I {{Heart}} My Book Buddy!

I love to read.  That’s no secret, really. I feel as though I could read all day and never grow tired of it.  If you’re like me, you know that reading a book can wreak havoc on your hands after a long day’s reading and sometimes it is hard to find a comfortable position in which to read.  That’s where the Book Buddy comes in and saves the day!

Mandy at Reading Comfort contacted me and asked me if I would be interested in trying out a book buddy and I jumped at the chance.  I had seen Lisa’s review on Books on the Brain, so I was very excited.  There are many styles to choose from and I was curious to see which one I’d receive.   I was so thrilled to open the box and find the Chantilly Lace pattern (pictured above).  It is so beautiful and looks just lovely on my couch.  It’s comfortable, too.  Sitting in any position with the Book Buddy on my lap makes reading that much more pleasant. I’ve now discovered what I now consider my most relaxing and physically pleasurable way to read in bed.  I like to lay on my side.  When I lay the Book Buddy down flat, it strains my eyes to even try to read using it. Here’s where I’ve innovated.  I use another pillow to prop the Book Buddy up at an angle and then read in sweet, luxurious laziness.  Can you say heaven?

When I first tried my Book Buddy, I used a hardcover book.  I slid each cover under the coordinating straight ribbons, and used the diagonal ribbons to hold the pages down.  Over time, I stopped using the right strap and just used left to hold down read pages.  Recently, since I’m looking ahead to the end of the next chapter or challening myself to get so far before going to bed, I use the right ribbon to mark that spot.  Now, I also use my Book Buddy for trade paperbacks as well.  So long as I’m careful, I can slide trade paperbacks in and out without adding wear to the covers.  Just out of it’s design, it’s easy on the spines, so no worries about spine creases.  It’s actually double insurance against spine creases because I no longer have to hold heavy  trade paperbacks all the time.  It’s in those circumstances that I’m tempted to throw my personal rules against breaking the spines out the window for the sake of my reading comfort.  I just love that!

My Book Buddy also makes blogging much more convenient.  It comes with a sturdy plastic cover that hooks on using the diagonal ribbons.  Because I use a netbook, there’s enough space on the cover for me to write on a To Do List size notepad if I need to.  If I were a mouse user (I’m too lazy to bother hooking one up if it’s not there already), it would work in that space as well.  I have also used the flat surface to work on some of my less messy steps when I’m making book marks.  What can I say?  It’s great.

If you’re looking for something to make your reading time as pleasant as possible, you need to get a Book Buddy.  It also makes the perfect gift for any reader.  Some of them even come with matching lap blankets, which really tempts me to get the Ruby pattern – especially because there currently is a discount if you buy the Book Buddy and the lap blanket. I think the blanket would look so beautiful over the top of my favorite reading chair with my Book Buddy propted up against one arm.  Just knowing that is waiting for me at home after the kids are in bed makes me feel all warm inside.

Curious what other people think?  Here are links to other reviews:

The Tome Traveller 
The Boston Bibliophile
S. Krishna’s Books
BermudaOnion’s Weblog 
Book Addiction
Drey’s Library
She’s Too Fond of Books
Diary of an Eccentric