The Sword and Laser discussion
Your Ultimate Reading Spot
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I tend to read either during lunchtime at work and at night when the kids are in bed, sitting in my recliner with a cup of tea and being able to chillMy favourite spot is the park, which im lucky enough to work next to as its so relaxing and quiet, i just wish there was a lot less bloody dogs!
Kelvingrove Park - Glasgow
I a very simple person. I have over-sized furniture...my couch is like a twin bed when you remove the pillows...so I sit in the chair and a half. There's plenty of room to stretch and for my kids to come curl up in my lap while I read. It keeps me in the middle of everything. When I can't read there, I tend to sit on the floor or ground depending on where we are.
I don't necessarily have a favorite place to read, but I have recently found the ideal reading furniture. Ikea has a chaise lounge/long chair/slice of heaven called the Kivik Chaise. My pennies are being saved and a nook is being carved out next to my window in my apartment. If you have the time and means, I recommend test-driving one, after which time I assume it will become your favorite place to be, let alone read. Here's a link! : http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/pro...
I actually used an Ikea Poang chair as my "reading chair" and would move it all around the house depending on where the sun was and where I felt like reading. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/pro...That and my "big chair" which is a 1.5-seater couch and is just awesome to curl up in were my main go-to reading places. Since I hurt my back, I've been reading mostly on my bed...or in my car...
I'm actually looking at getting a recliner, so I'm expecting that will become a new favorite locale.
I was always a sneaky after-bedtime reader when I was little, so I really don't mind dim light or reading in bed. Lately my favorite spot is in bed, with my husband's old beat up headlamp, and him curled up snoring lightly beside me. (He has to get up early for work and I don't.) I think the second favorite spot I ever had was when my family had a rental with a bay window with a big window seat and the heater vents were right in front of it...I made a blanket fort over the vent and had my own little reading sauna!
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Aside from a library-tower surrounded by a mote with an underwater salon as found in Jules Verne's nautilus, if it's quiet I'm a happy camper.
I've been listening to a lot of audio books recently, and i've found the best way to listen to them is walking, there's a route i've worked out that's just the right length and scenic enough.Reading wise i've got a bean bag, which gets moved about frequently.
I do most of my reading on my work commute. Yes, it's noisy on the train, but a good book will engage you enough to block all of that out.
My current favorite reading spot is my new super sized bean bag.https://www.sumolounge.com/sumosac-su...
The only problem is I get so snuggle in, I've dozed off a couple times-only to be woken up by my nook smacking me in the forehead.
Rob wrote: "I found my new reading chair:source (Portuguese site)"
That chair doesn't look very comfortable though.
Bath tub! No one bothers you unless absolutely necessary (have 1.5 bath place). It can be warm, cool, sunny, dark, and if you have the right kind of tub, comfy (those ones that aren't even deep enough to at least cover your thighs with water are crap though). I used to have this oversized leather chair that was perfect but I had to get rid of it because the leather got all broken and would stick me in the arse with sharp leather bits (it was a second hand chair)
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Yea, it really doesn't..but look at how many books you have at hand!
I have a favorite reading spot but unfortunately it is not in my apartment in California--it's in my friends' flat in Scotland. I visit them in the summers and get some serious reading time in while it lasts. They have a bay window that I like to take pillows and blankets to and generally make myself comfortable. There's even curtains I can close if I really don't want to be disturbed. I'll arrange a nice cuppa tea and some snacks on the sill beside me and coax their cat into my lap...ahh sweet bliss! How many days until next summer?
So what makes the right reading location for you?
For me it firstly needs to be comfortable. My computer chair is an ok spot but it just isn't comfortable enough. Not enough padding, not big enough and with the bad habit of unexpectedly falling over when I lean the wrong way. I want a chair that you can sit in multiple positions and every one of them be good. But then there's the danger of too comfortable, eg. the bed. It lulls you in with promises of being big and soft with pillows and blankets but then before you know it it's morning and you're drooling on your Kindle...
The next most important thing, but often overlooked is lighting. One should never read in a dim light. The location needs to be well lit with options for both natural and artificial sources. I like a good window with a relaxing view and a good bright but not blinding adjustable lamp. One of the tall ones, not the little side table things. Right now I get the window but my view is of a semi-busy street with an overhead fluorescent tube.
Privacy is important. Nobody likes to be bothered a lot when they're deep into a good book. Ideally my spot would be in a spot where I can be reached by only if it requires a bit of effort meaning people would only interrupt me if it's actually important. Phone on silent, of course, though not off. How else would I access Wikipedia?.
The right spot needs to usable year round. In the depths of winter with snow piling outside or in the middle of summer during the worst heatwave the spot needs to work. I know it's a bit far-fetched but this is about the perfect reading spot after all.
And lastly sustenance and amenities. Never neglect the need to feed as well as the repercussions of the same. You don't want your nearest cool drink or tasty snack to be a long walk away, nor the pitstop. A bar fridge is a handy accessory to the comfy fridge.
I know I could read anywhere and I do, but that's a necessity not a choice. Too often a poor reading location can stop me truly engrossing myself in my book. And so my quest will continue. To find the ultimate reading spot.
So tell me what your ideal location would be. What is your current reading spot. Provide pictures and show us all. May we all find the spot we are looking for.