Spending eight years as a reference librarian, teacher of knowledge literacy, and even a library director, together with finishing a Masters in Library Science, it is protected to say, I am an enormous fan of books and data entry. I’m additionally the copyeditor right here at Pocket-lint. Our evaluations, how-tos, and head-to-head comparability articles masking all of the tech that I dream of scooping up, come by means of my desk. So, for the holiday season, let me be your knowledgeable information on what tech to reward the book-lovers in your life.
Best eReaders: Upgrade your print book library for greater storage and accessibility
The most effective eReaders are waterproof, simpler in your eyes and may prevent precious shelf area with implausible digital storage choices.
With a library (excuse the pun) of useful tech to select from, I appeared to the Pocket-lint group to assist me slim down my record into three classes. We’ll begin by trying on the best devices to handle and entry your library of tales and data, then hop to the perfect desk necessities, and at last over to additions to spruce up your area. And since I can not assist myself, I will attempt to sneak in some professional suggestions all through the record too. With out additional ado, the perfect tech for the avid reader in your life, from an authorized e-book jockey.
Greatest tech to learn and hearken to tales
Amazon Kindle Oasis
Greatest Kindle eReader
Amazon’s greatest provide with an enormous show display screen
The final word studying gadget, that is for e-book lovers who devour books at pace and wish the perfect gadget out there to learn them on.
- Giant storage
- WhisperSync
- Stunning show
- Consists of web page turner buttons
- 2019 launch
- Costly, different worthwhile fashions exist
- App retailer is proscribed
Whereas I personally have essentially the most expertise utilizing the unique Kindle Fireplace 1st era mannequin, it is the Kindle Oasis that I would rapidly exchange it with if given the prospect (trace, trace). The show measurement and premium efficiency are the standout options, and whereas it launched in 2019, it nonetheless charges very excessive amongst Pocket-lint editors right here (incomes 4.5 out of 5 stars), who agree that is the highest expertise you’ll be able to have with a Kindle.
Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) review: Glow up
The Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) stays our best choice for studying gadgets. It is costly, however, should you learn rather a lot, it is unmatched. Discover out why on this full overview.
It is typically missed for current Kindle Paperwhite and Scribe fashions, however the Kindle Oasis is the unsung hero of the vary. The professionals of this gadget embrace IPX8 waterproofing, providing safety for these eager to learn by the seaside, tub, or pool. Plus, should you’re an audiobook aficionado, the 32GB storage and 4G connectivity are particularly helpful. Bigger storage permits for extra native file obtain area for offline studying and listening — audiobooks, specifically, are hefty information. The 4G connectivity permits WhisperSync to match up e book and audiobook titles the place you final left off should you personal each.
If a 2-in-1 writing choice, just like the Kindle Scribe, or small measurement for portability, just like the Kindle Fireplace, in your eReader is not a significant concern, that is the mannequin I would advocate on your subsequent buy.
reMarkable 2
Greatest ewriter for storytellers and professionals
An environmentally pleasant strategy to set up your brilliance
The reMarkable 2 is the final word minimalist doc creation/modifying device. It has dozens of paper fashion templates, integration with Docs and Dropbox, and is so well-designed.
- Templates for writing, music, and extra
- Suitable with notes app
- Area and paper saver
- 10.3-inch, E Ink, textured show for paper-like really feel
- No backlighting for nighttime
- Costly
Studying tales is not the one strategy to develop your book-tech. The novelists, song-writers, and storytellers on the market may also be a part of within the enjoyable with the tablet-like expertise of a reMarkable 2 pocket book. Exceptional guarantees to maintain creatives organized and prepared the following time inspiration strikes, with its unimaginable light-weight and skinny pocket book that might exchange all of the paper notebooks in your bag.
ReMarkable 2 review: You’ll never need paper notebooks again
It is a pill for writing on that has a paper-like really feel… it’s kind of magical
The Pocket-lint group reviewed the Exceptional 2 again in 2021 when it got here out, and I personally noticed the gadget in motion final summer time. The texture of the pill is as near paper as any writing tech we have seen. My earlier library director bought one final summer time, and it was a delight to see the performance and spectacular capability to show fast notes into simply readable PDFs.
Some detractors to say, starting with the worth. That is an costly little bit of tech that I’d advocate should you or others in your life desire to bodily write issues and need a approach to try this with much less paper waste and on a product with out distracting extras. This isn’t supposed to switch your cellphone, pill, or eReader (though it could show PDF and EPUB ebooks), it is really meant for writing. If you’re on the lookout for a extra all-in-one gadget, you might need to take a look at the Kindle Scribe.
If the worth tag is an comprehensible turn-off, I feel many may get by with the Rocketbook Fusion notebook as effectively — you will miss out on many premium options, however for a lot much less of a success to your pockets.
