Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th generation)

For a bookish mum, the current Kindle Paperwhite is one of the easiest wins on this list. The 2024 model moved to a larger 7-inch glare-free display that reads like paper in bright sun, added a warm adjustable front light for evening reading and sped up page turns. It is rated IPX8 waterproof, so it survives a bath or a poolside afternoon, and Amazon quotes battery life of up to 12 weeks from a single USB-C charge. The 16GB of storage holds thousands of titles, making it a genuine space-saver for anyone with overflowing bookshelves. It ranks below the candle because its appeal is conditional rather than universal — it hinges entirely on whether she reads digitally at all, so skip it for a mum who loves the feel of physical books. The other trade-offs: it locks her into Amazon's store and formats, and unlike the pricier Signature Edition this standard model has no wireless charging or auto-adjusting light — minor caveats against how much use a keen reader gets from it.