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17 Barnes and Noble Gifts to Get Your Friends

17 Barnes and Noble Gifts to Get Your Friends

March 29, 2024 by Giving Assistant Editorial Team

Are you shopping for a bookworm? How about a film buff, music lover, or creative spirit? Get them a gift that speaks volumes and celebrates their interests. Barnes & Noble has plenty of books, music, toys, collectibles, unique gifts, and more for your loved ones, friends, coworkers, and anybody else you’d like to show how much you care.

Save more with Barnes & Noble coupon codes as a Giving Assistant shopper.

Ready to shop? We’ve gathered our top Barnes & Noble gift ideas for all ages.

The Best Barnes and Noble Gift Ideas for 2023

1. Paddywax Literary Collection Glass Candles

Paddywax's Library Collection candle

Paddywax’s Library Collection has literary-themed candles for family and friends who enjoy setting just the right mood before cozying up to their favorite book. These made-in-the-USA candles burn for up to 60 hours, feature a writer’s quote, and come in a reusable gift box.

Barnes & Noble carries these Paddywax scented candles:

  • Edgar Allan Poe (cardamom, absinthe, and sandalwood)
  • Jane Austen (gardenia, jasmine, and tuberose)
  • Mark Twain (tobacco, flower, and vanilla)
  • Charles Dickens (tangerine, juniper, and clove)

2. LEGO Adult Builders

LEGO Technic Lamborghini

Build your dream car in a day (really). LEGOs aren’t just for kids; the brand transforms popular interests and hobbies including art, architecture, pop culture, video games, and movies into collectible sets for adults.

We love the LEGO Technic Lamborghini, a hard-to-find collectible sold at B&N. It has an elegant design that includes a V12 engine with moving pistons, steering, and front suspension. 

3. Kate Spade Miss to Mrs. Bridal Tumbler

Kate Spade tumbler

Keep a newlywed hydrated and basking in the glow of matrimony with this 20 ounce Kate Spade tumbler that lets everyone know she’s happily taken, and they “put a ring on it.” The tumbler comes with a straw and is also free of BPAs, phthalates, and lead.

4. Crosley USB Turntable

Crosley Executive USB Turntable

The Crosley Executive USB Turntable makes an excellent gift for a music lover with an appreciation for retro novelties. This vintage style three-speed turntable has all the right upgrades: built-in stereo speakers, adjustable pitch control, and a headphone jack. It’s also USB-enabled and can transform vinyl into a digital file for PCs and Macs.

Shop Crosley turntables at Barnes & Noble (like this B&N Exclusive Deluxe Turntable for Stranger Things fans) with Giving Assistant.

5. Vinyl Record

Jennifer Nettles always like new

Digital music cannot capture the unique clarity of how an artist really sounded in the studio like vinyl can. That’s why shopping for gifts at the Barnes & Noble Vinyl Store is a no-brainer when you want to surprise a music enthusiast, musician, or record collector with a thoughtful gift.

We also like these vinyl gift ideas:

  • Anniversary gifts: a copy of your first dance tunes or special song
  • Birthday gifts: choose a bestselling record from the year someone was born
  • Holiday gifts: you can’t go wrong with Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You

6. Floating Red Heart Italian Alabaster Bookends

two heart-shaped bookends

This set of two heart-shaped bookends has a striking bold color that stands out on a shelf. Handcrafted from genuine alabaster in Italy, it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a book lover or simple acknowledgment of your sweetheart’s first love: books, books, and more books!

7. Standard Issue Office On The Go Set

Office On the Go Set

With more people working remotely, you’d be surprised just how much a gift like this Office On the Go Set can come in handy. Inside an embossed vegan leather carrying case is a collection of 10 everyday office essentials, including a stapler, scissors, paper clips, tape, and ruler.

8. Undated Planners

best-selling 52 Lists Planner

Life comes at you fast, and before you know it, you have an unused agenda book or calendar with just a few months left in the year. Undated planners, like this best-selling 52 Lists Planner, are ideal for your on-the-go, super-busy friends, and any professional, creative, teacher, parent, or student ready to crush their goals at their pace. 

