Find thoughtful Christmas gifts

• Adjustable type and built-in lighting can make long reading sessions more comfortable.
• Long battery life can make it easier to carry a library between charges; compare the exact model’s usage estimates.
• Especially thoughtful for commuters, frequent travellers and anyone rarely seen without a book.

Before you buy

• For a birthday upgrade, choose around their existing books and a feature they actually want.
• Match a cover to the exact generation, and compare colour screens with ordinary black-and-white reading.

• An instant photograph from their birthday gives them a small keepsake to keep or share.
• Taking and handing over a photograph can become part of the gathering.
• Produces prints they can share, pin up or add to a scrapbook within minutes.
• Gives a keen photographer a different pace and a small print to keep or give away.

Before you buy

• Confirm the film format and include compatible packs; ongoing print costs can limit how often it gets used.
• A simple film camera spends an exposure on each shot; selective printing needs a model that supports it.

• Include a favourite skillet recipe with a birthday present that can join their regular cooking.
• Handles everything from fried eggs to skillet cookies, so it earns its cupboard space quickly.
• Works on the hob, in the oven and over a fire, giving adventurous cooks plenty to play with.
• A well-cared-for skillet can last for decades—rather more memorable than another short-lived kitchen gadget.