One of the biggest issues bookworms who read old school (i.e. paper) books face is how to remember where you got to. I’m not a big fan of dog-earing pages (though I do it occasionally if I’m reading a beat-up or used copy of a book), and while I used to be able to memorize my page number, after quite a few frustrating forgetful episodes (that ended in a lot of swearing and frantic page-flipping), I’ve come to the conclusion that this really isn’t a viable option for me anymore.
To make up for my memory’s growing deficiencies, I’ve started pressing pretty much anything into service as a bookmark:
Of course, I’ve had varying success with my makeshift book marks. Even proper bookmarks aren’t always the best – they fall out or I misplace them in a book I’ve since stopped reading, and they’re never seen again. The kind with tassles are a big no-no because I have cats. The tassles are more appealing than catnip and lead to the cats not only destroying the bookmark, but in the process dragging it out of the book and losing my place anyway.
I often use random scraps of paper – boarding passes from planes, receipts, postcards, pamphlets for tourist attractions I never went to, band-aids, luggage tags, the free bookmarks retailers give away. You name it, it’s probably in a book in my house somewhere holding my long-forgotten place. But while these work, they’re all disposable and temporary, so they aren’t really MY bookmark. I’ve never found any that managed to stick with me past one or two books. Until now.
After years and years of using many methods of bookmark-free place-holding, as well as pretty much everything that could conceivably be used as a bookmark (and some things that really shouldn’t have been), I’ve finally found my perfect bookmark design. They’re called “Bookjigs” and this is what they look like:
What I love about them is that they clip onto the cover of your book (they work equally well on hardback and paperback books) and the ribbon is attached to them so that you can just tuck it inside the front cover when you’re reading and they won’t fall out, and when you’re done reading, you don’t have to go looking for it. They’re really pretty, too. Here’s what they look like in action:
I’ve already begun giving these to booklovers I know, and I’ve got plans for even more gifts. I found them at Chapters (in store and online), but you can also find them on the Bookjigs website (be warned, though, shipping to Canada is very pricey).
I’m disproportionately excited by this new discovery, and as small a thing as it is, my new bookmarks have definitely made my reading more enjoyable!
What about you guys? Do you have a favourite bookmark style or trusty bookmark? What random items have you put into service as a bookmark? Share in the comments!
**Though it might seem like it, this post was in no way sponsored by Bookjigs – I found them on my own, and wrote about them because I genuinely love them!
The world of books is never boring. Every week (well, most weeks) I’ll discuss a different topic related to books, often inspired by or in response to what’s going on in the online book community (or something I’ve seen another blogger talk about). I call this Book Thoughts on Thursday. Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments, or even write your own post on the topic and share the link with me!
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