Raquel Vaughn-

I used to be able to read three books in a week – sometimes as many as five if I was feeling especially ambitious. But those were the days when life wasn’t particularly stressful, and I could read in any condition. As an over-achieving fifth grader, I read 500- to 800-page novels on the way to class almost every day. Picture a middle schooler carrying two five-subject notebooks, four folders that were all different colors, a pencil bag (that I still use to this day), and a Chromebook as she weaves around upperclassmen and through the halls with her nose in a young adult fantasy. I was that middle schooler. I could read during recesses, lunch hours, on car trips as my mom turned up the radio, during a busy and loud free class period, and even at my brothers’ peewee sporting events. And I don’t say this to try and sound like I’m “not like other girls,” like Harry Styles would pick me out from the crowd at his concert and fall in love with me. I say this because my skill of reading anytime and anywhere has run its course, and now I have to curate the perfect reading environment to read a single chapter, let alone an entire novel.

Sometimes, the perfect way to read a book completely depends on the book itself. For instance, you wouldn’t sit down at a desk with a handful of highlighters and sticky notes to read a fantasy romance novel. On second thought, maybe you would if you were one of those Bookstagram influencers who study Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros like it’s the Bible. From my experience, one would only do that if they were reading a textbook or a nonfiction book of some kind. The best way to get in the spirit of reading something like that is to pretend you are an academic weapon. Not only sit down at a desk, but pull out your laptop and play soft indie music in the background. For added bonus points, keep a pen or highlighter in your hand at all times. And if you must sit on a couch or a bed, somewhere too comfy to be considered nonfiction-worthy, then a mug of hot coffee or tea should balance out the vibes.

The vibes are always immaculate when reading a fantasy book or something that has action, science fiction, and/or romance.  To make things better, one should always be sitting or lying down on furniture no less comfy than a couch. Novels of those genres are typically anywhere between 400 and 1,000 pages. These authors expect you to stay in one spot for a while. Grab a snack before you sit down, and make sure your water bottle is filled. Also, use the bathroom before you get comfy because you won’t want to pause and empty your bladder when your favorite character is in a heated battle with their enemy. Trust me, it’s a very awkward situation when one of your favorite characters dies as you are holding in your pee. Crying and grieving over a fictional character while doing the potty dance is the unfortunate life of an experienced reader.

Another important factor when it comes to the perfect way to read a book is the season of the year. There are so many great ways a book can be read in any of the seasons, but you have to do it the right way. For example, it would be crazy behavior if you grabbed a book and cuddled in two to three blankets with a mug of hot cocoa just for it to be 96 degrees outside with the sun shining. If the only cold is coming from the air conditioner and it’s the middle of the summer, I would expect you to find a better summer reading spot. A go-to spot of mine is at the lakeside. Every year, my family departs from my grandma’s house (where we spend a week of vacation) to drive five minutes away to Shell Lake, Wisconsin, where we spend a day on the beach. Whether I’m sitting in a camp chair or on a blanket in the sand, being outside and enjoying the sun is the best way to read a book. The birds chirping, the waves crashing against the shore, music playing in the distance on somebody’s Bluetooth speaker, and the faint smell of hotdogs—it’s the only way to enjoy any genre of book underneath the summer sun. I think that if you’re not baking under the sun while you’re reading on a summer afternoon, then you’re doing it wrong.

We’re coming up on amazing book-reading weather. With the outside getting chillier and the leaves falling, we will soon find ourselves in a winter wonderland reality. Besides reading outside on a summer day, another great way to read a book is to cuddle up on the couch with a large, cozy blanket next to your decorated, lit-up Christmas tree. The best time is during the night (not too early!) so that it’s still light outside but not too late that you are too tired to read. With soft holiday music playing in the background and the promise of cookies in the air, I would consider this scene the best way to read a novel.

If you’re not a reader, then this message isn’t for you. But if you find yourself not being able to get back into the reading spirit, ask yourself which spot is the best spot for your book and the time of year. Carving out time to actually read your book is the hardest part, so don’t make the “where” hard, either. Keep it simple; keep it cozy.