This isn't the first time that we've seen an integrated light in an e-reader. Sony tried it four years ago, with its . But this model's LED lighting, while useful in a pinch, had issues. As I'd noted in my review at the time, even at its brightest setting, the light barely reached the center of the page.

Barnes & Noble's Simple Touch with GlowLight doesn't have that problem. The LED light guide is inside the Nook's bezel, at the top of the 600 by 800 pixel 6-inch display. The lights shine down on the display, creating an evenly lit surface as seen on the demo unit shown off today. The lighting is a little hotter at the top of the screen, but not distractingly so. The Nook's display now has an anti-glare coating, too, which helps mitigate any glare from the light.

Accessing the GlowLight is easy and requires no fumbling in the dark. Just tap and hold the "n" button at the bottom of the screen, and the light comes on; the longer you hold, the brighter it gets. You can also adjust the light directly from an on-screen slider control.

According to Barnes & Noble, the GlowLight can be on for up to one-half hour a day, and it will still only require a battery charge once a month. And if you fall asleep, no problem: The light will time out automatically after five minutes of inactivity.

This new model retains the same dimensions as the original e-reader, which remains in B&N's lineup and currently sits at the number one spot on our chart. The new GlowLight e-reader adds a decorative gray trim around the outer edge of the front bezel, but that doesn't detract from the readability of the screen. And it actually weighs ever-so-slightly less than before, in spite of the addition of the GlowLight, shaving 15 grams, or 0.03 of a pound, off of the Simple Touch's 0.47 weight.