5 Best Places to Relax With a Book

The way I read is always changing. Depending on the weather, my mood, the type of book I’m reading- it always changes. Sometimes I read with music on, sometimes I need complete silence; sometimes my chosen reading drink is tea, other times I need ENDLESS amounts of coffee. One thing that doesn’t ever change, is my constant need to sit comfortably. If I’m uncomfortable I can’t focus on scrolling through Instagram, let alone reading a book. What does change however, is my Designated Reading Spot.

My Designated Reading Spot(™) will fluctuate depending on the weather/location at the time, the heroine I’m deciding to relate to that day, and/or my need for a hot drink. After all these years I’ve narrowed my DRS down to a science, and barely have to think twice about where I’m in the mood to read that day. I can’t very well keep this to myself however, so I thought I’d share with all you book-dragons (yes we’re dragons, because worms are weak) all my go to reading spots.

1. Comfy couch by a fireplace

This is my favorite place to be during the winter when its blowing snow outside and I’m cuddled up with a Little House book. I brew a fresh pot of tea, grab some fuzzy socks, wrap myself in a blanket and settle down for an evening of reading.

Relaxing this way always makes me think of the simple comforts of home, like your mom making dinner and your dad just getting home from work while you hang out with your favorite Wilder girl. I always look forward to the winter when I can cozy up and transport myself back to the old days and relate to all of Laura’s trials during the Long Winter (good old Canadian winters, am I right?).

2. Bedroom

This is where I read when I’m feeling especially introverted (like any other book-dragon) and desire zero disturbance while reading (something not always obtained when you live in a house with four other people). This is also necessary when I’m reading a book that requires 100% concentration, like Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility.

My room is well decorated and set up for reading, complete with fairy lights, scented candles and a large bookcase full of stories, and its probably one of my favorite places to immerse myself in a book.

3. Coffee shop

I take a book with me everywhere I go, so when I’m out by myself, more often than not I make sure to stop at a coffee shop to further grow my caffeine addiction. Little independent coffee shops are really popular right now, and are very easy places to spot a reader.

I have hipster tendencies, and thus I’m deeply in love with independent coffee shops. I don’t know why the combination of coffee, small crowds and paperbacks makes me feel like I have my life together, but it does. So, whenever I’m feeling like an artsy, well read independent woman, you can find me reading by the window seat sipping a London fog.

4. The park

This is where I like to go when I’m feeling especially romantic and whimsical. Reading in the park under a tree or on a bench on a mild summer day just makes me feel like the heroine of my own book, imaginative and full of poetry. It makes me think of all those book to film adaptations like Pride & Prejudice, where the heroine is out reading and is momentarily joined by a handsome young man as they throw around quick witted banter.

5. Countryside

Now I haven’t really had the opportunity to immerse myself in a natural setting, let alone read in one. Where I live our countryside isn’t easily accessed due to the way our town is laid out. However, I’ve often imagined myself laying in a field deep in the countryside, reading a classic and sending myself back to a different time.

If you live in an area where the countryside is easily accessible, take advantage of that! Nothing can make you understand L.M Montgomery’s descriptive prose or poems about nature than being in nature itself while you’re reading about it. Our surroundings are there to be appreciated, so take advantage of the hot weather and spend some time there with your friends (aka your books).

Where is your go-to reading spot? Let us know in the comments down below!