I think I found this article about the marvels of the fluorescent bulb at Semicolon. We've had a few for several years now and love them. I just didn't realize that they really were that energy efficient. However, if you put your hand near one you should be able to tell--there's nothing like the heat given off by the typical resistor bulb. So, check it out. It's simple, it's easy, and it apparently does help.
I also only use these flourecent bulbs, but white LEDs are really coming into the mainstream with a 1W version that is comparable to a 60W bulb. Not quite down to a good price factor yet though.
My booklight uses white LED's and the battery lasts quite a while.