What to Get Someone Who Reads a Lot When You Don’t Know What They’ve Already Read
Buying a gift for someone who loves books sounds easy — until you actually have to choose the book.
The more someone reads, the harder they can be to buy for. That new bestseller you spotted might already be sitting on their bedside table. The novel everyone is talking about? They may have finished it months ago.
So what do you get someone who reads a lot when you have absolutely no idea what they’ve already read?
The safest answer isn't necessarily to avoid books altogether. Instead, choose a gift that removes some of the risk of having to pick the exact right title.
Why buying an avid reader a book can be surprisingly difficult
If you know exactly what someone wants to read, buying them a book is easy.
If you don't, you have to get two things right:
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Will they enjoy it?
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Have they already read it?
The second question is particularly difficult with avid readers.
Someone who gets through several books a month may have read far more of the current bestseller lists than you realise. Even knowing that they love thrillers, crime novels or romance doesn't tell you which books are already sitting on their shelves.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a reading-related gift. You just need a different approach.
1. Give them a bookshop voucher
A bookshop voucher is probably the simplest way to eliminate the risk of buying someone a book they've already read.
They choose exactly what they want, and you don't have to guess their favourite author, genre or latest read.
It's an especially good choice for someone who loves browsing bookshops and takes great pleasure in choosing their next book themselves.
The downside is that a voucher can feel a little less personal than an actual present.
For a birthday, Christmas, get-well gift or special occasion, you may want them to have something more substantial to open.
That's where a book gift box or hamper can be a better option.
2. Give them a book gift hamper
If you'd like them to have a proper present to open, rather than simply choosing a single book, consider a gift box that includes a book alongside other things they'll enjoy.
At The Book Resort, our gift boxes and hampers combine books with treats and gifts, so the entire present doesn't depend on getting one particular title right.
This can work especially well when you're looking for a birthday gift for someone who loves reading.
Instead of simply handing them another novel, they get a whole box to open and enjoy.
It's also one of the reasons book hampers make particularly good get well soon gifts. Someone recovering at home can start the book when they feel like it, enjoy the chocolate or treats and keep the other gifts for later.
If you're not sure which type of hamper would suit them, you can browse all of our gift boxes here.
3. Let someone else choose the book
You don't necessarily need to know the title at all.
Some independent bookshops and book services will recommend books based on the recipient's tastes. This can range from speaking directly to a bookseller to completing a detailed reading questionnaire.
That's a particularly good option for a reader with very specific tastes who would enjoy being involved in choosing what they receive.
But there is another way to do it.
If you'd rather say something as simple as “she loves crime novels” or “he likes thrillers” and leave the actual title as a surprise, a book subscription can make much more sense.
You choose the general kind of books they enjoy. Someone else chooses the individual books.
4. Give them a book subscription
For someone who always has a book on the go, a book subscription solves the problem in a different way.
Instead of trying to choose one perfect book, you're giving them new reading material over time.
At The Book Resort, you can choose the recipient's preferred genre and we choose the individual title for each box.
Each subscription box contains a brand-new book as well as chocolate from an Irish chocolatier and a gift from an Irish business.
There are two main ways to do it.
Giving a book subscription as a gift
If this is a present for someone else, our Advance Book Subscription is the easiest option.
You pay for the subscription in advance and choose how long you'd like the gift to last.
That makes it particularly suitable for birthdays, Christmas, milestone birthdays, anniversaries or any occasion when you'd like to give something that continues after the day itself.
A birthday present, for example, doesn't have to end once the wrapping paper has been cleared away.
The first box arrives, and then another book box arrives the following month.
You can see the Advance Book Subscription here.
A flexible subscription for someone who wants to keep reading
Our Monthly Book Subscription works differently.
Rather than paying for a fixed gift period upfront, it's a flexible monthly subscription.
This is generally the better choice if you're subscribing for yourself or if flexibility is more important than giving a fixed prepaid present.
You can see how the Monthly Book Subscription works here, or compare all of our book subscription options.
But what if they've already read the book?
This is the big question.
And if you're buying for someone who reads constantly, it's a very reasonable concern.
With a Book Resort subscription, if the recipient has already read the book we've chosen, they don't have to return it.
They can keep it.
Just let us know and we'll include an additional book in their next month's subscription box at no extra charge.
