We can’t wait to celebrate International Day of Friendship on the 30th. We were chatting amongst ourselves about friendships and how important they are, and we came up with some amazing ideas to celebrate and honor those incredible friendships! 

Those are the friends who are with us through good times and tough times. They don’t judge that sneaky slice of chocolate cake or when you decide a glass of wine falls under your fruit allocation. They give the best book recommendations, and together you have ever-growing TBR lists.

These are the kinds of friends who make the world a better place and life that extra bit of fun! Whether it’s a friendship you’ve had forever, a new friend you’re getting to know, a book club friend or a long-distance friendship, it’s time to say thank you and treat them with the ultimate bookish moment.

 

Why International Day of Friendship Deserves a Bookish Moment

Books have a way of bringing us together. That’s why book clubs are amazing. Our love of reading unites us, and nothing beats a shared reading experience. We love those conversations that kick off with “I can’t believe that happened,” followed by “I never saw it coming!” 

We love discussing those unexpected plot twists, the characters we love to hate, and those moments that have you at a loss for words. We love finding a book we just know someone will love, and we can’t wait for them to read it! Comparing notes or the post-book analysis is always a highlight!

Here at Once Upon a Book Club, we are renowned for our surprise gifts that tie to key moments in every story. These gifts have led to us expanding our shop, and we have the ultimate bookish product for every occasion. Our collections are so popular, from accessories and apparel to home decor and everything in between!

So gifting for a fellow bookworm doesn’t always need to include a book; sometimes it’s that special bookish gift that just oozes charm and lets them know that you’re thinking about them!

 

Bookish Gifts For the Friend Who Has Seen You Through Everything

These types of friendships are truly special. It doesn’t matter what is happening in your life; these are the kinds of friends who will drop everything if you need them to. They are the ones who stand by you, always. 

They know just what to say and when to say it. And often they’re the ones you don’t need to tell; they instinctively know! And for these friends, we think the perfect gift is something they will love but wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves.

It’s all about the personal touch! We’re thinking along the lines of literary perfumes from our Health & Beauty Collection, jewelry, phone case covers, or bookish apparel! We have such a great selection, and you can even choose by genre!

 

If you have a friend who loves the classics, you could even go for the ultimate combo like an Emma Phone Case Cover with a matching Emma Book Purse!

Our literary perfumes are such a hit, and if you need some additional inspiration, check out our blog on How To Choose a Literary Perfume That Matches Your Reading Mood!

Our Tees and Tanks are flying off the shelves, and we guarantee you there is one for your BFF! My personal favorite is “If found, please return to the bookstore,” and yes, that is me modeling away! 🙂

 

Bookish Gifts For a New Friend You’re Getting To Know

Meeting new people and forming friendships is always wonderful. We think it’s so exciting getting to know someone. Buying gifts for a new friend can be tricky; you know them, but you don’t know know them. You’re still in the phase of discovering what makes the other person tick, like who are their favorite authors, what genres do they love? Are they into retellings, or do they just love a happy-ending romcom?

And that is where our digital gift cards take the front seat. (Make sure to check out our blog on How to Make a Bookish Gift Card Feel Personal!) Our gift cards start at $5, and we believe they give any friend the freedom to choose their bookish moment! All you have to do is choose your gift card amount, and within minutes it will be in your email inbox! Our OUABC gift cards can be applied to any order so readers can experience the magic!

Simply pop your gift card into a beautiful envelope, write a personal card, add a coffee and cake voucher (or cheese and wine), and you’re good to go!

 

Bookish Gifts For the Long-Distance Reader Friend

When it comes to long-distance friendships, it’s always tough, but this is the one time where we are truly grateful for technology and the ability to have video calls with our BFF! This is the “I Miss Reading With You” gift, and it’s one of our favorites!

A DIY Care package is just what you need! Grab an old box and cover it with photos of the two of you, or images of your favorite books or places to go. Now for the care package, we’re thinking 3 to 4 items will be perfect! 

Our OUABC Lite box is just what you need. This book-only option is paired with five envelopes that you open as you read. Each envelope contains a flat paper item that works to incorporate the five senses (sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch) to highlight moments that will make you feel like you're part of the story in the most immersive way possible. 

You can add one of our beautiful reading journals, which come in classic coral, periwinkle prose, or seafoam stories. These top-of-the-range reading journals feature 75 unique book review pages, floral endpapers, and are carefully packed inside a magnetic book-shaped box! Or alternatively, our reading log bookmark sets serve a dual purpose—great for keeping your place and logging books with spaces for a date, title, and rating!

Our final recommendation is a book sleeve, and we have four incredible designs, including “If you need me, I’ll be reading,” “Read All Night Book Club,” “Ask Me What I’m Reading,” and “When in Doubt, Read a Book.”

But if you’re stretched for time, we’ve got you covered with “The Self-Love Box”! We all need a moment to remember that self-care is the best care, and this box does a phenomenal job of conveying that reminder to the recipient! And the best part, it all comes packaged in a beautiful navy blue book-shaped box and even includes a personalized card!

 

Bookish Gifts For Your Book Club Friend

It’s time to honor the friendship that was literally built by books! Those book club friends know which genres and authors you love; they know how long your TBR lists are and will still keep recommending another “you must read this” book! 

These are the people we genuinely share our love of books with, and we have just the perfect gift ideas!

We’re thinking combos, like our Bamboo Serving Board paired with a fabulous bottle of wine. You may as well add some crackers and cheese while you’re about it! Did we mention that we have a gorgeous cheese knife set as well? Shh, it’s even currently on sale!

Then there is our two-tiered serving tray, which we simply adore with its beautiful teal green tray with gold detailing. And then there is our marble and gold cake serving set, which is elegance personified! And you can even add your secret recipe that everyone always asks for!

We also have a wonderful selection of bookish home decor, from The Tortured Classics whiskey glass set to our book plate sets inspired by The Great Gatsby or Little Women!

 

Match the Bookish Gift To The Friendship Type

We can’t wait to hear how you celebrated International Day of Friendship! We are definitely going to be making our own cards with photos and shared favorite quotes! Sending a gift that has a personal touch says everything. 

 

If you enjoyed this blog and are looking for more ideas, make sure to check out these blogs:

• How to Make a Bookish Gift Card Feel Personal: An OUABC Gifting Guide

• DIY Summer Bookish Care Package for a Reader Friend Far Away

• The Complete Christmas in July Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Happy gifting and most of all, here’s to friendships that last a lifetime!