floral and the blossom and tassel in blue are quieter. Cotton takes colour without bleeding onto pages, which matters more than it sounds.

For the reading corner

Most readers have a spot — a chair, a side table, a windowsill. It is usually the least decorated surface in the house because the books take all the attention.

• A candle that stays unlit. A rose candle (₹199) beside a stack of books does its job without ever being burned. Useful in a PG or hostel where flames are not allowed.
• A coaster for the tea. Every reader has a mug going cold beside them. Coasters (₹249) stop rings on the table they have been meaning to protect.
• Something green that cannot die. A crochet flower pot (₹449) needs no light and no water, which suits a reading corner that is usually the darkest part of the room.

If you must give a book

Give it with something else. A book alone is a coin flip; a book with a handmade bookmark tucked into it is a gift, because the bookmark survives even if they have read the book.

At ₹149 it is also the cheapest way to make a ₹400 paperback feel considered.

What to avoid

1. A book you loved. You are giving them homework, and they can tell.
2. Novelty bookmarks with metal clips. They crease pages and fall out of the book.
3. Anything scented for a reading nook. Scent preference is extremely personal and a reader sits with it for hours.
4. A Kindle, unless you know they want one. This is a genuinely contentious subject among readers.

Why handmade suits readers particularly

People who care about books tend to care about objects that were made rather than manufactured. A crochet bookmark takes a couple of hours of someone’s time, and no two come out identical — which is the same reason readers prefer a worn paperback to a pristine one.

Everything at Felofey is made by hand in our Delhi studio. There is more on why that matters, and why crochet cannot be machine-made at all, in our guide to crochet.

Common questions

Will a crochet bookmark damage my books?

No — that is rather the point. It is soft and flat, so unlike a metal clip it leaves no crease and puts no strain on the spine.

How thick is it? Will it make the book bulge?

Thin enough to close a paperback over, thick enough to find without looking.

Can it be washed?

Yes — hand-wash in cool water and dry flat. Cotton does not bleed onto paper.

Do you have a gift set for readers?

Not as a listed set, but a bookmark plus a coaster or candle comes to under ₹400 and arrives in one gift-ready box. Add both to the cart and we pack them together.

Browse all seven on the bookmarks page, or see our wider list of handmade gifts under ₹500.