Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Reading Spots

As most of you already know, the Broke and the Bookish host a Top Ten Tuesday every week on… well, you know.  This week the subject is favorite reading spots.  For me it’s more “Good Spots to Read” as some of these reading locales are born of necessity than desire (like the BMV).

My Top Ten, in no particular order (except the order that I thought of them):

1. In bed, of course.

2. On the beach.  We live less than an hour away from one of the Great Lakes (Michigan).  How lucky is that?  The beach is always on the summer itinerary.  And spring.  And fall. 

3. In a lounge chair at the waterpark watching the family splash around and have a good time.  Kristy and the kids love waterparks, but I’m not that into the rides myself.  That makes it a prefect place to get lots of reading done.

4. In the closet.  I have this thing that I can only describe as “reverse claustrophobia” – I tend to be drawn toward enclosed spaces.  Don’t ask me why.  Our bedroom closet is as big as one could be without being a walk-in, and I used to keep a chair in there and just read.  It was wonderful.  (Now my wife insists we use it for clothes and for storing things.  The nerve!)

5. My writing room.  This makes up for the loss of the closet.  I don’t call it an office because there’s no desk (on purpose), just two comfy chairs.  It’s also where the book shelves are.

6. Under the oak tree in the backyard.  After too many years spent in apartments, just to be able to say “under the big oak tree in the backyard” is a beautiful thing.

7. The couch on the back deck.  Okay, I’m a redneck.  I have a couch outside, and you know what?  Awesome!

8. Waiting for slow moving trains.  For obvious reasons, I don’t read while I’m driving, but when I see the train slowing down, or worse, backing up when it was almost done, the car goes into park and out comes the Reader.

9. In front a crackling fire.  Whether from a fireplace (we don’t have one) or a campfire.  Or just out back in our fire pit.  Nothing makes better background music for the written word than the pop of wood and the gentle purr of flames licking the air.

10. Anywhere I can.  This isn’t a copout answer.  I’m referring to any situation, like the line at the license branch, or a doctor’s waiting room, or anyplace else that involves being on someone else’s time, where the poor saps who would rather claw out their eyes than pick up a book are left twiddling their thumbs while I’m getting lost in a world of someone’s imaging.

9 comments:

  1. Oh fudgeo I'd love to have a writing room. One laptop, no internet, one rocking chair and a load of books.

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  2. The 'no internet' part is key. If I could find a way to physically remove the wi-fi from my laptop, I'd get a lot more writing done.

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  3. Franzen opened up his machine and removed the network card. He also put superglue in the internet port. Gotta love J-Franz

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  4. That's why he's a best-selling author, and I haven't even submitted a query yet.

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  5. A lot of people are listing couches, beds, and big comfy chairs. I would just fall asleep in one of those.

    I currently live in an apartment, but it's in an old house that does have a couple of trees in the backyard. I shall have to try reading there in the summer.

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  6. I think I'm jealous of your writing room!

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  7. Haha I totally read in line at the DMV or pretty much anywhere annoying lines are! :)

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  8. I love that you like to read in the closet, that's pretty good and very different. Maybe because there's peace and quiet? That's a relatively sparse thing when there are kids around. :o)

    Mine would definitely be my comfy couch, but pretty much anywhere fits the bill since I have kiddos and you will take reading when you can get it.

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  9. I love the closet idea! I'm like you in that I like small, cozy spaces. I think that's why I like big comfy chairs that feel like a hug.

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