Earlier in the week, my Book Buddy II arrived! This is a fun little product designed to make reading more comfortable. And I must admit, it does. True, I don't know that it's absolutely necessary for reading lightweight books--mass market paperbacks and such--but for heavier books--hardback books, chunksters--it's a true help. I tried using it three different positions--lying down in bed, sitting up in bed, and sitting in a recliner. And I tried using it with a variety of books.There are two ways to use it--the pillow itself nestles books--both hardbacks and paperbacks--within its straps. Depending on how your book spreads--lies flat--you may or may not need to use the corner straps for holding pages (like the illustration). But it's nice to have the extra support for when you do. (All three straps are adjustable). The second way to use the Book Buddy II involves using an acrylic desktop attachment. This attachment--which comes with all book buddies--is ideal for those with laptop computers. I don't have a laptop computer. But I found other uses for it :) I actually prefer using this desktop surface for reading my Bible. (A book I found a bit too bulky for the pillow.) It sat better--opened better--on the flat desktop surface. Perhaps because it was a leather bible and leather is naturally floppy and can be unwieldy.
I found it worked best when sitting up in a recliner. I imagine a comfortable couch would work as well. (Not having a comfortable couch, I wasn't able to test it out. For the record, it's a bit of a misnomer to label that thing in my living room a couch. I would imagine it being in worse condition than most you'd find by the side of the road. As it has zero springs and is supplemented by all the packing materials (styrofoam mainly) I receive in my book packages. But that's neither here nor there.) 
When used in bed, it needed extra pillows to get everything to the right height. That could be in part my bad vision and/or the size of the print of some books. Still I've never suffered from a shortage of pillows. (My family would call me a pillowholic.) And adding pillows all around helped me get comfortable and cozy. And it would prevent hands/wrists cramping up when reading. If you just read paperbacks, then this might not be something you think about often. But if you're like me--if you like books big and hefty--when you're tackling projects like The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Don Quixote, where weight is a BIG issue, then this little pillow is an answer to prayers. I wish I had known about this product back in January when I was suffering through the very delightful Don Quixote.
And it comes in different colors/designs. (Mine was maroon. Though you can't tell the color or design--it's much more attractive than it looks. But that's the built-in-camera for you.) My favorite design? Jeannie or Strictly Stripes. I didn't try this next product at all--but they do make matching lap blankets. Anyway, you should stop by ReadingComfort.com.
