This Periscope Book Light provides a new approach to the book light choices. A leather cover wraps around your book and then from the top, a telescoping periscope comes out and can extend over the pages of what you are reading.

In addition to the up and back adjustment, the WALL-E lookalike head swivels back and forth. (The two LED lights look like the robot’s eyes.) It's a bright, two-bulb LED that handily lights up any book in complete darkness, powered by three AA bulbs. The manufacturer claims the batteries will power the bulbs for 40 hours. You can also buy an optional A/C adapter for it, but this would seem to have limited applications.

You never have to worry about misplacing your light because it's attached to the book you're reading and there’s even a cloth bookmark. If you’re reading a book that you’d rather not have everyone see you reading, the cover also hides what’s inside. The feel of leather on the outside makes the reading experience feel richer, even if there is a trashy beach novel inside.

The downside of this approach is that book sizes aren’t as standard as these two integrated book lights. The smaller one is only meant for mass market paperbacks, while the larger one is meant for both hardback books and trade paperbacks. Some books will fit better than others.

The LightWedge is very different than any other book light. The "wedge" in its name comes from an innovative product design whereby tiny LED lights push light out of the base and through the glass, which rests on top one of the pages you are reading. This way the text is completely illuminated, with no dark spots and no eyestrain. The light is bright and with room in the spine of the light for four AA batteries to power it, the light is bright and the batteries will last for book after book.

Unfortunately, this all requires some extra work on you the reader’s part. Since it's a wedge that goes between the pages, each time you turn the page you have to pull out the LightWedge, turn the page, and then stick it back in. You’ve automatically got a bookmark when you turn it off, but some people will undoubtedly find this to be too much hassle, especially while lying in bed. The LightWedge comes in two sizes, for paperbacks and hardbacks.

Sometimes the simplest and cheapest items turn out to work the best. The Flex Neck light is simple and elegant, with just a clip and a flexible neck with a light at the end. There are a few tweaks that make this light special, however. The main benefit is its adaptability to multiple types and sizes of books. This is one of the few lights around that will work for anything from mass-market paperbacks to a 1,000-page hardback biography. It just clips onto the cover of whatever you are reading, with no cords or battery packs.

The other advantage is that this is the best of the ten featured here for packing light. A hole in the clip part holds the circular light part, allowing the whole thing to fold down into something the size of an Oreo cookie. The one drawback is that the small and lightweight battery is something you would normally find in a watch or calculator, so you can’t just pop in a standard battery you have lying around the house when this one dies.

This easy-to-pack, high intensity Krypton light is really a flashlight, but the clip mechanism and nine-inch bendable arm allow it to work well as a book light, too. The award-winning design allows you to wrap the arm around the case for easy travel packing. A snap-on red lens turns it into an emergency beacon. It is waterproof as well, making it a good choice for boaters.

The Long Reach light uses two AAA batteries and only weights two ounces.

The compact and especially bright XtraFlex Super LED from Mighty Bright is one of the few that offers two light settings. With a simple tap on the sensor switch you can turn on one or two of the bulbs. The bendable arm is also longer than that on most other lights, offering full positioning options for any size book.

You can clip the XtraFlex to any book cover (or computer monitor) or use it as a freestanding light on a flat surface when you’re not next to a sleeping partner. Simply tap our proprietary sensor switch. The flexible neck allows you to position your lighting anywhere you want it. The three AAA batteries are not included, however, so factor that into the final cost.

The Spike Light is designed for hardback books, the idea being to insert the clip into the spine of the book, where it will stay secure as you turn the pages. The spike part holds single AA battery, while the light sits at the end of a twisty adjustable arm.

It is a simple and effective device with light bright enough to illuminate even large hardbacks, though the spike clip design makes it tough to use with paperbacks. It takes up very little room when packing though and is one of the lightest book lights available on just one battery.

The Itty Bitty Book Light was one of the original travel lights, but it has had trouble letting go of the past, coming late to the LED bulb leap forward and it still has a very bulky battery pack, holding four AA batteries on the housing clipped to your book. On the plus side, you won’t run out of juice anytime soon: the manufacturer claims that you can read all day for 10 straight years without running down the batteries. (Which begs the question, wouldn’t two batteries for five years be just fine?)

The batteries are not included in the heftier-than-usual price. This is a commonly stocked book light that you can find most anywhere, but weigh the other options that can be a half or a third of the price.

Available in three colors, ReaderMate's light features three ultra-white bulbs in a compact design that folds together easily. It uses the classic clip-on design, making it useful for any size book or a computer monitor. The bulbs have an estimated life of 100,000 hours. It is powered by three common AAA batteries. They’re not included though, so stock up at checkout or even better, use rechargeables.

The BookBrite has a fully adjustable lamp head that is larger than most, powered by three AAA batteries. The head auto-extends and swivels to reach your optimal position. The LED light bulb should last as long as the light itself, without needing replacement. This versatile light clips onto any size book, computer monitor, or magazine, or you can set it on its built-in base to use it as a table lamp.

Folded up it will also work as a flashlight, eliminating the need to carry another separate item when traveling.

The Zelco Serpent Lite does indeed look more menacing than most, in black only and looking like something out of a “robots-gone-wrong” movie. It has more of a desk light feel than a normal book light one, shining as much light above the book as below. It uses the clip light system that works for any books though and has a flexible arm. Plus it’s one of the most reasonably priced lights available — lithium batteries included.