Inventory is a hassle, but I pick up bags/pouches and drag that to the inventory. Can just click the bag and it opens up the options to use the items in it. The clickies I always activate when I do a long rest are detect mind and talk to dead + spell for talk to animals. Talk to dead is a ritual from the amulet you get in the chapel, so it is always cast after you activate it. I have the (pre-order?) helmet that lets me change into another race (disguise) which is important to have since many enemies won't let you talk to them after you kill them unless you disguise yourself first. Having talk to dead activated as a ritual also lets you see most of the people you can talk to when they are dead with a green outline. Without the ritual active, they won't have the glow. So if you do have the mask, remember to take it from the chest at the camp as soon as you can, if you don't have it, make sure to get the spell disguise self quickly.
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This is my bard hotbar menu at level 10. Neck for talk to dead and detect mind then the neck I use to just click it to put it back after I've used the spells. Can see the pouch for items in the top right.
I also have a pouch with 210ish items so far which is every note / book that isn't clearly just a "story" book which I sell. I think the pouch is up to 25 pounds now.
I find a note with someone writing to their wife or somesuch I am keeping it on the off chance I meet someone where I can use it. Example: At the start of the game, on the ship before you crash, you find two "minds" in a jar. They weigh 5 and sell for 1. They do nothing. I could suddenly use them 70 hours later in act 2! +1 to score for rewarding my hoarding.