There’s something magical about December when the nights stretch long, the candles burn low, and your shelves start to feel like altars. This year, I wanted to match my favorite winter reads with baubles that belong on every gothic reader’s tree (or desk, or altar, or coffin-shaped bookshelf).
Each pairing blends story and aesthetic; something to wear, hold, light, or admire while you fall deeper into the pages. Consider this the coziest, creepiest little gift guide for the haunted hearts in your life… including your own.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I might earn a small commission — no extra cost to you, but it does help keep the shadows lit..
A Dowry of Blood
Bauble: Vintage Faux Fur Cape Scarf – Retro Stage
A touch of immortal luxury. Soft, extravagant, and dramatic enough to make even Dracula raise a brow. Perfect for reading tragic love stories by candlelight.
Sing Me to Sleep
Bauble: Fantasy Jellyfish Aquarium – Sharper Image
Soft, luminous, and a little uncanny. A drifting glow made for lullabies that don’t always end gently. This aquarium feels like watching someone’s dream come alive in the dark.
Court of the Vampire Queen
Bauble: Skull & Bead Bracelet — Xenos
Dark, sensual, and dangerously pretty. This bracelet carries the same energy as the story itself—power, pleasure, shadow, and that slow, deliberate unraveling.
Mistletoe
Bauble: Lux Candle Box — Cratejoy
A quiet farmhouse. A grieving heart. A creeping, wintery dread. Pair this atmospheric ghost story with a candle ritual that turns the dark into warmth… or something pretending to be.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Bauble: Cat Hand Mirror — Gothic Plus
Vintage, eerie, and perfect for peering into secrets. This delicate mirror feels like something left in a Trepassen House drawer—meant for someone else, but carried away anyway.
To Love the Reaper / To Burn in Their Flames
Bauble: Barbed Wire Skull Bracelet — Gothic Plus
Sharp devotion. Fierce longing. Burn-you-alive intensity. This pairing captures the emotional danger of the duology—beautiful, painful, unforgettable.
Bonus: Familiar Treat
Goth Heart Collar — Bitch New York
A little gothic charm for the creature who supervises every reading session. Dramatic, adorable, and perfect for any self-respecting familiar.
Bauble
If you need more dark-winter inspiration, wander into my December booklists, browse The Coven Shop, or follow along with the 12 Nights of Shadows for more stories and gifts made for the longest nights of the year.
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