If I had a concubine who would lie in bed next to me and hold the book open for me, and every time I turned over she’d get out of bed, get back in at the other side, and continue to hold the book open, there wouldn’t be a problem.
But alas I don’t, so there is.
So what do those unfortunate amongst you without a concubine/book-holding-slave do to hold the book open while you read it? What ‘tricks’ or techniques have you developed?
Lying on my back gets uncomfortable after a short while.
Lying on my side is impractical depending on where I am in the book and whether the book is paperback or hardback.
If I’m lying on my left side and I’m reading the left page of the first section of the book, that means I’m holding the fat bit of the book up or resting it on my face (which blocks out a lot of light)
I kind of sit up in bed with two pillows behind me (one pillow mostly flat and the other at an angle like / ) to support my back, then put another pillow on my lap to rest the book on so the book is at a better height and angle. Every once in awhile I will sit upright and look down at the book so my back doesn’t get too stiff or if I just don’t feel like laying down anymore. Using this pillow arrangement I can also lay a bit to the side and move the lap pillow accordingly to still have the book supported.
I’ve started reading books on a netbook. Ya, I’m a heathen. I never though I would like it.
It’s great. And being back lighted, I don’t have to keep the lights on.
And as far as turning pages? Just tap an arrow key. Or even better, the scroll wheel on a wireless mouse will let me keep all of me under the covers while I turn pages.
The netbook does get a little warm and you do need to make sure it gets airflow (though it’s never given me any problems.
I have the same problem! I often start sitting up, but I get cold, so snuggle under. The my hands get cold as they are peeking out of the covers and holding the book up, so I use one hand at a time, which is awkward. I usually give up and go to sleep after a half hour.
I use a backrest pillow, and then another pillow on my lap to support the book. When I start to slide down and turn on my side and prop the book on my side pillow, I now it’s time to give up and go to sleep.
I really want a Pyramid Pillow, but I refuse to pay what Joseph Beth wants for them, so I’m making my own pattern up.
Many of you describe the ‘sitting up’ method. I would like a method that allows me to be in a sleeping position. In other words so that I could fall asleep ‘by accident’ while reading.
I have such a hard time sleeping that if I go through the motions of putting a book away, re-adjusting pillows, and so on I will become very very awake.
Not sure how this is going to be possible ergonomically unless you use a computer with Adobe PDF reader plugged into a VGA projector displaying an image (text) on the ceiling. You’d use a wireless mouse to flip to the next page. And make sure your computer’s power management settings shut off the machine after 30 minutes of inactivity.
I use a Sony e-book reader. Works like a charm. It’s bound like a book so it’s intuitive to hold and weighs essentially nothing. It’s indispensable for reading late period Neal Stephenson without breaking your wrist.
When I’m reading proper paper books I tend to sit upright in bed propped up by a great deal of pillows. Not very good for dozing off gently but it is comfortable and I can keep at it for quite a while.
When I was a kid, I used to daydream of having an enormous book mounted to the ceiling so I could read while lying flat on my back. I even imagined a remote control to turn the enormous pages. Who knew that something analogous would be possible in my lifetime?
That being said, nowadays I just twist and turn in my bed as needed.
I lie on my stomach with a lot of pillows too, my book propped against the wall. Pull covers up over head, tuck arms under pillows so a hand (if only I had Thing from the Addams Family) can reach to turn pages. A pillow or corner of the comforter keeps the book open. It’s like a warm and cosy cave. I scarcely read a page before I doze off.
The only problem is that I now need reading glasses, and they keep getting knocked askew by the side of the pillow. What now, pince-nez? I tried a page-sized magnifier over the book, but it didn’t work.
I read on my cell phone, a moto 9M using mobipocket. It turns the display off at a preset timing but I have never actually fallen asleep while reading [I tend to get sleepy, and roll over and plug it in to charge.]
take a warm flannel shirt, get in position, face front of shirt towards you, put arms into. it will keep your arms and neck warm. good for nude sleepers who like to read. if your room is really cold also can use fingerless gloves, make some or buy them as a work glove.
I’ve only ever been able to get truly comfortable in bed with my laptop or Kindle.
With a book-book, though, I read sitting up, with two pillows behind me, my legs bent up at the knee, and enough covers bunched up to provide a platform for the book.