【推荐1】Second-handbook shops

Bookworm

This shop has used books for all tastes but customers will have to visit in person and look around as Bookworm does not have a website. The best books are on cookery and art. These include some rare and expensive books.

Westwood’s

There’s no room to sit down in this tiny backstreet bookshop, and the owner is often too busy to chat. On the first floor are children’s books and fine art books for collectors.

Scrimshaw’s

Scrimshaw’s has a huge selection of books showing the works of the great painters. Most are in excellent condition and reasonably priced, and the store’s online guide is regularly updated. It also has a cafe and a large number of out of date school textbooks on sale.

Holt’s

Although its prices are high, the fun of Holt’s is its lively atmosphere. It’s in an old railway station, where you can enjoy afternoon tea and cake in the waiting room. Or leave the kids to play in the former ticket office while you look at the huge selection of recent fiction. It stays open until late.

Topping’s

You’ll only find good-quality used hardback books here on certain subjects. Topping’s is run by three experts in art, travel and literature for the young. They are happy to chat and advise customers. The shelves are well-organized, and books can also be ordered from the shop’s website.

Regal

Here you’ll find the county’s largest selection of science related books. There are 70, 000 used and new books, all at discount prices. Regal also has an online ordering service plus freshly-made coffee, and is open during office hours.

【推荐2】Essex Library Services Reading Friends

What is the role about?

Reading Friends is an exciting UK-wide programme from The Reading Agency. It’s been piloted in some other parts of the country over the last few years and now is being extended to Essex.

Developed with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, Reading Friends deals with loneliness by bringing people together to read, chat and share stories. Essex Library Services is looking for volunteers to support the roll- out of the Reading Friends programme across Essex.

What will it involve?

*Chatting to people, either one to one, or in groups, using reading to get people talking. Contact will be via phone or computer initially. After restrictions are lifted, it is planned to do in-person sessions (活动时间) in libraries.

*Using reading — whether books, magazines, newspapers, or anything else — to start conversations. Nothing needs to be read before the session.

What skills and experience do you need?

*An interest in people

*Good communication and people skills

*Love of books and reading is not necessary, but would be a bonus

What will you get from volunteering?

*The satisfaction of contributing to the community and potentially preventing loneliness

*The chance to share the joy of reading

*Develop your experience and skills to enhance your resume (简历)

*A certificate of appreciation for coming along and helping out, which looks great on a resume

【推荐3】1. As a first-time e-paper user, I am not sure if all the momentary pixilation (像素) is normal. The size is ideal for my new-teenager. There are hardly any annoyances and the kid seems enjoying the experience. The parental controls are, mildly put, inadequate. I would anticipate being able to define lock-down timings and limit usage duration for a device targeted at kids.

---Miki

2. This is such a lifesaver! My son reads books constantly. We were doing our best to buy books and use the library, but it was hitting our wallets hard. With the Kindle Free Time included with this Kindle kids edition, he has access to thousands of books. I get to set the age appropriate limits on the book access. As we live on a tight budget, it’s great to have a one-year free subscription to Free Time.

---Billie

3. Just received this device today and I’m ready to throw it out the window. Navigation is horrible and even customer service admitted that they don’t know how to help. It’s a nightmare trying to get your free subscription set up as they just keep redirecting you to set up a 30-day trial and be charged after. I’ll be cancelling everything and sending this back as soon as possible.

---Catherine

4. This is a reader’s kindle. We want our children to read—not play video games all day. From the moment we received this device as a gift, our kids had immediate access to 55 books that we had purchased through our Amazon account. Now they can carry around a whole library of books. Not to mention all of the free out of copyright material that is available.

---Norah

【推荐1】eLibrary for Teens

Below are four FREE library apps that offer materials of special interest to teens

OverDrive provides new and popular e-books, e-audiobooks and e-videos. You can browse (浏览) by subjects and select Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Literature, Young Adult Nonfiction or Young Adult Videos. Don’t forget to check out the Comics and Graphic Books ( 漫画与绘本)category if you enjoy graphic novels! Many borrowed e-books, e-audiobooks and e-videos can be downloaded to the free Libby app or OverDrive app for mobile devices. Titles will automatically expire(到期) at the end of the lending period. There are no late fees!

Hoopla is a digital media service which enables users to borrow a selection of movies, television shows, educational videos, documentaries, music, e-books, e-audiobooks, comics, and graphic novels. Everything can be downloaded instantly! You can check out up to 8 items per month.

E-books are always accessible! Also check out its collection of Test Preparation books, under the Study Aids category. To find teen books, search by category and select Young Adult Fiction. Freading highlights travel books and has a large collection of frequently updated travel guides, which offer affordable ways to see the sites that you want when you travel.

Do you want to learn a new language? Try the Mango Languages Library Edition app! You can learn to speak new languages and meet new cultures through cool experiences like overhearing a conversation between native speakers or watching a suspense-ridden action flick(悬念重重的动作片). Mango can be used online from any computer, anywhere, at any time.

【推荐2】While you may be a master of buying Secret Santa gifts or white elephant gifts, shopping for a college student can be quite tricky. Whether you’re shopping for a soon-to-be graduate or a college freshman, our guide has you covered on the best gifts for college students.

For the goal setter: Ban.do 12-month Planner

Gifts for college students that help them achieve their academic targets are always a good idea. This 12-month planner includes year, month and week views to keep classes and extracurriculars organized; while the handwriting on the cover (endless possibilities) provides positive inspiration. There’s also fun artwork, a coloring page and stickers to customize (定制) their planner.

For the tech lover: Apple 10.2-inch iPad

If your college student is glued to their laptop, the addition of an iPad will be a welcome one. It has ten hours of battery life, two cameras and a wide 10.2-inch display that’s perfect for note taking, movie watching and snapping photos. This useful tech gift also pairs with a set of AirPods or an Apple Pencil to help maximize its usage.

For photograph beginners: Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Smartphone Printer

Got a teen who’s always taking photos with their iPhone or camera? Fujifilm Instax Smartphone Printers will definitely delight everyone. It’s one of the greatest gifts for photographers because it allows them to easily print their favorite shots with just the click of a button.

For the coffee lover: Ember Temperature-Controlled Coffee Cup

Future programmers can keep their Joe warm with this app-controlled smart cup. Coffee stays hot for up to 1.5 hours, or all day when paired with the included charging coaster(杯垫). You can even select the exact temperature you prefer. It’s a thoughtful and useful gift for coffee lovers.

Stop hunting for the best products and deals — get our latest information on secret sales and discounts, gift ideas for everyone and can’t-miss products.