Ahh, the Book Seat. I’ve had a back problem for over ten years, and one of the frustrating things about this is that reading while sitting up can quickly become very painful – and the pain can go on for hours afterwards. I’ve seen many physiotherapists and osteopaths over the years. Their recommendation is that I read while lying on my side. However, several years ago I had a two-three year bout of chronic fatigue, which meant that if I lay on my side to read I’d be asleep within a few minutes. Even if I tried to read sitting up for a few minutes at a time, I just couldn’t concentrate. So I went from being a book-a-week reader to someone who didn’t read much at all. (Instead I started knitting, but that’s a whole other story.)
Well, I mostly recovered from the fatigue so I’m trying to get back into the habit of reading. What surprised me was that reading is a habit – and one you can lose. I really have to make myself reach for a book these days. The Book Seat has helped me do that in two ways. Firstly, if I prop it up on a pillow a book is about the right height that reading it doesn’t put strain on my neck. Secondly, knitting has programmed me to feel restless if my hands aren’t occupied, so if I get too twitchy to concentrate on reading I can pop a book on the book seat and knit something simple – like a plain sock. Multitasking!
There is a down side to all this, however. I haven’t yet worked out how I can have the cat and the Book Seat on my lap at the same time.
But I’m working on it.
Love my bookseat for reading in bed. For reading and knitting while sitting I use an old music stand to hold the book or pattern.