my ongoing search for the perfect book light

I have been searching for the perfect book light for years. Why a book light? I like to be able to read anywhere I go–on the bus, in a not-well-lit waiting room, in line ups, late at night, or even–yes, I admit it–while I’m waiting for a movie to start in the theater, and I’m trying to ignore the ads that theaters now force us to endure.

I’ve found some good contenders, and some book lights that, overall, I’m satisfied with. But I still search for the perfect book light–one that won’t damage the pages with a metal or plastic clip; isn’t too heavy (so doesn’t use AA or AAA batteries); isn’t too bulky; and not only spreads the light evenly, but actually covers the entire page. It’d be a great bonus if it looked stylish, or at least aesthetically pleasing.

I’m still searching for the perfect book light–but I enjoy the search. I’ve found some pretty good ones–as well as some ones I throw in the thrash.

My favorites so far have been Zelco’s Itty Bitty Booklight –though it’s too heavy for my taste (I like to carry my book light around in my bag, and a book light with AA batteries adds a fair amount of weight–especially with all the other stuff I carry around), and my current favorite, a slim lightweight LED book light by Rand McNally that takes 2 light lithium batteries (the flat circular kind). Its only drawback is that the button to turn it on is on the front, and sometimes gets pressed in my bag, making the batteries quickly die. I’d also like it to illuminate more of the page–but it’s the best I’ve found so far, and inexpensive at $9.99.

Of course, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to find the perfect light. A new possible book light that I’d like to check out is the “itty bitty Slim LED Booklight” by Sharper Image. It clips onto the spine of a book, so it won’t damage the pages, and is compact, stylish looking, and looks like it has a bright light–but it takes three AAA batteries, which sounds heavier than I’d like. It’s $24.95, plus shipping, of course. When I have some extra funds, you can guess what I’m going to treat myself to.