Gifting books has a strange reputation.
It is often described as safe, predictable or even boring. As if books were something you give when you run out of ideas. As if asking for books as gifts needed an explanation.
I believe the opposite is true.
Giving books is not boring. It is honest. It is personal. And for many readers, it is exactly what they want.
This Kind of Gift Makes People Nervous
Gifting books feels risky.
What if the book is wrong.
What if they have already read it.
What if it does not match their taste at all.
Books are intimate. They meet us at specific moments in our lives. A story that feels right today might feel completely wrong tomorrow. This emotional weight is what makes gifting books feel difficult.
That is why people apologize for it. They say they did not know what else to get. They treat gifting books like a last resort.
But the fear around gifting books does not mean it lacks meaning. It means we care deeply about stories and the people who receive them.
Gifting Books Is About Attention, Not Perfection
Successful book gifting is not about finding the perfect title.
It is about attention.
About listening when someone talks about the books they love. About remembering whether they enjoy quiet novels, emotional nonfiction, strange places or slow stories. About noticing patterns in how and why they read.
Sometimes gifting books means asking directly what someone enjoys. Sometimes it means paying attention over time. And sometimes it means trusting a bookseller.
Bookshop recommendations are not a shortcut. They are part of thoughtful gifting books. When you explain how someone reads and ask for advice, the gift becomes a collaboration.
Why Gifting Books Can Include Bookshop Gift Vouchers
Gifting books does not always mean choosing a specific title.
For many readers, a gift voucher for their favourite bookshop is one of the most meaningful forms of gifting books.
It is not a compromise. It is a real wish.
A bookshop gift voucher says I trust your taste. It says take your time. It says choose the book that fits your life right now.
For people who love reading, this freedom matters. Browsing shelves, talking to booksellers and leaving with the right book is part of the experience. Gifting books can mean gifting that experience.
Choosing Your Own Book Is Part of Gifting Books
There is a quiet joy in choosing your own book. It is the same joy that comes from slowly filling your bookshelves with stories that truly belong to you.
The moment a cover catches your attention. The first page that feels right. The feeling of recognition when you know this is the story you want to take home.
Gifting a book can mean creating space for that moment. It does not reduce the value of the gift. It shows understanding of how personal reading truly is.
Sometimes the most thoughtful form of gifting books is letting the reader decide.
Making Giving Books Feel Safe and Kind
If you gift a physical book and feel unsure, make room for flexibility.
Include a receipt.
Offer an exchange.
Acknowledge that taste is personal.
This does not weaken gifting books. It strengthens it.
It shows that the goal was never to be right. The goal was connection.
What Giving Books Really Means
Gifting a book is not about showing good taste or literary knowledge.
It is about attention, trust and care.
Whether you give a carefully chosen novel or a bookshop gift voucher, gifting books is an act of respect for how someone reads and who they are.
So be the boring person who wants books as gifts.
There is nothing boring about knowing exactly what you long for.
For more bookish inspiration, you can find me on Bookstagram travel account @prettybookplaces.