(Photo taken at The Allis in Chicago, IL)

My husband and I had a cute little apartment in a southwest suburb of Chicago.  At this point, my husband had just started a new job at a restaurant in a neighborhood just west of the river, and so would start and end everyday with an hour and a half commute.  As I’m sure many of you would imagine, restaurant hours are long–one gets out LATE, so to lock down some quality time each week, I would commute with him on the weekends and spend my days, hopping around from coffee shop to bar, reading. 

 

It didn’t take long to realize that reading in public was the perfect mix of my two favourite hobbies–1.) books, 2.) people watching–and after I got the hang of it, I actually found I prefer reading in public to reading at home.  

 

I have been tossing around the idea for a while now to document my experiences during my public reading adventures and post them in my blog.
Therefore, may I introduce to you…

Rose On Reading in Public: Journal Entries  

There are many pros to reading out in the world over reading from the comfort of one’s favourite chair or fluffy bed (or in the embrace of one’s favourite fluffy kitty, Mina Belly). And here are some of those–

 

Reasons to Read in Public:

1. No Chores to Distract You

 I actually have a harder time reading at home than (mostly) anywhere else, mainly because I like keeping busy.  I want to stay on top of chores and keep the apartment up to snuff. There have been so many times where I’m about to get all comfy on the couch with a book when… I glance at the sink and it’s filled with dishes, or I notice I’m out of socks and need to do laundry, or…  If you can relate to these housley-duty-urges and feel discouraged that you aren’t finishing that reading for book club in time, try this: grab your book, look at that pile of dirty laundry in its smelly metaphorical face and say, “see ya later,” as you walk out the door and somewhere more exciting.  Even if it is just for 30 minutes, try to find time to sit with a fancy latte, fill your head with a cute singer-songwriter’s music, and dive deeper into your novel.  

2.  Embrace Your Extroverted, Introverted Self

I am definitely, in my daily life, an introvert.  I love my routine of going to work, hitting the gym, and relaxing at home.  Don’t get me wrong–I love dinner dates with the hubby, and meeting up with friends for drinks–but I would not call myself a social butterfly. Sometimes, all I need is to be around people; I don’t always want to interact with them, so reading in public is my way of feeling social while still keeping to myself.

 

(Photo taken at Bad Hunter in Chicago, IL)

3.  Easy Access to Yummy Treats

This can be a pro and a con.  Reading in public is a great way to try new places, but if you’re someone sticking to a budget, make sure you’re picking places in your price range.  Usually you can’t go wrong with coffee and a scone nearby, but if you want to try reading at a bar or full restaurant, that comes with a bit more financial commitment.  That said, I have found some of my favourite bars and shops while reading! (Stay tuned for future entries to find out where!)

4.  People Watching is Choice!

I cannot tell you how many stories I have gathered while people-watching while reading.  Human beings are truly fascinating. I can guarantee you will come home with at least one new observation while out on your public reading trip.     

5.  Meet New Bibliophile Friends

 This I did not think would happen!  As I’ve said, I am an introvert, and making new friends is not one of my top skills, but if it weren’t for reading at bars, or places where great people work, I never would have met many incredible people. Great bartenders do have this coveted skill of knowing how to pick the right moment (and right words) to get me talking about my favourite books.  It’s fun to learn about what books others like, too, and add new books to my ever-growing TBR list.  

 

I will be posting deeper thoughts on my excursions reading in public.  I hope you all will enjoy them, and maybe give reading in public a try!

 

Thanks for reading,
Your people-watching bibliophile friend,
Kimi Rose    

 

 

The photos in this post where taken by yours truly and can be found on my personal instagram account @kimirosevp.

I want to thank my husband for taking the time to read over and help me edit this post.  Thanks Ryan, you are amazing!