In anticipation of the release of Evelyn’s Promise next week (pre-order now for an instant download on January 26th!) this week’s Throwback Thursday post is from 2012 and is all about my favorite places to read. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book in your favorite spot! It’s probably a good idea to scope out yours now, so that you’re ready for Tuesday!
When you want to read, where do you go? Whether it’s a paperback, on a Nook, or iPhone, readers will read anywhere and everywhere.
But what about when you want to curl up with a good book? Typically, I read sitting in my family room, but that’s only because I can multitask more efficiently there. The family room is where the computers are, and thus the ready internet connection with Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, email. Where the TV is, too. The phone. All the distractions that permeate my days and weeks.
Where do I prefer to read? That’s easy: Where I’m unplugged.
Sitting on the screened porch is my favorite place, with the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead, the watch dog curled at my feet. A comfortable chair hugs me as I read, the pool beyond tempting me to lay down my book during the summer, the falling leaves now reminding me that the season is changing. A table holds a tumbler of a cold drink to sip on when the action in the story heats up. Although I try to focus solely on the story in my eager hands, my attention is diverted by the rapid hum of wings, accompanied by staccato chirping as they discuss which hummingbird should have access to the ruby nectar. They are very territorial, hummingbirds. Beyond them, others (cardinals, sparrows, wrens, mourning doves) sing and flit between the towering hemlock and the birdfeeder perched on a pole, cleaning up the seed that’s been scattered on the ground by overzealous or picky birds.
Reading outdoors is where I love to read, a preference that began when I was a young girl in Maryland. I grew up in an old farmhouse that sat along a busy road, but the house was surrounded by climbable maple trees and one lovely, sprawling mimosa tree. The mimosa was my favorite tree, mainly because it was easy to climb and I found the perfect Y-shaped branch where I could nestle into the V and read. Sprinkled with those delicate pink flowers, the many tree limbs swayed above me, the blue sky peeking through the fronded branches as I devoured book after book. Sometimes, the gentle motion lulled me to sleep, the tree safeguarding me from the characters in the story I was reading in the library book clutched in my hands.
Fond memories arise from reading out of doors. Being outside also frees my mind from the day-to-day tasks that swarm there when I’m indoors, allowing me to transport to the realms of the tale I’m enjoying.
Betty Bolte's Musings 