Readers are known for taking books with them wherever they go. Whether it’s a physical copy or an audiobook, there are limitless places to read. But some places are obviously better than others. Below I rank 8 of my favorite reading places.
Your yard or porch
Rating 8/10
Though I am a homebody, I like to spend as much time outside as possible. There’s always some type of work to do outside, but I always like to spend those last moments of daylight actually utilizing my patio furniture and getting some reading done.
I live on a busy street, but my backyard is relatively secluded. So, it drowns out the noise of traffic, and all I have to worry about are mosquito bites or what other projects I’m not working on instead of reading.
Most often, though, I’m able to read a good chunk of a book in a 20 to 30-minute reading session. The outdoor sounds keep me focused, and I feel like I’m taking advantage of the warm weather and taking it in while also escaping into the written word.
The library
Ranking 9/10
The library is a place literally designed for reading. Surrounding yourself with books already puts you in the mindset to read. They also furnish the place with chairs, desks, and couches that will acclimate to the type of reading you need or want to do.
I grew up across the street from my local library, and I used to go up there to read just to get away from the noise of home. I could usually find a secluded corner where nobody would bother me.
That being said, libraries are not the quiet places they used to be. In fact, I once went to the library so that I could do my homework in peace only to hear my own parents walk in talking loudly, their voices echoing through the building without even realizing I was there.
Even more useful is how the library can be a great place to do research. Not only are your reference materials all there, but you can lay everything out on a desk or table and take your notes, type your paper, or even just absorb whatever information you’re looking for.
There’s a story that circulates online about a special needs woman who comes into a library because she’s lost. The staff finds her contact information on a paper tied around her neck and is able to track down her guardian. All she can mutter is “the library is a safe place.”
I think that’s true of any reader. You go there knowing that other readers are going to be in there and that you can even take free books home with you.
The beach
Rating 8/10
A beach trip takes the form of its vacationer. Some people are there to play hard, to always be on the go, and to make the most of their time. Others are there for relaxation and to work on their tans. I’m a mixed bag.
A day at the beach is a mixed bag of swimming, sandcastle building, tanning, and reading. Even a crowded beach is often drowned out by the sound of the ocean waves, creating the perfect atmosphere for diving into a book.
I love to bring a ratty paperback down in my beach bag each day. Those lighthearted novels that are categorized as beach reads are the perfect fit because they fit the energy and excitement of your surroundings. From romances to cozy mysteries to re-reads, those stories you can zoom through make you feel like you’re accomplishing something while you tan without feeling like you’re spending your vacation working.
A writer is always working or feeling guilty about not working. But if that writer is also a reader, they can use reading as an excuse to not write, especially on their vacation or day off.
A coffee shop or restaurant
Rating 6/10
Coffee shops feel like an idyllic reading space. They give off the impression that you’re an intellectual absorbing new knowledge like a sponge while you sip your overpriced drink. And those who frequent these places alone often bring reading material with them to keep them occupied, whether they’re scrolling on their phone, skimming a newspaper, or with a physical book in their hand. It makes you feel like Kathleen Kelly in You’ve Got Mail, or a displaced American writer in a Paris café.
I frequently get the idea in my head to pack a book, head to a coffee shop or restaurant, order something, and sit there and read for a while. Once I’m seated, though, I’m distracted by everything: my order, the music playing overhead, the conversations people are having around me, or even my own discomfort at trying to be that person who reads in public places.
Rarely do I read for as long as I intend. Sometimes I can get a few pages read while I finish my order, but I try not to stick around much longer past that. So, coffee shops and restaurants are good for short reading sessions or just to give yourself something to do at a restaurant or coffee shop while you eat other than look at your phone. But save the good reading sessions for somewhere else.
A closet
Rating 7/10
As a teen growing up in a large household, I dug deep for privacy. I eventually found myself squeezing into tight corners behind doors or furniture with my book and spending larger amounts of time reading than I ever could or would now.
Armed with a desire to read and all the time in the world, I did some of my best reading from inside my bedroom closet. The closet was small and cramped, but it was equipped with a single lightbulb activated by a pull string. So, I could pull myself into a ball and read for hours.
These days, that sounds like a situation in which I would emerge stiff, cramped, and, in the summer, overheated. But there was something whimsical about it back in the day. So, if you can find a lighted closet in your home, you may have just found the perfect hiding/reading spot.
A cemetery
Rating 8/10
Cemeteries used to be the equivalent of parks where people would take walks, picnic, and hang out. These days, they’re pretty secluded areas. However, it make us ghoulish readers feel right at home.
Cemeteries feel safe to me. They contain picturesque landscapes with grassy areas, trees, or even benches to read on, or at certain times of day or in certain weather, they can provide an atmospheric setting for the right book genre.
There’s a Halloween vlog I love to watch on YouTube by Darling Desi. In it, she visits a bookstore and then takes her new purchases to a local cemetery where she discusses her book recommendations and then dives into her purchases while eating donuts and cookies. If there was ever a way to romanticize reading in a cemetery, this is it.
Reading in bed
Ranking 10/10
Reading in bed is the place that’s most free from distractions. Whether your day is over or has just begun, you’re at a place in your day where you’re not on the clock. It’s also designed for comfort.
Most readers keep a book, or a stack, on their nightstands for easy access. They sometimes have a book specifically for reading in bed. Kindles or other e-readers in particular are great to read in bed because you can read with the lights off.
I’ve heard mixed ideas about reading before bed. Basically, it seems to have varying effects on people. I can imagine that the type of content that we read affects this as well as how our brains respond individually to the act of reading.
We’ve seen the reading memes where people resolve to read a few pages and then find themselves having finished a book overnight. Then, there are others who find themselves drifting off after a few pages. Either way, reading has done its job of releasing you from reality.
A comfortable chair
Rating 9/10
After remodeling my home, I decided to turn my spare bedroom into a library equipped with a comfortable reading chair.
When you just want to get right down to reading, the closest chair or bed will do. There, you can make all of the twists and turns you need in order to get and remain comfortable. You also feel at home without worrying about how long you can stay in that one place before you get kicked out due to closing times or feel the urge to leave because strangers are bothering you.
My reading chair isn’t as comfortable as I’d hoped it would be, but it’s in the perfect place, and I try to make it more comfortable with pillows and blankets. Once I stretch out in it, my body goes into reading mode, and I’ve read a lot of the books that I’ve reviewed on this blog on this chair. You can find those reviews here!
Where are your favorite places to read? Leave your answers in the comments below!
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