Toniebox starter set with Playtime Pet
Greatest storyteller for youths
Audiobooks and songs on your favourite toddler
The Playtime Pet Tonie on this set even has tunes like “Wheels on the Bus” and “If You are Pleased and You Know It.” The bundle offers a charging station for the Toniebox, too, which provides as much as seven hours of battery life.
- Much less screen-time whereas nonetheless providing storytelling
- Many characters to select from and gather
- Extraordinarily child and user-friendly
- Battery lasts lengthy sufficient for many outings
- Has proprietary charger stand
- A bit of cumbersome for journey
- Preliminary studying curve to downloading content material
My two favourite toddlers are each getting Tonies this Christmas. Generally the TikTok algorithm wins, and with the Toniebox it did its greatest work on me and my sister-in-law. The Toniebox is a dice speaker, wrapped in tender material, that may play music or tales by attaching totally different Tonie characters to the highest of the gadget. When you have a toddler in your life who loves storytime and singing, I feel that is the proper strategy to give them extra tales and independence, with much less display screen time.
What is a Toniebox, how to set it up, and can you add content to Tonies?
Tonieboxes and Tonies are common children toys in 2023, rating on Amazon’s greatest toy lists. Here is easy methods to arrange and use these storytelling gadgets.
I now have one Toniebox and 6 Tonie characters in my home, and I am so comfortable I misplaced the TikTok battle this time. The hand painted high quality of the characters is superb. There’s a implausible selection within the Tonie retailer and on Amazon of various characters from Disney, fairytales, common and traditional image books, and academic characters by Nationwide Geographic.
Tonies are beneficial for ages 3 and up. Please word should you purchase them for a kid underneath the age of three, they aren’t supposed to play with them independently. Among the Tonie characters may very well be choking hazards with out supervision for youthful kids.
I bought the Playtime Pet starter set above and moreover a number of enjoyable characters: Shrek, Counting with Fox, Occurring a Bear Hunt, Sleepy Pals Lullaby, and two DIY Artistic Audio Characters. I’m most enthusiastic about giving the customized Tonie characters to my family and friends to create their very own audio to play for his or her children. Whether or not it is a favourite lullaby sung by a grandparent who lives out-of-town or a bedtime story from the dad or mum who travels.
Greatest desk necessities on your residence library
Librarians know easy methods to keep cozy, even with most of our buildings’ historical rattling HVACs, excitable patrons, and again workplaces that give Pandora releasing Chaos for the primary time a run for its cash. Listed here are my high selections to make your personal residence library area peaceable and serene, and no, it isn’t simply three totally different cardigans.
Ember Mug 2
Greatest beverage hotter
For these of us with chilly tea and low all around the home
$120 $140 Save $20
The second-generation Ember Mug can hold your espresso or tea at its good temperature for 80 minutes on full cost, or eternally in case you have it sat on its charging coaster. Excellent for winter months.
The Ember mug, and particularly the second era, is a favourite amongst editors right here at Pocket-lint. I seethe with envy each time I discover my chilly tea and know that my colleagues have completely tempered caffeine of their mugs from NYC to Wales. The Ember Mug 2 has IPX7 waterproof rating, however must be hand washed solely, not put by means of the dishwasher.
There’s an app for good management to set your most popular temperature, however it works tremendous with out the app too. You’ll be able to rise up to 80 minutes of warmth on the mug when it isn’t on it is base, which ought to offer you simply sufficient time to recollect the place you might be after diving right into a fantasy novel.
There are a few fashions which may attraction to totally different customers. The mug model above is what I’d use, as I work remotely. Nevertheless, in case you have somebody who commutes or is an on-the-go dad or mum, the Ember Travel Mug 2+ is a game-changing choice. It incorporates Apple’s Find My technology, that will help you find your favourite vessel.
Niimbot B21 Inkless Label Maker
Greatest tech to prepare your books, cabinets, and desk
Create customized bookplates and genrefy your cabinets
For customized e-book stickers and shelf labeling, make your property cabinets as simple to browse as your favourite library or bookshop with the Niimbot B21.
- Connects to your cellphone
- Fashionable design
- 4 coloration choices
- Not as customizable as bigger fashions
- Considerably expensive
In the case of organizing books for fast accessibility, a label maker is a good techy strategy to ease into group with out instantly choosing an eReader. The Niimbot B21 inkless label maker packs numerous options right into a small and trendy package deal. It is transportable, is available in 4 colours, and may hook up with your iPhone or Android gadget by means of the Niimbot app for straightforward printing and design entry.
