You know the feeling – you’re reading along, totally engrossed in a story, when someone rudely interrupts you and forces you to put your book down. Hypothetically here, your “boyfriend” tries to talk to you, or your “train” arrives at your stop.
What’s a reading girl to do if there’s not an actual bookmark on hand? Some of my bookmark substitutes have included a smaller book, a migraine medication prescription, and a jar of jam that I took from a hotel room.
What’ve you had to use in a reading emergency?
the Writer's Pet 
I am always using non-bookmarks! Normally it is just a bit of paper I’ve torn off the nearest piece of junk mail, or a train ticket. I’m not sure I’ve ever used anything as weird as a pot of jam – if I can’t find any paper then I normally just memorise the page number, or leave the book open on the right page.
a jar of jam ? , tend to use post cards as book marks my self ,have used a money notes or string
I use an old train ticket. There is always one in my wallet.
I almost always use subway transfers, but I am a big fan of tickets to sporting events. I’ve always got a few lying around the house and they’re the perfect size. Also, since they’re made of cardboard they’re sturdier than most bookmarks.
My notebook, a cigarette, a pen, my bangles, bread, another book, a tiny pot of cactus, my laptop’s adapter, a pillow, my sleeping boyfriend’s elbow… I could go on and on. I’ve never gotten the hang of bookmarks (most of the time I just close the book and hope I can hunt my way back in), but when the going gets good and real life intrudes–the nearest object at hand does the trick. :)
Loving these answers! Do any of us actually use bookmarks the way God and Scholastic book fairs intended?
Sasha, your list is particularly impressive. I didn’t think many things could be less bookmark-like than a jam jar, but I was very wrong. Cacti and elbows for the win.
Jackie, I often try to just remember my page number as well, but I find that this costs me too much time when I’m just reading in 20 minute snippets on the tube.
This happens to me all the time! I like to use receipts – I tend to leave them in the book, and then five years later when I open the book again, I can have a nostalgic think back to the 30th of September 2001 when I spent £2.70 on pick and mix and a magazine from the now defunct Woolworths. Such good memories!
That is fun! I also enjoy old to-do lists, especially when they don’t make sense anymore. “Milk, THURSDAY!!!, M. the W.”
Y’know, I don’t know that I even OWN a real bookmark.
I’m with the previous commentators; bits of paper, public transit transfers, my cat (no, really, she likes to lie on books)…
Cats love books. My theory is that they see that you’re staring at them and they get jealous, so they make sure that you can only stare at them.
Most of the time I just end up folding down the top corner of the page. I know this is a bad habit because I end up with a lot of creased pages, but I can’t help it! For me the easiest way to mark a page is always with the page itself.
I like the idea of a cat as a bookmark though.
Yes, but you can do this with school books, because no one expects them to stay pretty (no sane person, anyway). When I picture a cat as a bookmark, I think of this: http://www.nataliedee.com/013010/not-only-are-they-squishy-they-are-kinda-damp.jpg
Oh postcards, train tickets, an envelope, a post it, a supermarket receipt anything and everything!
Those are all made of paper though! You are clearly not as much of a hardcore reader as me or Sasha. Or maybe you just take care of your belongings and I’m a big slob…