Twelve Reasons Books Make Great Last Minute Gifts

Forgot about someone on the holiday shopping list?  Looking for a “little something” to fill that stocking? Need a gift but don’t know what to give? When in doubt, a book may be the safest bet for that last minute gift. Here are twelve reasons to head for your local bookseller before it closes on Christmas Eve:

1. You have a great excuse to spend some time at your favorite bookstore.  Whether you’re shopping at the big box store in the mall, your local bookseller on Main Street, or your favorite online store, you can happily consume hours selecting books for everyone on your list. Remember to stop long enough to enjoy a latte and some biscotti at the café, or at your desk if you’re at home, in your jammies, well beyond store hours.
2. There's a perfect price for every shopper. You can spend hundreds of dollars on an antique collectible or just a few bucks on the latest paperback bestseller.
3. Your gift can educate and entertain at the same time, perfect for children or kids at heart.
4. You can transport your reader to another time and place, allowing them to see a different world without having to buy airline tickets.
5. They’re easy to wrap.
6. Books are an affordable way to “wow” someone.  Even the latest blockbuster bestseller costs much less than the latest electronic gadget, and will most likely outlive its obsolescence.
7. They’re easy to regift.  And regift.  And regift….
8. They come in many varieties, so you’ll be sure to find just the right one to please, whether it’s a hardcover, paperback, e-book, or audiobook.
9. The small ones, like mass media paperbacks, make excellent stocking stuffers.  So do bookstore gift cards.
10. You can borrow it after the reader’s read it without appearing tacky.
11. You can support your favorite books and authors by sharing them with others.
12. You can also support your favorite bookseller, ensuring that books of all kinds are always available.