The wi-fi printer could be taken with you, whether or not from room to room or out of the home, and may print for as much as 4 hours after an hour and a half cost. The printing is finished with thermal expertise and would not want ink. Labels print at a width of 0.8-inch to 2-inch and the Niimbot B21 comes with an included pack of fifty x 30mm labels (230pcs/roll) to make use of.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Greatest noise cancelling headphones
Get misplaced in quiet serenity or immersive listening
$328 $400 Save $72
A tremendous all-round package deal that sounds merely unimaginable, Sony’s newest providing is just about nearly as good because it will get.
- Excellent lively noise cancellation
- Glorious sound high quality
- Consolation for lengthy listening periods
- Heaps of capabilities
- No assist for aptX
- Do not fold as small as they used to
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are my dream active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones. I am at present rocking an previous Logitech G435 pair that I largely bought for his or her respectable microphone high quality however which lack ANC, and I remorse it. Our Pocket-lint group gave the Sony WH-100XM5’s an ideal ranking (5 out of 5 stars) throughout their overview, they usually had been simply behind the Bose QuietComfort Ultra in our choose of total headphones of the yr for our annual Pocket-lint awards.
Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Still an ANC masterclass
Sony up to date its flagship WH-1000X headphones in 2022, now in its fifth iteration. This time there is a change in design, on high of different enhancements.
Nevertheless, the Sony headphones got here out on high based mostly on worth, in our head-to-head comparison of the 2, which is why they’re my alternative right here. Consolation and lengthy audiobook listens go hand-in-hand, whether or not you may have roommates, would love privateness from little ears, or simply want a break from the noise of the world; these are my dream ANC headphones and I feel they’re going to impress the audiobook lover in your life too.
Greatest library area and studying nook additions
Good lighting makes all of the distinction in a studying area. Good lighting is the best way to go to permit customization on your favourite bookworm to glow up, dim and glimmer, or brighten their area.
Govee Curtain Lights
Greatest good lighting for protection
Nice choose for teenagers and school college students
$90 $130 Save $40
- Animated choices galore
- IP65 waterproofing
- Extraordinarily customizable
- Alternative ways to mount and apply
- Curtain fashion not for everybody
- App has a studying curve
The Govee curtain lights are a flexible and enjoyable strategy to improve any area, however one I feel would work so effectively in teenagers and school college students’ rooms to customise their area. I purchased curtain fairy lights a number of years in the past that aren’t good, and I like the impact they’ve on my area, however I would like to improve mine to the Govee model. Harsh overhead lights are the enemy of most of my millennial-aged associates, and I feel that is one quirk that almost all generations can get behind.
Govee Curtain Lights review: Fairy lights have never been so fun
Govee’s Curtain Lights seem like an superior strategy to simply brighten up your residing area, however are they definitely worth the money? I put them to the check.
The Pocket-lint group reviewed and examined the Govee good curtain lights this previous summer time. They scored effectively in brightness ranges, compatibility with Google House and Alexa, and the effectiveness of the RGB animated lighting. Should you do not use a sensible residence hub, the app will work effectively so that you can management, arrange new lighting settings, and use timers. These lights are rather more costly than customary curtain lights, so the IP65 waterproof ranking is good to see for longevity’s sake.
The app comes with heaps of preset types but in addition provides DIY customizations and the flexibility to upload gifs to the lights. How efficient the animations could also be will depend upon the unique design’s complexity and the way far you might be from the lights. The lights approximate to 520 pixels for pictures to show. The function that I can not wait to check out is the music reactive mode, which makes use of microphones to react to the encompassing music and noise with lighting adjustments and pulses. Most likely not greatest for events, however ultimate for creating the proper vibes whereas studying.
Philips Hue Go Transportable Desk Lamp
Greatest transportable gentle
Stalk the halls like a ghost in a Brontë novel
The Philips Hue Go Transportable Lamp provides a design that may mix in with most interiors. Portability permits it for use in a mess of studying areas, making for a really versatile gadget.
- Nice efficiency
- Multitude of options from Hue app
- Strong and transportable design
- Waterproof
- Costly
- Design will not be to all tastes
Should you dream of carrying round an oil lamp like a lighthouse grasp in a thriller novel, you aren’t alone. The Philips Hue Go transportable desk lamp is a stellar multiuse choice that may very well be an amazing addition on your residence studying nook, or some other area it is advisable illuminate. It has a useful silicon part alongside the stem for straightforward carrying. As a Philips Hue good gadget, it’s suitable with the Philips Hue Bridge, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Matter — a rarity in good lighting.
Philips Hue Go Portable Table Lamp review: Lighting up your home and garden
The Philips Hue Go Transportable Desk Lamp has been remodeling my residing area for a number of months, however do you have to purchase it? Here is my full overview.
There is a button on the highest of the shade that may management the gadget with presets inside the app, permitting for some guide management if you do not have your cellphone or pill close by. The lamp is available in two finishes of black and white, however the lighting choices are the place the colour selection actually impresses.
