A little gift guide for the bookish people in your life (who might be A mum but maybe not)

Ok, so, yes. This is a gift guide that I’m writing with Mother’s Day in mind – its on Sunday 9th May here in Australia this year – but I also appreciate that Mother’s Day isn’t everyone’s thing for a whole range of reasons. I hope though that if you do have a look at this post it might give you some inspiration from some broadly book/reading adjacent bits and pieces that would make nice gifts for the people in your life who are into those sorts of things, whether they are mums or not. None of this is sponsored, these are just 100% things that I think are lovely.

Days Like These by Pip Lincolne
I am a Pip Lincolne fan from way back, and her latest book, Days Like These, is just as delightful as you would expect if you are familiar with her work. Lincolne has an incredible talent for connecting with people through her written words. I always feel like I am part of a conversation when I read her blog posts or pick up one of her books. I haven’t read Days Like These cover to cover – I’m not sure it’s really that kind of book – but I have been dipping in and out since I bought this one and have really loved it. The book touches on all kinds of things that might pop up for mums, with chapters on feeling alone, feeling overwhelmed, feeling like you’re not enough, needing expert help, needing a reminder of how great you’re doing, feel judged by others and more. There are tips for little things you can do for yourself when you just have a minute, how to make friends with other mums, how to ask for help, idea for things to say/ways to help each other, where to find professional help and so much more. It’s actually really hard to give an overview because it is so jam packed full of different things! It occurs to me now that maybe the best idea is to share the actual blurb that professional people wrote for this one! haha! Here it is from the Murdoch Books website:

Mums are the greatest yet least appreciated humans and it’s time they had their own huggable book all about mum care!

Whether your child is 2 or 20, it can be easy to get lost in day-to-day survival mode and forget the long game – the magic you have already made and that they really will be OK in the end.

Days Like These is an uplifting guide to supporting yourself and other mums you know. Let bestselling author Pip Lincolne remind you that it’s fine to go slow as she helps you shift expectations (so many expectations!), drop the guilt, choose fresh ways to measure success, find yourself again and remember the things that delight you in the everyday. Because you are not alone and sometimes we all need a reminder that we’re doing our best on this life-changing journey called motherhood.

There you go! In a nutshell it is a guide to supporting yourself and other mums you know. It’s all written in Lincolne’s warm, reassuring, friendly style, and I love it. (Just to be 100% clear, I have been sent some books by Murdoch recently, but I bought this one myself as soon as it came out because I knew it would be wonderful.)

Book Sleeve from Stitch Shelf
Every reader loves a book sleeve, and it is a fact that you can never have to many. Ok, so there are always going to be some exceptions, but I really think a new book sleeve is a pretty safe bet when you’re shopping for something to give your favourite book lover, and even better if you gift it with a book inside. Vicki’s book sleeves are absolutely beautiful – they are impeccably made, and the range of fabrics she uses are just divine. The one pictured here is a favourite of mine (I actually did buy one for my mum too!) – if you’re quick you might find that there’s one left in the Stitch Shelf Etsy Store! You can also keep up with the latest new releases hitting the store by following Stitch Shelf on Instagram here.

Heat Pack by Millie Made
Forget dressing gowns and slippers and fuzzy socks – if I want to be super cosy and warm when I’m reading its a heat pack I’m reaching for! My heat pack from my lovely friend Holly at Millie Made gets so much use and I absolutely love it. I happen to know that Holly has been stitching up a bunch of these, as well as some other goodies, for the CBRMade Etsy Made Local Winter Makers Market, which is coming up this Saturday 1 May. If you think you’d like to nab one for yourself but can’t make it to the market you can get in touch with Holly on her Instagram page. You can also find out a bit more about Holly and Millie Made in this interview we did before Christmas.

Tea by Tea Garden Co.
My absolute favourite teas all come from local Canberra tea blenders Tea Garden Co. They have a great range of teas, with the most brilliant funny names (I love a pun!), and to be honest I’m yet to meet a tea of theirs that I don’t love! My absolute all time favourite is their Vermont Chai, and I also have been really enjoying the Good Morning London. I checked out their new(ish) space at Dirty Jane’s in Canberra this week and its gorgeous! You can find them online here and on Instagram here.

Bookish Mug by A Cosy Reader Designs
Obviously every serious book lover needs a great bookish mug, and this one designed by Mel from A Cosy Reader Designs is my current favourite – you can find it in her Redbubble store here. You can also follow A Cosy Reader Designs on Instagram here.

Canister Candle by The Little Flame Co
I know I’m not the only reader who has a bit of a thing for gorgeous scented candles – is there anything nicer than lighting one and settling in for a cosy reading session? I love The Little Flame Co’s canister candles – they come in a bunch of gorgeous scents (the food ones are always my favourites), the canisters are beautiful so they look as good on your shelves as they smell, AND they have a great cold throw scent which means they smell good when you take the lid off even when they aren’t lit (perfect for our home, since my daughter is nervous about having candles lit in the house). You can find them online here, and on Instagram here.

The Literary Witches Oracle Cards by Taisia Kitaiskaia

The final item in my gift guide is a little bit different maybe, but still bookish and I think a lot of fun. It’s a beautiful deck of oracle cards featuring literary women. Here’s the description from Kitaiskaia’s website:

THE LITERARY WITCHES ORACLE is a 70-card oracle deck based on Taisia Kitaiskaia’s book with Katy Horan, LITERARY WITCHES: A CELEBRATION OF MAGICAL WOMEN WRITERS. The tarot-like deck features the 30 authors from the book along with all-new otherworldly symbols inspired by the book’s imagery.

If you seek wisdom from strong, creative women, this oracle deck will add spiritual insight and feminist guidance to your personal divination practice. The female visionaries in this deck will inform answers to questions about your creative life and spiritual journey. In addition to the portraits of literary heroes, such as Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison, and lesser-known trailblazers, such as Yumiko Kurahashi and Mirabai, the deck features 40 symbol cards bearing Katy Horan’s illustrations of potent spiritual icons to enhance your reading. Taisia Kitaiskaia’s guidebook acts as an interpreter, helping you find meaning in the cards based on your specific intentions, the writers’ dominant traits, and the spiritual symbols at play.

I have only had my deck for a couple of weeks so I am still getting to know them, but I absolutely love these cards. The quality is good (they feel nice to handle) and I’m enjoying getting to know the stories of the women featured. I think this would make such a great gift for a book lover in your life!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed a look at some of my favourite bookish/book adjacent things that I think would make great gifts for your favourite book lovers! I also hope it might have been helpful if you’ve been stuck for ideas! Do let me know if you do decide to give any of these lovely things as gifts, or if you have other ideas for similar bits I should check out!

xo Bron