Bookmarks are my passion as you know if you read “On Marking Books” here. I love the antique ones I collect, but I also have several newer ones that I regularly use. One is from Book Jewelry, an online company that makes bookmarks so attractive they have earned the right to call themselves jewelry. They are composed of a folded silk ribbon with an accessory at one end, and beads and stones at the other. One side of the ribbon stays on the outside spine, the other in the gutter inside the book; you slide the beads and stones up to the book’s bottom to keep it snug. You can select from a wide variety of pre-made ones or design your own. There must be well over 100 different charms in categories including animals, children, fantasy, hobbies (including reading and writing), home, music, occupations, special occasions, sports and travel. Twenty-four ribbon colors and numerous types of glass and metal beads lend themselves to almost unlimited design possibilities. The best part, though, is the price: each custom-designed bookmark is only $9.95, making them perfect gifts for yourself or others. Book Jewelry can be reached at www.bookjewelry.com

Amanda Crawford Designs does not have a web site. They display at book festivals and have a toll-free number, but it is unfortunate that their exquisite reading accessories cannot be viewed except in person. I have run into them at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books every year, and am enthralled.

Their Book Buddy, Book Buddy II and Paperback Book Buddy are decorative pillows specially designed to hold any book—paperbacks to art volumes—comfortably. Like any pillow, they sit on your lap (and would also look nice just as sofa pillows since they come in a variety of prints that would not be out of place as furniture fabric). But each pillow comes with a silk ribbon that crosses the pillow and under which you can hold the pages open.

They also offer elastic and ribbon bookmarks. The latter are made of silk in rich, vivid colors, with a gold bead, matching miniature silk rose and multiple strands, which are particularly good for those who want to mark more than one place at a time. Both come in a wide range of colors and designs. They can be reached by calling .

Reading in bed is a delight unless someone who is trying to sleep is also occupying the bed. Help is here in the form of the Lightwedge, a cleverly designed book light made of clear optical-grade acrylic in the size and shape of a printed page that sits on and illuminates the entire page. Illumination comes from one vertical side of the light where a black border holds the batteries. To move it from the left page to the right, simply flip it over. Its assets: light weight, LED illumination, two brightness levels and two sizes for hardcovers ($34.95) and trade paperbacks ($24.95). A relatively new addition to their product line is a 1.25 magnification that clips on to the wedge. It also comes in two sizes.

Lightwedge works relatively well for its size. I have found it a useful item in some ways. It is certainly less awkward than the tiny lights that clip onto your book at the top, but the illumination is nowhere near what a good overhead lamp would provide. Lightwedge can be found at http://www.lightwedge.net/

From Miles Kimball comes “Thumb Thing,” a simple but practical, even necessary, device for anyone addicted to reading on her side in bed. (That would be me.)  You slip your thumb through the ring and its like having rigid flippers on each side of your thumb that hold the pages open without having to use extra fingers. Priced at only $3.99 each, these are one of those things you don’t know you needed until you see it. Now you’ve seen it. http://www.mileskimball.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=10559

 

Readnstar, Inc. (http://www.readnstar.com/) offers the Necksaver II Reading Stand, a well-designed bookstand that can hold even the heaviest volume. Practical rather than attractive, it has four angles, three elevations and two page holders (that can also double as side extensions). This is made to be used on a hard surface, making it ideal for cookbooks in the kitchen, reference books near the computer or textbooks anywhere. It folds up flat for easy storage and at $29.95 is a good buy.  

Post-It^® Page Markers are a delightfully new idea that can be found at Bas Bleu (item #1467, priced at two packs for $16.50). What makes these stand out from the usual is that each one features a punctuation mark—an exclamation point, an asterisk, a question mark, or an opening or closing quote—a handy reminder of why you wanted to “flag” the quote or page. http://www.basbleu.com/stores/1/index.cfm

                   

Book Pillows are decorative pillows made to look like classic books with gold printing on the “cover” and “spine.”  Four are available right now—War and Peace, Little Women, Romeo and Juliet, and Tom Sawyer at $24 each. At 11” x 14” x4”, you won’t lose these between the cushions. Another great item are their portrait blankets. Edgar Allan Poe, Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain grace these 60” x 80” throws that are machine washable; $34.00 each. The book pillow is here: http://www.fleecies.com/bookpillow.htm and the blanket is here: http://www.fleecies.com/author.htm

 

Finally, my favorite product, the Bed Desk. I’ve had this for about two years now, and use it regularly. It’s particularly valuable when browsing my art, fine art photography or oversized astronomy books that would otherwise make permanent dents in my thighs. Designed by an engineer, this ingeniously designed portable desk has an adjustable 0º-90º lid that folds out into five positions, a ledge to help hold the book in place, a hidden but accessible pen hole, a book binder clip  to hold your book gently open and lock the legs when the desk is closed and a leather handle. It comes in a variety of finishes, but mine is red.

I was successfully tempted into buying it when the designer used to come to a book festival dressed in a Dickens-era nightshirt and cap and carrying a candlestick, and set up a Victorian brass bed from where he would give an ovation-worthy spiel that showed off the Bed Desk at its best. Alas, he no longer gives those dress performances, but I would still recommend it. You can see it at: http://www.thebeddesk.com/


Since her childhood days of Mother Goose, Lauren has been giving her opinion on books to almost anyone who will listen. Lauren shares her home with several significant others including three cats, 700 bookmarks and nearly 1,000 books that, whether previously read or not, constitute her to-be-read stack.