Save more with Barnes & Noble coupon codes when you shop with Giving Assistant.

9. NOOK 10″ HD Tablet

NOOK device

Nook is Barnes & Noble’s tablet device that is “designed by readers for readers.” You get access to over 3.6 million ebooks, digital comics, newspapers, and magazines that you can read anytime, anywhere, on a NOOK device or with B&N’s free reading app.

The 10″ Nook model designed with Lenovo has:

  • Up to 11 hours of long-lasting battery life
  • 1280 x 800 touchscreen display
  • TÜV Rheinland-certified eye protection
  • 2GB RAM & 32GB ROM storage
  • Up to 256GB of additional storage with an optional microSD card.

B&N members save 10% on all NOOK tablets, eReaders, and accessories.

10. TV & Movie Boxed Sets

entire film collections

Give the joy of marathoning complete seasons and entire film collections with ease! Whether you have an Indiana Jones fan on your hands or know someone who lives for Seinfeld reruns, Barnes & Nobles has an extensive selection of boxed sets that include musicals, animation, international movies, and the classics.

Save more with Barnes & Noble promo codes when you shop with Giving Assistant.

Barnes & Noble Gifts for Kids

11. Loungefly Collectibles

Loungefly collectible

Barnes & Nobles carries exclusive Loungefly gear that’s perfect for teens. These quirky, colorful backpacks, wallets, totes, and accessories feature character favorites (think Disney, DC Comics, Harry Potter, and Star Wars!) and make fun gifts for teenagers celebrating any occasion, from graduations to birthdays.

Some of our favorite B&N Exclusives:

12. Fjallraven Kanken Backpack

Fjallraven Kanken Backpack

Carry school books or tote a laptop in functional style with a Fjallraven Kanken Backpack, a bookbag brand in Sweden that aims to alleviate and prevent back issues in students. The classic Kanken laptop bag has a separate, padded compartment that protects devices up to 15 inches. It also has cushioned shoulder straps, two side pockets, and a zippered front pocket.

Barnes & Noble carries many styles of this versatile, colorful bag that’s become a favorite of students and adults alike. We think the backpack makes an outstanding back-to-school gift.

13. Literary Plush & Books

17 Barnes and Noble Gifts to Get Your Friends Image 1

Literary plushies representing childhood classics, like the Velveteen Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, and Curious George, make the best gifts for young children learning to read.

14. STEM Educational Toys & Books

Let Bill Nye the Science Guy

Let Bill Nye the Science Guy and publications like National Geographic, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and the Guinness World Book of Records spark your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. You can challenge a young scholar with one of B&N’s thousands of gifts for kids, including STEM books, educational toys, arts and crafts.

15. Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty

Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty

Silly Putty and similar toys can keep kids entertained for hours. We love Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty because it helps children learn about science, astronomy, animals, and more. This silicone-based putty is safe, nontoxic, and never dries out. Most have glow-in-the-dark, holographic and color-changing effects, too.

16. Jewelry Making Kit

Friendship bracelets

Friendship bracelets are fantastic (and Barnes & Noble has plenty of string jewelry kits), but we love these STMT D.I.Y. kits that take this classic schoolyard activity to the next level.

Jewelry-making kits we love:

17. Enamel Pins

Colorful and fun fashion accessories

Perfect for birthdays, as stocking stuffers, and gifts for a job well done (celebrate those straight A’s in style!), these colorful and fun fashion accessories add a pop of personality to a child’s wardrobe, jacket, or backpack. Teens and adults love them, too!

Enamel pins we love: the mermaid, typewriter, bookworm, dragon, and rainbow unicorn.

Shop and Save on Gifts That Give Back to Nonprofits

Shopping Barnes & Noble with Giving Assistant helps you save on gifts that everyone likes. Learn more about how Giving Assistant works and how your B&N gifts can support the causes you care most about. If you haven’t already, download our free browser extension, the Giving Assistant Button, to start applying coupon codes automatically as you search online for the best deals for books, music, and more.