A cozy place to read
In which our heroine helps you get lost in a book
“Reading fiction doesn’t help us escape the world. It helps us live in it.”
- Harry Potter & the Sacred Text
Hey there, cozy friends!
I recently attended an event with a friend at a local chocolate shop entitled: “Shhh! I’m reading: A night of chocolate, tea, and quiet reading!” I know. It was an absolute dream experience. After an hour of silently diving into our books, our hosts opened up some time for connection with our fellow readers. One of their conversation prompts (side note, this socially anxious girl LOVES a conversation prompt) was:
“Where is your favorite place to read in Madison?”
I loved this question. It got me thinking about the set of circumstances that - in my opinion - makes for an optimal reading experience. Like many readers, I’ve been known to pull a Rory Gilmore and pull a book out of my bag while waiting in a particularly long line for coffee. But there is something truly magical and luxurious about having the time to curate a reading experience.
The key to a cozy experience is creating the moment with intention. That means it’s a good idea to put your phone… literally anywhere else. I recently learned that just seeing your phone, even if it’s face down or off, can have a negative impact on our cognitive ability and on our relationships. I’m as bad about my screen time as the next person, but giving yourself an hour to read and have your phone out of sight seems like a great place to start.
To inspire your reading adventures, I thought I’d share some recent cozy reading experiences I’ve had and what I loved about them.
The solo date
Last week, I gave myself a slow morning and walked over to my local coffee shop for a little reading time. I ordered an iced pistachio latte and settled in at a little blue bistro table under the shade of a huge tree.
I love this place because on days like this when there’s a soft breeze in the air and the humidity isn’t unbearable, the whole neighborhood seems to show up. I sat beside a group of high school English teachers planning their curriculum for the next school year. In front of me, I saw a dad and daughter out for a little treat with their dog. At the edge of the courtyard, a couple sat side by side reading their own books. It feels like the reality of what every coffee shop ambience video is trying to achieve.
The chatter was a little distracting (I was deeply invested in what the 15-year-olds in my neighborhood would be reading this fall), so I popped in my airpods, put on a piano playlist, and put my phone back in my tote bag. I could feel the wind pulling at the scarf I wore in my hair and smell roses from the gardens down the street. I cracked open my library book, Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle. It all felt emotional and peaceful, like a moment outside of time.
The picnic
My friend Kendra recently visited me from Washington, DC with the goal to experience the magic of summer in Wisconsin. If you ask me, there’s no better way to experience that magic than a picnic by the lake. So we packed up our books, blankets, and snacks and posted up for the afternoon.
I had a very bad sunburn from our activities the day before, so it was imperative we find a nice, shady tree to sit underneath. As the sun moved, we hilariously kept moving our picnic blankets about six inches every thirty minutes to remain in the shade. In the shade, feeling the breeze coming off the water, you never would have known that it was ninety degrees outside.
Sometimes when guests come to visit, I feel pressure to fill the days with activities and motion. But there is something magical about two readers getting lost in different worlds, side by side in a beautiful place. I was reading A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan. Kendra was reading The Grace Year, by Kim Liggett, recounting to me all the dramatic plot twists of the book I had recommended to her but seemingly had no recollection of other than the vibes.
The morning coffee
My favorite date with my husband is to go out into our community to get coffee. It’s especially luxurious on a weekday morning before the bustle of the day begins. Most of the time, we take our books along with us.
Usually we head to our favorite local spot, Cafe Domestique, where I get an iced honey lavender latte and he gets whatever drip coffee Tara, our favorite barista, thinks he’ll like most that day. We bring in fresh croissants from the bakery next door and try not to let the crumbs get stuck in our books. For an hour, we have no responsibilities but to sit together and dive into our stories.
On our most recent trip, Lucas read America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo while I read Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford.
The pool
I recently read The Lido by Libby Page, a book that is about a public pool, in my friend Richard’s rooftop pool in Chicago. There is something magnificently cozy about reading a book in a similar place to where the book is set. It makes the experience not only intentional, but immersive.
Reading in a pool is perhaps my favorite type of summer reading experience, absolutely brimming with nostalgia. I have crystal clear memories of a childhood spent in my parents backyard sitting on the steps of the pool reading Harry Potter for hours at a time. The hot sun, the cool water, and an incredible book? Name a better combination.
On this particular pool outing and the one following it, I did get a sunburn. So pool reading does feel the most dangerous of them all to me now. Don’t forget your SPF!
The Sitting Room
I love to be at home. So while I can frequently be found out in the world with a book, most of my reading is happening on the couch in my sitting room. It’s harder to set that intentional time at home when distractions abound, but I try to make time at least once a day. I particularly love the mornings.
If I’m setting up for a serious reading session, the first thing I do is acquire a fun drink - usually I make an iced latte or sometimes I grab a Spindrift from the fridge. I love to make myself a little snack board with berries, crackers, and cheese.
If the weather is acceptable, I’ll throw open the windows to get a fresh breeze. (This is my third mention of a breeze in this post - maybe my key to cozy reading is actually just wind?) I like to pick an ambience video to put on the TV, ideally one that matches the setting or vibe of what I’m reading. Recently, I read Beach Read by Emily Henry paired with this lake house ambience video.
The Reading Retreat
Perhaps an hour isn’t enough and you need a full weekend dedicated to reading. I couldn’t support you more. In February, my friends Kendra, Taylor, and I had a weekend reading getaway in honor of the release of House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas, the latest in her Crescent City series.
We holed up in a house to read together and on the rare occasions we did leave the house for coffee or wine, of course we lugged those giant books with us. We made dinner together, mixed cocktails inspired by the book and took reading breaks to go to a bookstore and watch How to Train Your Dragon.
While I don’t know whether I can recommend everyone reading the same book at the same time - the risk of spoilery reactions was simply unavoidable! - I can highly recommend a weekend reading getaway.
I hope this gives you ideas to steal an hour for yourself this weekend and find a place to get cozy with a book. You deserve it, I promise.
Now I must know - where is YOUR favorite place to read? Tell us in the comments!
Finally, some cozy inspiration for your week:
I loved this post from one of my favorite Substack’s,
in which documents a week in her life through the lens of what she read and wrote. I found it charming and cozy - and it inspired the way I approached this post, focusing on the small moments with our books that feel so special.
I like to read at the Cafe Domestique at North Street, such a nice little area with a ton of different nooks in which to read.
Come read on my screen porch soon!