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This compact, customizable $11 book light keeps me reading for hours at night

Facebook users can't stop praising it, and I see why — it deftly illuminates pages without disturbing my early-to-bed fiancé.

Every once in a while, a product recommendation comes along that makes you immediately smash that "add to cart" button. Maybe it's a splurge like the Dyson Airwrap or something practical like storage bags to store your summer clothes. For me, it's the Glocusent Rechargeable Book Light — dozens of members in my book club's Facebook group can't stop talking about it.

Honestly, the recommendation came at the right time. My fiancé is in law school taking very early classes, so we have different sleep schedules. I just started reading the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Mass and, spoiler, can't put any of them down (#BookTok doesn't lie). Unfortunately for both of us, the bedside lamp was making it hard for him to fall asleep. Enter the Glocusent. Half book light, half bookmark, this baby quickly became my best friend.

This little reading buddy provides up to 80 hours of light, depending on the settings you use. And when the battery is low, just use the USB charger. 

Pros
  • Compact
  • Comes in five cute colors
  • Long battery life
  • Multiple light settings
Cons
  • Buttons are sensitive
  • Too heavy for thin pages
$11 at Amazon

Here's the deal: the light has five brightness levels so you can choose the one most suitable for your eyes. It also comes with three color modes: Amber, to filter out 99.9% of blue light and minimize eye strain; Breeze for a cozy, comfortable setting; and Precise for enhanced clarity. I set the brightness in the middle and use Breeze when I'm reading before bed, although my fiancé has also been able to sleep through the brightest settings. The light can twist to cover multiple angles, which is great. Just clip it to the back or front cover of your book and get lost in the story.

The book light in pink on a green background.
With this little gizmo, it's never too late to finish just one more chapter. (Amazon)

Over 15,000 book-loving Amazon customers adore the Glocusent Book Light.

I'm not the only one who bought it so their partner can sleep: "I use this to read in bed after my boyfriend goes to sleep. It is fantastic," wrote this happy bookworm. "I can't believe this book light doesn't disturb others because of how bright it is, but it doesn't."

This reader raved: "Great design, very easy to clip on and position for optimal bedtime reading, great lighting intensity options, long battery life, easily recharged ... I loved this thing so much I bought another one to gift a book-loving friend! Five radiant stars!"

"I have had several reading lights, and this is the absolute best one I have ever had," gushed another impressed shopper. "I love the size of it, and the fact that you can change the strength of the light or dim it as much as you want. I love the swivel so that you can adjust it for reading either side of the page, and it's not big and bulky, it's compact and easy to charge."

One five-star fan's only complaint? "I wish there was no metal on the clip. I wish it was a full plastic clip so I wouldn't be worried about it scratching my cover."

Meanwhile, another five-star reviewer noted that you have to be careful while using it. "The only downside is you do have to be careful sliding it on your book pages," they wrote. "I have caused small tears at the top of my pages. That might be due to me trying to put it on too many pages though."

Customize the angle, the light type, the brightness ... and maybe pick one up in a second color for a book-loving friend.

$13 at Amazon

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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.