Christmas Gifts for Readers 2019

Oh, crap. Did Monday's short story not work? I hate technical difficulties. I'll repost it Monday...after I rewrite the entire blasted thing, since I wrote it at work...
Anyway. Christmas is less than a week away. You, like most other people on the planet, are busy. You're going to Christmas parties where you pretend to enjoy talking to people even though you'd much rather be at home watching the live-action Grinch movie in your pajamas. You're helping your kids memorize lines for their school Christmas play. And all of a sudden, you realize you've forgotten to get Christmas presents for a particular bookworm in your life.
Fear not! Here are some gifts that every bookworm will absolutely love.
"What do you mean?" you're probably asking. "They're a bookworm. I'll just get them a book and call it a day." Oh, nope. Not so fast. See, most people have particular tastes in books. I like historical fiction novels--depending on what time period they're set in. I like action novels and thrillers, assuming there isn't graphic violence or too much profanity involved. I like a good mystery, but not one that involves ghosts. In fact, half the time, I don't know if I'll like a book or not until I pick it up and rifle through it.
If you know your reader well--say, if they're your child or spouse--you can probably pick something out for them. Maybe. But even then, you're best going with one of these other options.
Best option? Gift cards. Oh, we readers love gift cards. An excuse to go to a bookstore and touch the soft covers of books and thumb through the pages and ogle at collector's editions! Your favorite bookworm will absolutely adore a gift card.
If you decide against a gift card or want to keep your gift under $20, reading accessories are always appreciated. I just bought myself a clip-on reading lamp so I can read in the car when it's dark (and I'm not driving). Bookmarks, shirts that say "Need More Books," or merchandise from a favorite series are always appreciated. Or even stickers with quotes from a favorite book. I have a sticker on my laptop right now that says "Courage, dear heart," which is taken from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
You still want to get them an actual book? See if there's a particular author they like. I'll read anything by C.S. Lewis, for example, although I still need to struggle through That Hideous Strength. What about classics, you ask? Be careful. Mark Twain said that a "classic" book is something you wish you had read. Past tense. It's like saying that Illinois is a good place to be from, after you're safe and secure in nice, sunny Texas.
However, a few of the classics are actually enjoyable to read. I'm currently reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and I'm enjoying it. I've laughed aloud multiple times. The Sherlock Holmes books are safe bets, usually. Don't bother getting The Scarlet Letter or Moby Dick or anything by Shakespeare unless you know your reader friend is into stuff like that.
And what about your writer friends--like yours truly? Hopping on www.amazon.com and getting yourself, or a friend, a copy of Where I Stand or ​Where the Clouds Catch Fire