20+ Giftable Books for Perfect Everyone in 2023
What are giftable books? For our purposes, they are books to give as gifts to friends, family, teachers, and anyone on your shopping list.
We often give books for presents to kids paired with a little toy or game. But we wanted to highlight the books to give as gifts to adults in this list.
We actually selected each of these for a recent gift-giving event we hosted at Children’s Book World. In this post, like at the event, you’ll see not only the book we chose but who we chose it for and why.
It’s our hope that you will join us in normalizing giving books as presents for the holidays, birthdays, or just because. Read on to help figure out what books to gift to everyone on your list!
*Giftable books post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Books to Give as Gifts to Your Family
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
For Your Mother or Mother-in-Law
Jennifer Weiner has written her best book yet with this pick. Abby Stern thinks she has everything she ever wanted, but when she leads a bike trip that all changes. Not only does her mom show up, but she is leading the trip with an ex-fling. Grab a copy for yourself and your mom to read together!
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
For Your Dad/DIL or Art Lover
This is the true story of Stephane Breitwieser, a notorious art thief who stole over 200 pieces of art from Europe’s most well-known museums. This account details how the art was stolen, his eventual capture, and the recovery of some of the works. Read it with your dad and chat about it over dinner.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
For Your Brother
Set in a dystopian world that could easily be ours, it’s about the Chain-Gang All-Stars, the reality TV show that pits prisoners against each other in gladiator-type fights to the death. Closely following 2 of the stars about to be released, this searing look at racism and classism feels highly relevant to today’s world.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
For Your Sister
Lara’s 3 daughters return home and beg her to tell the story of her romance with a movie star. Throughout their Mom’s telling of her summer theatre experience at Tom Lake, the sisters get the long-awaited answers to questions they’ve asked for years. Ann Patchett nails family dynamics once again.
Giftable Books for Friends and Loved Ones
Big Gay Wedding by Byron Lane
For Your Book Club
Barnett has returned home to his mother’s farm in rural Louisana to announce he’s getting married to another man. Needless to say, introducing Ezra to his mom doesn’t go smoothly. Grab this FANTASTIC novel filled with family drama, growth, acceptance, and a wedding to discuss with your book club! It’s also a great book to gift to someone getting married.
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
For Your Kid’s Teacher
When her dad mysteriously vanishes and Mia’s younger brother, who is non-speaking Autistic, becomes the only witness, family secrets unravel. Packed with shocking twists and thought-provoking questions, this book explores love, language, disabilities, and the lengths a family will go to understand one another.
The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
For Your Camp Bestie
If you ever went to camp and have memories of your BFFs, you MUST read this book. It has everything you could hope and dream for in a book about camp friendships, old flames, and staying connected to camp as an adult.
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges
For Your Grandma or a Home Decor Lover
This charming magical realism story is about a blogger who decorates rooms for an ever-changing, magical dollhouse. When Alex sees his home in miniature form, he sets out to solve the mystery of how Myra creates her dollhouse! There is a lovely grandmother relationship and details of adorable miniature furniture. It’s the perfect book to gift a home decor-loving grandma!
More Books for Presents by Personality
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
For The Friend Obsessed with The Murdock Mysteries
Inspired by real events, this book takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the lives of two women determined to seek justice and bring down a serial killer. This mystery-thriller flips the script on traditional serial killer tales, focusing on the female victims & the women impacted by the perpetrator’s crimes.
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
For a Fashionista
Magnolia Parks is high drama! Think post-college Gossip Girl, set in London’s high society with INSANE outfit descriptions featuring real clothes by designer brands. There are love triangles, dangerous situations, and jet-setting galore. It’s BookTok approved but not for teens!
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni
For The One That Loves the Da Vinci Code
If you are looking for a great book that is completely addicting and unlike anything else you have read, this is the pick for you. Reality and supernatural forces come together when an expert puzzle master is sucked into an ancient mystery. Dan Brown would approve of choosing this twisty mystery as a book to gift.
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
For a Reality TV Junkie
Britney’s memoir sheds light on events captured by the paparazzi from her point of view. Free from her conservatorship, she sheds light on her breakup with Justin, the shaved head, and her Vegas show. This drama is crazier than anything you’ve seen on TV. When it comes to giftable books, we think any 90s lover will want this one.
The Wager by David Grann
For The Person Who Loves Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’s most recent movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, is an adaptation of Grann’s previous book. Scorsese has now purchased the rights to adapt this high-sea adventure about a ship called The Wager, its shipwreck, the mutiny that came after, and the conflicting tales of the survivors.
Books to Gift based on Genre
The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye
For The Romantic
How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. Helene met Sebastian for the first time in Alaska. That is her name this time. She was and will always be Juliet. Sebastian is Romeo – destined to love and lose his Juliet hundreds of times in his never-ending life. Can they change their fate? It’s a love story for the ages!
Fourth Wing (Empyrean Series Book #1) by Rebecca Yarros
For The Fantasy Obsessed
I am not sure these two books need any introduction, but in case you have been living under a rock, this new fantasy series is for anyone who loves fantasy, dragons, or romance. The series is EPIC, the plot is fast-paced, and both of these books are unputdownable. When it comes to giftable books, this fantasy pick is top of our list!
Demon Cooperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
For Literary Fiction Lovers
Demon Copperhead is a beautifully written book that only Barbara Kingsolver could write. Set in Southern Appalachia, Demon is born to a single mother in a trailer park. It’s a loose retelling of David Copperfield that is gorgeously told and is perfect for the literary fiction lover on your list. A definite must-read.
Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood
For Your Teen Girl
Ali Hazelwood is the queen of romance and this is her YA debut! Mallory thought she was done with chess until one game changed everything. She is given a chance to change her life and her family’s life by agreeing to keep playing the game. A strong female STEM romance? Yes, please.
Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis
For Your Teen Boy
Ross Quest wanted to quit her family business of being a world-renowned master thief. She had plans in place when her mom convinced her to do one last heist. Now Ross must compete in the ultimate heist against the best in the world to save her mom. Who can she trust in this deadly game of cat and mouse? When it comes to books as gifts, you can’t go wrong with this teen boy pick!
Giving Festive Books as Christmas Gifts
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
A Holiday Crowd Pleaser
This is such a feel-good, magical Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan romance! When Maryam and Anna get stranded in a small town when their plane is detoured, they discover the true meaning of the holiday and find love in the process. Everything about this book screams perfect for the holidays!
The Christmas Orphan’s Club by Becca Freeman
A Holiday Friendship Story
On her first Christmas after the death of her parents, Hannah meets Finn, another orphan and together they celebrate Christmas. Soon, a lifelong friendship develops. But a dozen years into their tradition, life is about to change. Will this be their best Christmas yet or the end of their friendship?
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
A Holiday Mystery
The Fairway Players theater group is back and once again in the middle of a murder that threatens to halt their Holiday production. Hallett puts you in the detective seat as you unravel clues, sift through Christmas letters, and dig into police transcripts to unmask the culprit before the final curtain falls.
A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss
A Holiday Book Club Pick
When Simone, Maggie, and Star, half-sisters with different moms, find out their father has died they also learn that in order to receive their inheritance, they must first solve a scavenger hunt and then relaunch the town’s Winter Solstice celebration. This holiday book is about love and reconnections. Get multiple copies to hand out these books for presents during the holiday season.
Looking for the perfect gift for a book lover?
Did you find any giftable books on this list? Are we missing your favorite book to gift?
The 56 Best Gifts For Book Lovers to Adore
Looking for the perfect gift for the bookworms in your life? Look no further!
