Alternatives To Bookmarks:

The sun is setting, you are curled up on the sofa, a thin blanket is draped around your shoulders, and a lukewarm cup of tea is within reach. In your hands you hold a book and it keeps getting better with each sentence. The characters are on point, the pace is right, you keep on reading when suddenly .... beep beep .... the dishwasher makes its presence known.

It has finished its washing and now it demands to be emptied! Not in ten minutes, not when you finished the chapter. It has to be NOW! This means that the book has to be laid aside and the dishwasher takes the top priority.

Suddenly disaster strikes: You can't find your bookmark!

"Did I even take one with me?!" you ask yourself as you search under the small collection of pillows and check the couch table.

All the places offer you nothing. There are no bookmarks, and we all know that leaving the book face down while bending the spine goes against the very essence and soul of any human being. However, when times are tough and there are no bookmarks around, what is the alternative?

Post-Its 

A rather crude but efficient method! One always has a spare post-it lying around that can be stuck between the pages. It seems to solve the problem even before it appeared. In today's times post-its come in different shapes and sizes!


Pros of the Post-It Method:

• almost always available 
• come in different shapes and sizes 
• also more colour variety 
• they can't fall out of the book

Cons of the Post-It Method:

• might stick to the pages forever
• or even damage it once removed
• not reusable 

Postcards 

A personal favourite of mine is using postcards. In this case, it does not matter if they have been sent to you or if they have been bought by yourself. For a long time I stored them in my diary but then, one fateful day, I discovered that they make great book marks as well. Fact remains that one always has a few more postcards than they need, and often with no idea what to do with them.

My proposal: make it into a bookmark.

Pros of using postcards: 

• you have too many anyway 
• different themes 
• come in the right size 

Cons of using postcards:

• except for the odd paper-packed book
• people in public could read them 
• they might slip out

The Paw of a Cat 

Everyone with a cat has been in one of two situations: the cat is trying to rub its face all over your book thus distracting you from reading. Or it is sleeping calmly next to you, curled up into the shape of a neat croissant.

Provided the later situation applies, one can gently take the feline's paw and place it between the pages. This needs to be done with a lot of care as the book must not be too heavy. Furthermore, this is not a permanent solutions since cats tend to have a mind of their own.

Pros of the Cat Paw:

• fluffy
• cute to look at

Cons of the Cat Paw:

• could move any moment
• or just walk away
• scratches on everything you love
• might kill you

A Thinner Book

The answer of a bookish problem lies in books of course. There is always a book that is thinner than the one you are reading. Or one that isn't quite as tall and big. This can then be placed within the pages of the current book. The options are as endless as your TBR list or why not use your eReader!

Books in books .... what more can any bookworm want?!

Pros of the Book in Book System:

• you know which book to read next
• always one lying around at home

Cons of the Book in Book System:

• bulky to carry around
• what happens when you read the thinnest book in your household?

Which method is used, often depends on the individual and the items available. This helpful list offers only a small variety of alternative bookmarks. If there are any other known way, do not refrain from offering your insight in the comment section below.