oskar.

The Oskar is one of those "why didn't I think of it?" design ideas. It's a book light that's actually shaped like a book, made in fact to sit unobtrusively among books. It can even be used as a bookend, which is pretty nifty. (You can also use it as just a regular table lamp, but for me that doesn't hold much appeal.)

well. designed.
The Oskar is solidly built from aluminum plates, with the cord out the back and the on/off switch in the front. Again, perfect for sitting on your book shelf: The cord is hidden in the back, while the switch is easily accessible in the front. It uses a 50W halogen bulb which is a little on the bright side for my tastes, but it gets the job done.

but. wait.
I'd probably buy a dozen (well, at least 4-5) Oskars for my shelves if not for one problem...which I'll get to in a minute. But first, for those of you who complain about me when I complain about the price of something, here is your cue to stop reading: CUE: STOP READING NOW. For those of you who are still with me...for reasons I don't understand, the Oskar is $465. Not including the bulb, I might add!

design. within. what?
Okay, seriously, cool stuff is often expensive, but this seems excessive in the extreme, especially since it's so basic. And from a place calling itself Design Within Reach. Basic to the point where I'd expect to find the Oskar at IKEA for about $20. For $465, I could buy several bookcases and lights at IKEA and still have money left over for some books. Sheesh.