5 Book Accessories to Make Your Life Easier

A person reads a book in a hammock on a sunny day.

When it comes to reading a book, there’s so much more to it than just turning the pages. In fact, for some of the more tech-savvy among us, there are no pages to turn at all.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know all too well that much of the experience of reading is governed not only by the quality of the story but by the comfiness of the chair you choose to sit in, the brightness of the light you read under, and the feel of the book etc.

So, to help you enhance your reading experience, our team of bookworms have put their heads together and come up with a list of 5 book accessories that we think our readers will love.

Whether as a gift to a fellow book lover or as a well-deserved treat for yourself, these book accessories are designed to elevate your reading experience to new heights of comfort and convenience. Read on to find out more.

1. Portable reading lights

A reading light is clipped onto the pages of a book, illuminating them.

Calling all night owls and avid travellers! Do you often find yourself longing to read on the go or at night? Do you regularly make trips on coaches, trains, or planes?

Allow us to introduce you to the portable book light! Kiss goodbye to eye strain once and for all with this ingenious little invention. Taking the form of a miniature, portable light, you can clip this onto your book and angle just right to shed light onto your reading material in even the darkest of environments.

This one is perfect for long-haul flights, when reading in shared accommodation, and even in areas where you need a bit of boosted brightness during the day. There are hundreds of different variations of book light, from simple on/off plastic models, to ones with telescopic, flexible necks and dimmable brightness modes. So, we’d recommend shopping around to find the model that fits your needs just right.

Tip: Either opt for a solar-powered model that recharges in the sun or purchase a small pack of the little batteries it takes to carry with you so that you never have to compromise precious reading time at the hands of a mini power outage!

2. Bookmarks that do it all

The humble bookmark may well have had its day. No longer just a strip of paper or fabric used to mark a page, readers are demanding more and more from their bookmarks — and they’re delivering.

Nowadays, bookmarks have a range of added functionalities that have been levelling up our reading experience in leaps and bounds. If you, or a book lover you know, still live in the dark ages and fold over corners to mark their pages, consider getting them any of the following bookmarks:

Ones with integrated notepads or post-it notes for scribblers to write down their thoughts as they go (or for doodlers to doodle).
Bookmarks with pen holders for those who love to annotate or underline as they go (we’ll avoid passing judgement on this).
Magnifying glass bookmarks — for reading the small print, of course.
Ones with built-in calculators to keep track of your reading goals.
More personalised options — perhaps something embossed, printed, or gilded.

A hand places a bookmark with a leaf design into a book.

3. Book holders & stands

While reading for hours on end is always our recommended activity of choice, sitting in one position and holding a book for that long – especially if it’s a hefty 700-pager – isn’t the kindest on your joints and muscles.

As such, there’s a variety of accessories on the market that have been specially designed to make sitting and reading as comfortable as possible.

For example, there are wooden stands that allow you to prop up your book and hold it open, keeping the pages flush, so you don’t have to do anything at all when reading. These are great for students who may need to take notes or use books for reference, but they can also be perfect for readers who struggle to use their hands.

Similarly, there are fabric pillows or alternatives that act like a beanbag for your book, tablet, kindle, phone, or other reading device, gently holding your book in position.

Additionally, if you’d rather stand up – or even walk on a treadmill – while reading, there are several adjustable models of book holders that you can prop up on a table, adjusting to a comfortable height that works for you.

4. Multi-functional bookshelves

If we know our readers well, the chances are you’ll have more than just a few books on your nightstand. Book buying and collecting are just as much hobbies as reading. But, so many avid readers struggle with space and organisation when it comes to their book collections.

As such, some of the best ‘accessories’ you can invest in are decent shelves and storage solutions. Multifunctionality is a great option here and there is an impressive variety of book storage options available on the market. From coffee tables that hold books stylishly to shelves with reading nooks or built-in desks, although a little more pricey than a reading light, once you make the switch to a more integrated bookshelf solution, you’ll never look back.

5. Noise cancelling headphones

A person reads on a tablet while wearing noise canceling headphones.

Lastly, perhaps our strongest recommendation to book lovers looking for an enhanced reading experience is a pair of noise cancelling headphones.

Sometimes, especially when reading on the go or in public places, the environment around you can detract from the reading experience, causing you to lose focus and the world inside the book to seem that little less real.

If you can, get your hands on a pair of noise cancelling headphones to allow for a more immersive, tranquil, and focused reading experience. One of our favourite things to do with these is find music that matches the style or genre of the book we’re reading. With fantasy or epic romances, we love to curate or find playlists full of songs that inspire and uplift. With headphones, reading becomes less of an activity and more of an adventure.