Plain advice on the things readers and hobby lovers buy: what the specifications mean, which option suits whom and what to check before you order.

The best board game is the one your group will want to play again. Here is how to read the box, match a game to your players and avoid the usual mistakes.

You need less than you think to start playing Dungeons & Dragons. Here is which book to buy first, what the dungeon master needs and which extras are worth it.

A notebook you enjoy using is one you will keep filling. Here is how paper weight, page layout, size and binding affect writing, planning and sketching.

Coloured pencils vary far more than they look. Here is how soft, hard, watercolour and ink based pencils differ and which set suits colouring, sketching or art.