If I need to read hands free, I usually have to resort to putting something big and bulky on the book, and reposition it as I go.
But this thing looks amazing. I need one. Thanks Gina!

Oh, and I just found out about bed books. They're pretty neat too.
[bedbooks.net]

Pirate-M.Lifnen

This is very cool! And if a credit card weren't required to buy one, I would.

abhowell

Sweet. Getting one for my girlfriend. Our second bedroom is her library. For real. Bookcases on every wall and an armchair. The very mention of the Amazon Kindle sends her into an inconsolable rage.

Papercutninja

@wouter-j: A typical novel isn't really that heavy is it? And a bookmark would eliminate the need to remember a page number.

FotoPhocus

Wouldn't it crease the hell out of the spine?

Atlantys

I read hands-free the easiest way possible - ebooks on my PDA! Ever since owning a Palm Zire a have been amazed at how much this works for me, I always thought there's no substitute for the real thing. Now, however, I keep getting more and more annoyed about the absence of backlight, the weight and the need to remember the pagenumber when reading a book. This does not stop me from dreaming about my own private library-room though, a CD-rom doesn't quite have the same 'je ne sais quoi.

wouter-j

If you're not quite convinced over it's usefulness, check out A Brief History of Reading. LOL. Also mentioned there: The Thumb Thing - sort of a one-handed substitute for cheapskates.

OzTardis

Sweet. I'm going to pick one up for my cookbooks - some of my favorites are just too big for my recipe stand/holder/thingie. This looks like it should do the trick!

marisa

I have a Book Gem and use it all the time. It can be a little hard on the book, especially if it has a very thick spine, but I have to admit this doesn't bother me much. What I like it for is reading to sleep on winter nights. I like a cold room to sleep in, but hate how the arm holding the book outside the covers gets chilled. This gizmo not only holds the book open, but with a pillow and the right positioning, can even prop it up so that you can read with both arms/hands under the covers (except, or course, when it's time to turn the page). Also, it's really good for holding open those cheap little paperbacks when you need to transcribe from them.

Lauram

Bookgem looks promising - might have to get one.

I've been a bookstand addict for years and tried a lot of different ones. By far the best was the one made by Zelco - was besides myself when I lost mine and couldn't find replacement for a year. This is their newest model, don't know how it compares to old. FYI - it's too small for textbooks, but great for everything else.

[tinyurl.com]

Lula Mae Broadway

I forget who, but someone gave my wife something like this simple black leather book weight:
[www.giftsforprofessionals.com]

I can't endorse that link or anything, for reference: It's just the closest thing I could find in a fast Google search.

It's basically a simple item that's kind of long with weights at the end, that holds the book open. It covers up a third of the page on smaller books though, so it requires frequent repositioning -- this BookGem could be easier to use, since you only adjust once per page-turn, plus it has the legs.

Awesome find! Thanks!

Brian

I've been using the Book Butler for years. [www.amazon.com]

Works a little better if you put a little vinyl tubing over the page holding pegs to hold the pages with a little more friction.

Capone

They're sold out now till 2008...

Looks really cool...would even be better if it had a booklight built in.

peters4n6

The best bookstand I have ever used (and books are integral to my work as a graduate student) is Atlas Book and Copy Holders They are easy on the books can hold anything from the smallest envelope or single page up to a huge 50 pound Atlas. The best by far, don't regret it, it is one of the best pieces of technology I have ever invested in. And it's very portable (a bit heavy, but it sets up and down in seconds).

hermeneutic

I often use weights from an old (vintage?) kitchen scale.

Still, this thing looks very useful - does anyone know an alternative that's available in Europe?

Ace_NoOne

It's funny...I've been reading while I eat since I was about 4 years old, I seemed to have mastered the art of eating almost anything with one hand. For harder to eat foods that require both hands, I read a magazine since it stays open all by itself.

@ymihere: That's so funny, I use my remote control too :)

morganlh85

Should give that a try.
I'm using remote controls for keeping books open. The batteries give them enough weight even for larger books (once you are past the first few pages) and the rubber-buttons keep them in place.

ymihere

I read during my one hour lunch at the diner all the time. I just ask for an extra butter knife and then lay it across the top of the pages.

This works fine for me and even generates discussion sometimes from other customers.

sefc

Ouch... I can't imagine doing clasping one of those horrible clamps to my precious books. Everytime I see a book being manhandled, I'm in pain too. Meh, maybe not me, but my girlfriend sure is. She thinks it is already a horrible thing to lay a book near the edge of a table ;-)

muffinimal

I use the same weighted bookmark that brian mentions.

And if I forget one when I go to the bar, i use the butter knife solution too.

screaminscott

@FotoPhocus: Compared to a PDA, most books are surprisingly heavy; even when they're about the same weight they tend to be larger, which means it puts more load on your wrist when holding it at the bottom. Especially when reading in bed you notice the difference. And of course with the PDA I can take tons of books with me in the train!

For cookbooks I have a sturdy metallic stand, but this of course doesn't allow for easy pageturning.

wouter-j

I use "Leselotte" [www.leselotte.com], it doesn't hold the single pages but the whole book so that you can read (very) comfortably in the bed, on the couch, ...

sebu

For paperbacks: BOOKMATE from www.bookmateplus.com.

Used them for years and love them. Protects the cover, too.

gbell