Are you (or someone you know) a voracious reader? I know I am. Whether you like the feel of pages in your hand, or the heft of a tablet, this is the 21st century – and most lifelong readers I know are also…well, huge dorks.
With all the technology at hand, there are bound to be gadgets and gizmos that we all want, have or could find quite helpful. I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites.
Tablet
This is a pretty easy one, but if you’re a reader and don’t have a tablet, you can be missing out on a very handy device. Mind you, I am one of those people that really appreciates the physicality of reading, but there are times when I look at my book collection and realize what a pain all that is going to be to move out of my place, whenever that may happen.
So what I’ll do, personally – is put books that I know that I am not going to read again – my summer beach reads – on my tablet and take them with me that way. I should probably be supporting my local library, in that case, but I’m more inclined to collect books (in whatever form) than read and return.
Tablets are great as well because there are not only a number of different types and brands and functionality that they can offer as a whole, and there are also a number of apps that you can install on a tablet to enhance your reading – like dictionaries or supplemental material.
And if you’re a magazine reader too, many magazines are coming out with interactive magazines built especially for tablets that have videos and other rich content, making the experience more engrossing.
Plus – you can shout out your love of books with your tablet case, or phone case, or laptop case…there are any number of options for you to tell the world about your love of reading.
Mark-My-Time
Mark My Time is no ordinary bookmark. If you’re someone who easily gets lost in a good book (and who doesn’t?) then this might be the perfect bookmark for you, so you don’t wake up, startled, at 4AM with the book indented on your cheek and still at your desk….
Mark My Time is what it sounds like – a bookmark that has a built in timer, so that when it’s time to stop reading (or eat dinner, or pick up your kids) the alarm on the bookmark will go off.
Over Ear Booklight
Yes, you heard me right. An over-ear book light – about the size of a Bluetooth headset, this over-ear book light is less cumbersome than many book lights that clip to your actual book (and those usually don’t work so well when the book is paperback rather than hardcover) and of course much easier to deal with than sitting under the covers, holding a flashlight above your head.
Classic Book Collection
For those readers who are also gamers, this purchase is probably a no-brainer. There is actually a “game” (or perhaps a better term would be “cartridge”) for the Nintendo DS that is 100 Classic Books. Seriously. So if you’re looking to learn up on the classics over spending time playing Mario Kart, this could be the gadget for you!
Book Stand
There are some of us our there who don’t like to hold books, but love to read. That’s where a book stand comes in – I mainly would use book stands for my cookbooks in the kitchen, but to each their own.
There are simple book stands, and then there are some really pimped out versions of book stands. There is even one – the “Infinitely Adjustable Reading Valet” that is hands free, and tilts, swivels and adjusts to whatever position you want to be reading in. It’s on wheels, too, so it’s quite easy to move around if the need arises.
Valerie Spencer is a freelance writer who works with Free Book Notes and thinks that everyone should read books on a regular basis – and find whatever author or genre they like best, regardless of what that may be!