The Philips Hue Go transportable desk lamp is a straightforward design that ought to match most interiors, however won’t be as fashionable as some would love. The expense is one other factor to think about. Seeing because it may very well be useful at night time to make use of with out waking the entire home and has a cost that lasts as much as 48 hours (nice in a pinch for an influence outage), there is a case for the worth being value it for this good lamp.
Hooga E-book Gentle
Greatest booklight clamp
Blue gentle blocking for simpler nighttime studying
This hooga e-book gentle is rechargeable, clips on simply to books, and most significantly for nighttime studying, has blue gentle blocking LED lights.
- Finances-friendly choose
- Eases eye-strain
- Lengthy battery life
- Journey sized
- On and off button is reportedly loud in some evaluations
- Button is simple to activate in a bag
Should you or somebody you realize was ever disciplined for staying up too late studying, the hooga e-book gentle is a good discover. Hooga’s clamp fashion e-book gentle guarantees to assist night time owls give their eyes a break with blue gentle blocking LED, so eye pressure could be lowered. This model has amber coloration lighting, however there are different choices should you desire a chillier hue. It is travel-friendly in its measurement and will not hit your pockets as onerous as a few of my different dream picks.
Honorable mentions: Apps and devices for bookworms
If the above items do not feel like protected bets for the bookworm in your life, the three under must be helpful, but nonetheless private picks for them. Libro.fm and Audible items playing cards are nice for audiobook lovers.
Libro.fm reward card (3 credit)
Secure alternative for audiobook lovers
In case your favourite loves impartial bookstores, that is the reward card for them
Libro.fm permits you to buy audiobooks and nonetheless assist your small and impartial booksellers. A portion of the audiobook sale goes to your chosen bookstore. Like Audible, the membership is $14.99 monthly, however you may also browse without cost and purchase books à la carte with out a month-to-month subscription by buying ‘credit’ to your account as you go.
Audible reward card (3 credit)
Secure alternative for audiobook lovers
For the recipient who’s absolutely within the Amazon ecosystem
Audible, when built-in with the Kindle system, permits for seamless integration, WhisperSync, and a few fairly cool Audible unique content material. I am actually having fun with the abridged dramatized variations of some of my favorites for a brand new fashion of listening.
Acrimet Premium Metallic Bookends
Secure choose for shelving
Low tech answer for safely storing and preserving massive collections
My final choose could seem an odd one, however shelf upkeep expertise is the secret right here. If somebody you realize has really lots of or hundreds of books, they want high quality, heavy-duty e-book ends. The Acrimony model linked right here provide enjoyable colours and totally different sizes, which is essential to think about when supporting books which can be bigger than customary top, a typical downside with artwork books, cookbooks, and saved “espresso desk” books. Stop backbone warp and bending by supporting print books correctly in your shelving.
In case your reward recipient has steel bookshelves, I have to point out magnetic bookends as an unimaginable choice for heavy tombs.
Why tech items for e-book lovers in your life?
Many who romanticize the library subject say that they too want to spend all day studying. And with out rudely shushing them, to that I say – most of us want that was really our job too. Quite, libraries have at all times been extra involved with connecting individuals to info in essentially the most environment friendly and comprehensible approach doable.
And certain, we try this by serving to people find books, however many library mission statements have advanced to make sure equitable entry to info in each the print and digital world. Not less than in my previous positions, I’ve spent extra time navigating patrons round info.
That is to not say I do not learn rather a lot, and that I do not love recommending books to family and friends; it is normally off desk hours although. So do not be too shocked {that a} librarian’s dream reward information is not solely a present card to your native bookstore, though that is an evergreen suggestion, not simply across the holidays. This record is the tech that I fantasize about including to my residence library, that might enhance my studying and listening expertise.
How ought to I set up my studying area?
I could get into bother with my earlier Info Group professor, however my recommendation is that this: set up it in the best way that makes essentially the most sense on your mind. Should you like by coloration, by golly, set up by backbone coloration in your personal residence. The way in which I set up is by topic for nonfiction and style for fiction, then by creator’s final title, as a result of that’s what makes essentially the most sense to me and I like to search out my books rapidly.
Should you just like the mannequin I described above, listed here are some suggestions to consider earlier than you begin creating your personal classification system. We like to match bookshelves with grocery retailer cabinets. You do not have a tendency to search out canned items subsequent to yogurt on the shelf. Equally, you do not normally discover books on easy methods to backyard subsequent to historic fiction or memoirs.
You’ll be able to classify your assortment into fundamentals, like non-fiction and fiction. Then, additional part by “genrefying” your books for fiction and deciding the “aboutness” (what the e-book is about versus what the catchy title says) for non-fiction. Get to know your assortment or use an internet free catalog like LibraryThing should you actually need to go above and past.
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