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The book lover in your life already has a to-read pile taller than the nightstand, so the best gifts make reading better instead of making the pile bigger: a way to read in the dark, a way to hold the book with one hand, and somewhere to keep track of all of it.
House Standard 32: A book is not a coaster, a doorstop or a plate. Supervision is advised.
The splurge
Protocol’s pick: Kindle Paperwhite. A glare-free, waterproof e-reader with an adjustable warm light, so the bath, the beach and the 2 a.m. “one more chapter” are all covered. It holds a library that would otherwise need its own room. Rated Exemplary.
For marking the good parts
Protocol’s pick: Book Darts. Thin metal line markers that slip over a page and point to the exact line you want to come back to. No folded corners. No sticky residue. No arguments.
For reading one-handed
Lag’s pick: A thumb page holder. A little ring that sits on your thumb and holds the book open. The other hand is free for snacks, which was the goal.
For keeping track
Protocol’s pick: A reading journal. Pages for every book read, rated and reviewed, plus a to-read list that can finally live somewhere other than eleven open browser tabs.
For carrying a book everywhere
Lag’s pick: A padded book sleeve. A soft zip-up cover that keeps paperbacks from getting crushed in a bag. Covers stay nice. Corners stay corners.
For warm feet in the reading chair
Lag’s pick: Out of Print Banned Books socks. Socks printed with famous banned book titles. Warm, bookish and a little bit defiant.
House Log
PROTOCOL: I have recorded every book I read this year in the journal.
LAG: How many?
PROTOCOL: Forty-two.
LAG: I read one. But I read it twice.
Everything in its place.