Book Nook or Bookend? Here’s What Makes Them Different

Introduction

Perhaps you can’t keep your books upright, or you’d like to decorate the space they are in. If so, you will want either a book nook or a bookend, but what is the difference? A book nook is a decorative diorama placed between books, while bookends come in pairs and are placed at the ends of a row of books.  Let’s take a look at this in more detail.

Content Outlines

• What is a Book Nook?
• What is a Bookend?
• Can a Book Nook be Used as a Bookend?
• Rolife Fall Into Wonder DIY Book Nook
• Conclusion

What is a Book Nook?

Another word for a book nook is a bookshelf insert. It is generally placed between books as decoration, not at the ends. The concept emerged in 2018 from an idea by Japanese artist Monde, and it quickly became popular on Reddit.

Book nooks have many benefits, including making your bookshelves look prettier and giving you an idea of what books are on the shelf. Also, if you make a DIY book nook, it stretches your mind and gives you a sense of satisfaction when finished.

Perhaps you can remember when you were a child and how immersed you became in a storybook. The characters would almost jump off the pages, and you could imagine what they looked like. If this reminds you of your younger self,  you will love book nooks.

A  book nook is a miniature diorama, in other words, a 3D model of a scene. Book nooks often show scenes from famous books such as Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland. In other cases, book nooks will display cozy scenes such as coffee shops or alleyways with interesting little shops.

Book nooks show intricate scenes with the smallest of details emphasized. You may see tiny books, pictures, mirrors, or teacups in the diorama.

You can buy a book nook assembled, or you can create a DIY book nook yourself, which is more fun for you and will give you a sense of achievement.. Why not buy a Rolife book nook that you can construct? They have a great range to choose from, some based on storybooks and others with scenes such as streets and bookstores.

Choose a book nook to suit the genre of the book it is placed next to. For example, a cozy cafe would be a good choice for romantic novels, as would the Rolife Romantic Venice DIY Book Nook Shelf Insert. For fantasy, choose the Rolife Time Travel DIY Book Nook Shelf Insert. If you have gardening books, go for the Rolife Floral Corner DIY Book Nook Shelf Insert.

You could also choose a book nook that suits your style or interests. If you want to decorate a child’s bookshelf, a storybook diorama would be suitable, such as Rolife Fall Into Wonder DIY Book Nook Shelf Insert.

You will also want to choose the right size to suit your books. Rolife book nooks are 18 - 20 cm (7 - 8 Inches) wide, 10 cm (4 inches) deep, and 23 - 25 cm (9 - 10 inches) tall. This is a great size as they fit most standard bookshelves.  

What is a Bookend?

A bookend is different from a book nook because it is a support that is put at the end of a row of books so that they don’t fall over. They are sturdier than book nooks and are often made from bronze, marble, or wood. They usually come in pairs, so you have one at each end of a row of books.

In the 19th century, William Stebbins Barnard created simple sheet metal bookends with feet. Although these are lighter than the more elaborate bookends, they are shaped to utilize the weight of the books to anchor them and keep them upright.

You can choose plain bookends if you just want them to be functional. However, as with a book nook, you can choose bookends for decoration.

If you want your room to look rustic, choose wooden bookends. Many are intricately carved, and you could choose animals if you are an animal lover, or a floral scene.

If you want a more contemporary look, acrylic or plastic would suit you. Their transparency makes for an airy feel, suitable for a modern home.

Also important when choosing bookends is how heavy they are. You don’t want a flimsy bookend if you have heavy books. Also, measure your shelf as you want the bookends to fit with the number of books you have.   

Can a Book Nook be Used as a Bookend?

Sometimes a book nook can be used as a bookend. It all depends on how sturdy it is. However, it stands out more if it is placed in between books, making a change from just a row of books.

Bookends, even if they are decorative, can’t be used as book nooks. Book nooks display intricate scenes, while bookends show a single object, such as an animal. They don’t tell a story.   

Rolife Fall Into Wonder DIY Book Nook Shelf Insert

Let’s take a look at one of the many Rolife book nooks. Rolife Fall Into Wonder Book Nook, is one of their best-selling products. It is based on  Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, two children's stories. The scene in the middle shows Alice falling into Wonderland. The Mad Hatter Tea Party is going full steam with tea pouring out of a red polka-dot kettle, but the magic doesn’t stop here.

The book nook is shaped like an old tree trunk, featuring a keyhole opening at the top. This is the entrance to the magical world where you can see tiny details like an infinity mirror, red polka-dot mushrooms, old books, a chess set, picture frames, and decorative plates. There are spade card symbols on the red and gold old-world bookcase.

This DIY book nook lights up with a switch hidden discreetly in one of the mushrooms. A type C charger keeps the Rolife book nook shimmering continuously, emphasizing your bookshelf.

Creating this DIY book nook will boost your mood and give you a sense of satisfaction and achievement. It has 300 pieces and takes around 5 hours to complete, which will make you concentrate and give your brain a workout. It is more satisfying to create a DIY book nook rather than buy one ready-made.

Conclusion

To summarize, book nooks can be used as both shelf inserts and bookends, but bookends can’t serve as book nooks. Bookends are more functional than book nooks. Book nooks, in addition to being attractive, tell a story and allow your mind to wander into a different world.