That means you don't need to secretly inspect their bookshelves before buying their present. You don't need their complete reading history. And you don't have to abandon the idea of giving them books simply because they read a lot.
For avid readers, we think that's an important part of making a book subscription work as a gift.
What if you don't know what kind of books they like either?
Not knowing what they've already read is one problem.
Not knowing what they like to read is another.
If you know they love crime, thrillers, romance or Irish authors, that's usually enough to choose an appropriate genre for a Book Resort subscription.
But sometimes all you know is:
“She always has a book with her.”
That's fine too.
Our Advance Book Subscription includes Mixture and Surprise Me options, allowing us to make the selections rather than asking you to guess.
However, we're not the right book service for every reader.
Our selections concentrate primarily on enjoyable contemporary adult fiction, including bestsellers, crime, thrillers, romance and Irish writing. We generally avoid horror, fantasy, non-fiction and series.
If the person you're buying for reads almost exclusively fantasy, horror or non-fiction, a specialist bookseller or bookshop voucher may genuinely be a better present.
What should you get a book lover for their birthday?
For birthdays, think about what you want the gift to do.
If you want them to have one lovely present to open on their birthday, look through our Birthday Gifts Ireland collection. There are book hampers at different price points, so you don't need to commit to a subscription.
If they're an avid reader and you'd like the birthday gift to continue for several months, the Advance Book Subscription is the more natural choice.
Instead of trying to find the one book they haven't read, you're giving them several months of books and surprises.
You can also browse all Birthday Gifts if you're not certain that a subscription is right for them.
What about a gift for someone who is unwell or recovering?
Books can also be excellent gifts for someone spending more time at home.
A novel gives them something to escape into without demanding that they use the gift immediately.
For this situation, however, a full subscription isn't always necessary.
A Get Well Soon gift hamper containing a book and a few other things to enjoy can be a better fit. We offer free delivery to homes and hospitals throughout Ireland.
It's another example of why we don't think a book subscription should automatically be the answer just because someone likes reading.
Sometimes one beautiful gift box is exactly right.
You can browse our Get Well Soon Gifts here.
How to choose between a book, voucher, hamper and subscription
Here's the simplest way to decide.
You know the exact book they want:
Buy the book.
They love choosing their own books:
Buy a bookshop voucher.
You want them to have a beautiful present to open:
Choose a book gift box or hamper.
It's their birthday and you want a one-off gift:
Browse our Birthday Gifts.
They're unwell or recovering at home:
A Get Well Soon gift with a book and treats may be more suitable.
You know the kinds of books they enjoy but don't know individual titles:
A book subscription takes the individual book choice out of your hands.
You want to give the subscription as a prepaid present:
Choose the Advance Book Subscription.
They want an ongoing, flexible subscription:
Choose the Monthly Book Subscription.
You know almost nothing about their reading tastes:
A Surprise Me or Mixture subscription can work if they enjoy contemporary fiction and are happy to discover something different.
Can I send a book gift directly to someone in Ireland?
Yes.
If the person you're buying for lives somewhere else in Ireland, you don't need to have their gift delivered to you first.
The Book Resort is based in Waterford and we send gifts throughout Ireland, including Northern Ireland.
Simply use the recipient's address as the shipping address when you order.
You can also include a personal message, which we'll handwrite on the card included with their gift.
And because receipts and prices aren't included inside our gift boxes, you can have the present sent straight to them.
This is useful if you've suddenly remembered a birthday and can't be there yourself, but it's also particularly handy for people living abroad who want to send a gift home to Ireland.
If you're looking for a one-off present, start with our full range of gift boxes.
If you'd rather give them something that arrives month after month, look at our Book Subscriptions in Ireland.
The best gift for someone who reads a lot
The best gift for an avid reader isn't necessarily the latest bestseller.
In fact, if they read constantly, that can be one of the riskiest choices because there's a good chance they've already read it.
Instead, think about the experience you want to give them.
A bookshop voucher gives them complete freedom.
A single book is perfect when you know exactly what they want.
A book gift hamper gives them something substantial to unwrap and enjoy.
A Monthly Book Subscription gives them the flexibility of an ongoing reading treat.
And an Advance Book Subscription turns one present into a gift that can continue arriving for months.
You don't need to know every book they've ever read.
You just need to know enough about the person to choose the right kind of gift — and let someone else worry about choosing the next book.