Just another manic Monday. And here we are again.

 To spice things up a bit, this week for our Top 10 we are concerning ourselves not so much with books themselves, but with those implements which make reading even more enjoyable than it already is (if such a thing is even possible). These handy tools have been designed specially for book-lovers the likes of us, and this Monday we're showcasing our favorite ten - the ones we find to be the most useful, most aesthetically pleasing, or simply 

 So for those friends/family members who can never quite manage to choose an appropriate book for their favorite reader - this list might offer some ideas on how to make a book-lover's life better without having to hunt for the perfect book to suit their tastes.

 Unlike our usual Top 10 lists, this week we are providing no links, so as not to give the appearance that we endorse or favor one product/brand over another. But a cursory Google search for any of these items, verbatim, will lend lots of results and options to choose from. Happy hunting!



1. Book lights




For nighttime reading, book lights today come in all shapes and sizes, from a simple clip-on, to an overlay transparent one which lights up the page underneath once laid on top. And let's not forget the option to have a light built right into glasses, for late-night page perusal. Whichever shape, size or form we opt for, one thing is for sure - they are incredibly useful for a book-lover to have around, for bedtime reading, reading while traveling long-distance to avoid disturbing other passengers, or simply as a fail-safe in the event of a power outage.


2. Bookmarks




Some settle for dog-earing pages, for fashioning bookmarks out of household items, or for flipping a book upside-down and laying it on a flat surface to rest. For a book collector, however, these are unimaginable horrors. The damaged pages! The cracked spines! The smudges from surfaces and random objects! In such instances, bookmarks are an indispensable tool for marking our place in a book and finding it effortlessly at a later point.
Besides, today's bookmarks endeavor to be more useful than ever - some come with the option of marking down the exact line where one stopped reading, and some are so elaborate and well-designed, they're almost collectibles.
Don't think for a moment we aren't collecting them.


3. Bookish merch




For a passionate reader, one who becomes invested in a story enough to want to declare that love for all the world to see, bookish merchandise is certainly the most convenient way to do so (though tattoos are quite popular, too, but we don't really consider them gadgets). From mugs to t-shirts, from full-on cosplay costumes of our favorite fictional characters to household items with the book's brand - there is no shortage of quality merchandise on the market to fill every book-lover's heart with joy.


4. E-readers




We have already addressed the pros and cons of e-readers as opposed to physical books in another post, and we by no means insist that every book-lover should automatically have an e-reader. But for those who favor the pros and feel that they outweigh the cons, an e-reader is a truly insdispensable tool, a cost-effective way of purchasing books at any given time, and a convenient way to lug around a library on the go without ever having to lug anything around at all. For most e-readers, the price still pales in comparison to most cell-phones, tablets, and similar electronic gadgets - and it is a one-time-only investment that pays off in the end.


5. Bathtub caddie




Of all the places to read, the bathtub has become one of the most discussed in recent years. For all readers who enjoy quality time with books and bubbles alike, bathtub caddies have been invented more or less for this exact purpose. In various shapes, sizes and materials, these caddies will keep your book in place, keep it open, provide a safe place for a cup or a glass alongside it, and - most importantly - make sure none of it ends up at the bottom of the tub. The horror!


6. Sleeves/protectors




For both e-readers and physical books, various cases, sleeves and protectors are a good idea if they are about to be carried in bags/purses/assorted luggage, and jostled around with other potentially damaging items. From key scratches to exploding pens and spilled drinks, there's no shortage of things that can go awry when books and e-readers are mixed with other carry-on items during (short or long) transport. Protecting sleeves will not only keep them safe from all these dangers, but they also come in colors and designs to suit just about anyone's fancy. And if you're keen on reading a racy book in public rather than that textbook you're supposed to be memorizing? Keep the sleeve on, and no one need ever know.


7. Stationery




Alongside bookmarks, stationery is indispensable for obsessive book-lovers, book-collectors and all who love to read with style and mark not only their place in a book, but also their impressions. Nowadays, stationery offers tabs to mark favorite passages, arrow-shaped ones to point to favorite quotes, transparent highlighting tabs to avoid actually having to highlight a book in color and ink - and a multitude of other handy equipment sure to make a book-lover's reading experience memorable and borderline interactive.


8. Book weight




And then there are those who like to read physical books while having their hands free - for drinks, food, a phone, pens and highlighters, or anything else they might engage in during their multitasking expeditions. Some books, however, just refuse to lie flat. Paperbacks are more intractable than hardcovers, in general terms, but even hardcovers won't stay open, either, if the reader is at the very beginning or nearing the end of the book. In such cases, book weights are the way to go. As most of the gadgets on this list, they come in a multitude of shapes and sizes - some even as transparent surfaces intended to lie over a book and read through - thus protecting the pages from any potential food or drink spillage. Just be careful not to crack that spine while weighing the book down!


9. Bookends




And for similarly intractable books which refuse to stay up on shelves, tables and assorted surfaces, there are the bookends. Again, paperbacks are more serious offenders than hardcovers in general terms. But paperbacks are also more affordable, easier to come by and oftentimes lovely. So when there's have a pile the reader wishes to display, showcase or just keep in place - the bookends are sure to not only hold them up, but to add a touch of style, whimsy or a more subdued, classical look - depending on the chooser's preference.


10. Book safe

If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... it's probably a book safe. And before you exclaim over ruining a book for the sake of a good place to stash valuables, you may rest easy. The readily-available, mass-produced and purchasable book safes of this kind were never books to begin with. Their purpose is solely safekeeping, and the clever concealment of your valuables. So store this handy tool among your other, regular books and see if anyone can spot it for what it actually is. 





And those are the ten tools we find to be most useful in for our book loving/collecting/hoarding needs. Let us know your favorite bookish gadgets (and how they've been working out for you) in the comments below, or bookmark this page and forward it to friends and family once your birthday comes around. It might just make everyone's lives easier. If you end up purchasing any of the above, send us a picture via social media. We're everywhere!