Bookends  

Oh, but she's a Sweede
(that's how my 7-year-old's Danish teacher spelled it!)
The Danes do like to put real candles on their Christmas trees, but my Danish friend said they watch them very carefully and don't leave them lit for very long at all. Still.
Unrelated: "suede" is French for "Swede" and the Swedes invented suede, so that's how the name came about. I guess the French were so taken with fuzzy leather that they christened it after its inventors.

Whitespike
T shapes would work better mid shelf, but not at the end of the shelf

Thank you Barrympls.
I was looking for some good bookends when i saw your post. I went to the Ikea website and found just what I was looking for. I'm going with the Inreda. they look cool and only 2 dollars a pair. Thank you very much. =)

Gargoyles and rocks
Really...we have these cast gargoyles that my hubs bought ages ago and he loves them so we use them. THey' kind of a flying cat looking thing. I also have a cool rock I picked up on the beeach and a couple of IKEA plastic ones. Sorry to report nothing terribly exciting.

Simple shapes
Bentwood
http://www.idee-online.com/shopdetail/241002000055/brandname/

I prefer
Objects that prevent the books from toppling rather than the type of bookend that slips under the book. To much potential for damage that way - tears up the dust jacket, dents the covers etc. On of my most common tricks is to use another book as a bookend, by turning the foredge towards the book next to it. It works best if the book being used is short and thick enough to stand on its own.
And I abhor books stacked vertically and "clever" bookshelves.

immendorffs alter ego
immendorffs alter ego