The Goods

Literary Home Office Gifts

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Kelly Jensen

Editor

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She's the editor/author of (DON'T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen.

Whether you’re looking ahead to your own holiday gifting or are hoping to build a wishlist to pass along to those always asking you what you want, now is the perfect time to begin thinking about the places and spaces you’re hoping to spruce up. There are so many places you can add just that little bit — or big bit! — of something to make your home or work spaces cozier, warmer, and, of course, more bookish. Maybe you’re still working from home or have always worked from home or you’re itching to update that space you no longer use exclusively for work, why not start considering some literary home office gifts for your giving/wishing lists?

When I think of literary home office gifts, I think about a few things. There are big ticket items like fancy bookshelves or original art prints. I also think of smaller gifts, including pencils, pens, paper products, and bookends. There are literary home office gifts here for every price point, from big spenders to perfect little stocking stuffers.

I’ve kept to broadly literary and bookish themes, so you won’t necessarily see fandom related gift ideas here. But know there are plenty out there — maybe you love a set of sticky notes you see here but want to know if there’s one that aligns with a favorite movie or superhero. Click through to the Etsy shop and you might find exactly what you were looking for (or, maybe weren’t but are pleasantly surprised to find).

Let’s dive on into the best literary home office gifts.

Image of a white desktop bookshelf.

Maybe you have a desk with no built-in storage or you are itching to have a little more storage as part of your setup. Grab this small desktop bookshelf in white, pictured above, or in black. There is a third option with a slightly different design — it’s taller and also available in white. This cute way to store essential reads, your TBR, or your towering notebook collection is $25.

Image of four library due date card style coasters.

Keep your desktop safe from water or coffee stains with these library card coasters. A set of four runs $25.

Image of a coaster that looks like a black and white composition book. Beside it, on another coaster, is a coffee cup.

Another fun option for coasters in the office? These composition books. $20 for a set of four.

Image of a pencil holder that looks like a stack of old books.

For fans of antique books, this book pencil and pen holder would be a dream desk addition. $28.

Image of a foldable wooden light in the shape of a book.

Need a little light in your office and want the option for it to look like a book? Enter the wooden book light. $33.

Image of the book club candle from homesick.

The perfect bookish candle for your desk? The Homesick brand Book Club candle. I have this one on my desk and love it. $38.

Yellow vintage style book that is hollow inside.

A few of these hollow books on your desk would look great and have that secret space for storing things out of sight. I’d put all of my loose paper stuffs in here. There are several colors to choose from. $20.

Image of the mental floss literary miscellany calendar for 2022.

All desks need a good calendar, so why not choose a page-a-day calendar for book lovers? The backs of these daily pages make for great note taking. $17.

Three pieces of metal art featuring someone reading a book.

This set of three pieces of metal reading art would look awesome lined up together on a wall, as pictures above, or spread the three of them out in different areas of your office. The style is classic and modern at the same time. $155 for the set of three.

image of two glass bookshelves

If your office is in need of some really solid bookshelves, these glass bookshelves are supposed to be unbreakable. They look classy and would give your home office a real statement. $830 each, but as of this writing, they are on sale for $450, suggesting you might keep an eye on these for more sales.

Image of rotating bookshelves

I lived for the spinning bookshelves at the library growing up, and I think they would make an excellent addition to a literary home office. $250 for the four-tier setup on the right, which holds about 100 books.

Image of a cork board in the shape of a book.

I know my office would look amazing with a book shaped cork board. $30 and up, depending on size, and yes, you can customize the color to fit your aesthetic.

Set of pastel colored pencils, each with gold text with bookish phrases.

Your next batch of literary pencils is here. $9 for a set of five.

Image of book-themed garland of birds reading books.

If you have a desk with a shelf on it or have bookshelves in your office (or, you know, plan to add some thanks to this gift guide!), why not put a little more whimsy in your life with this fun bookish garland? I love the colors and the birds here. $20.

Image of a sticky note set featuring a black cat reading, alongside several crystals.

This is the first of several fun sticky note and notepad options. I love this magical reading cat! $5.

Image of two notepads featuring an orange and creme color palette. They have stacks of books and little worms.

These bookworm note pads are too stinking cute. $7.

Stack of sticky notes each featuring a colorful bookshelf.

These rainbow bookshelf sticky notes are an office staple for book lovers. $3.

Image of a sage green rolling bookshelf.

There’s no better time than now to add a rolling book cart to your home office. This is your most basic — and still pretty! — option. There are a couple of color options for $44.

Wooden rolling book cart.

Go all in on your nerdery with this amazing wooden book cart. $137.

Replica card catalog featuring space for a plant on top.

Does your office need a cute plant holder? Maybe a plant holder in the shape of an old school card catalog? Grab this in a number of material options, beginning at $10.

Image of a card catalog drawer.

Snag a card catalog drawer to hold all of your office supplies. $45.

Library card catalog

Maybe it’s time to simply splurge on a beautiful library card catalog. This one is a gorgeous option and will run you $695, which really isn’t a terrible cost for one of these!

Set of green agate bookends

Your books or other office supplies needing to stand up straight will never get crooked because of weak bookends. This set of green agate bookends are pretty AND sturdy. $27 and up.

Set of bookends in the shape of Saturn.

These Saturn bookends are out of this world (/groan). $55.

Image of a black book cover designed like a working clock.

Last, but absolutely not least, the perfect literary home office gifts list would be incomplete without a custom book clock. Yes, you can pick the book! Choose your favorite and look at it all day whenever you need the time. $40 and up.