How To Pick The Best Place To Read
I’m going to take a slight sidestep with this week’s article, because instead of looking at books, I am going to look at the reader. And more specifically, where a reader devours books, and what makes that space so special.
Now, I’m not claiming to tell people where the best place to read is, because that sort of thing is purely subjective. What works for some may not for others, as my own experiences will show you. However, in order to comfortably and easily read books, there are a few elements that are essential. And for many people, they have one place that is their “reading spot”, where they go solely for the purposes of reading.
The seat
I use the word “seat” merely because it’s the easiest to describe what I mean. This doesn’t mean chair exclusively, because I know many people who choose not to sit in a chair. Some people may find an old log, a bean bag, or even their bed as the comfiest place to rip through a few chapters.
What I have learned, through sometimes painful experience, is that you need a bit of support from what you lie or sit on, especially if you are planning a marathon reading session. Something that will offer your back a bit of support, but is also cushioned enough to be comfortable for hours at a time. That’s why I’ve always wondered why schools use those butt-aching plastic chairs for pupils. Surely they aren’t conducive to creating a productive working environment?
For me it’s my couch. Yes it’s not very exciting, and in fact, completely obvious, but I honestly don’t enjoy reading anywhere else as much. This is because of one of my requirements: I have to be able to put my feet up, either tucked behind my bum, or on the coffee table (yes children, when you are a grown up you are allowed to put your feet on the furniture!!) or stretched out, practically lying down (as long as the cat hasn’t comandeered the other end). And it has an arm, another of my must-haves. I am quite a lazy person, and the thought of holding a book in front of me for several hours makes me tired, let alone actually doing it. But I find having an arm to rest my elbow on takes away some of the fatigue long time reading can bring.
And couches are comfortable. They are designed to be sat on by people for long periods of time, so have cushioning but underneath firm frames that stop your back from giving out.
But I have a friend who swears by reading at the bottom of an oak tree. He has a specific tree (god help the council if they ever decide to chop it down!!), which he feels has the exact right grooves in the trunk into which he fits. He assures me that it is the most enjoyable place he reads, but to me, the thought of leaning against a solid hardwood doesn’t make me think good thoughts. (No comments from the cheap seats please.)
The key to a good seat: Am I comfortable and supported?
The lighting
How many of us can honestly say they have NEVER attempted to read a book in bad light? Be it trying to get a chapter finished before the sun goes down, or reading by torchlight under your duvet when your mum’s told you it’s time for bed. Or have you tried to create a romantic, ambient setting to match your current Mills and Boon by lighting candles around the room? Every single one of these examples is bad for your eyes and can stop you from reading as much as you would like because your eyes get tired from squinting or you end up with a headache.
Ideally, wherever you read should have a clear and bright light source. If you are outside, this may result in you having to move indoors as the sun sets, or if you are lucky enough to have a front or back porch to sit on, invest in some lighting you can put on at dusk. Indoors, a lamp next to your reading space or a central light is essential.
I myself don’t like direct light shining on my book, so I have a light shade that throws the light upwards and away from the page. For me, having a light shining straight onto the text makes it too bright (I’m one of the many who has a degree of light sensitivity in my eyes, so too much brightness can result in headaches that register 4.5 on the Richter). It also stops glare on white pages.
I’ve never used those little reading lights that clip onto the side or top of the book and illuminate the page without causing a nuisance to your bedmate or fellow passenger on public transport, but I can’t imagine they provide enough light.
Oh, and another point, don’t be like me and attempt to read using the light from the TV. You only end up making yourself crossed eyed and having to go back and re-read everything the next day anyway!!
The key to good lighting: Can I see the words on the page clearly, without shadows on the page and without squinting?
The table
Some people may be questioning whether or not a table is really a reading essential, and I concede sometimes it’s not. However, for many people, reading involves bookmarks, coffee, maybe some cake, cigarettes or a nice glass of wine (my reading experience personally involves all of the above). And they all need to go somewhere.
For couch/armchair readers like myself, sometimes the arm of the chair does the job. But I have covered myself, the floor and the sofa in too much cigarette ash for that to be a good choice anymore. (Plus, have you ever tried balancing a wine glass on a circular arm? Doesn’t go very well, let me assure you.) And it’s too easy for a bookmark to slide down the side of the cushion and join the old mints, £3.65 in change and an old newspaper in the no man’s land under the couch cushions.
Or many people put their stuff on the floor. I find bending down a bit of a distraction mid-read, so for me it’s no good.
Nope, as mentioned earlier, I go for the coffee table, which can hold all my things and I can put my weary feet on it.
The key to a good reading table is: Does it hold everything I need and is it within easy reach?
Indoors or outdoors?
Ahhh, now here’s a divisive topic. Right off the bat: I hate reading outside. I’m not a very “outdoorsy” person, and I live in Scotland where it’s only warm enough to read outdoors two months of the year. I like the comfort of being inside, away from people, away from insects and most importantly, away from bird shit, as I have this long-running fear that if I stay in the one place outside for too long, something will eventually take a crap on me.
But I understand that other people feel a connection with nature and the great wide world outside the front door. And it definitely has benefits: You can work on your tan while reading, you are getting fresh air, and you can take in the beauty of your surroundings while reading. And the noises (a topic we will explore soon) can help you settle into the book. Oh, and reading in a park can allow for a bit of people watching (I especially like watching local footballers training).
The key to indoors or outdoors: Am I scared of bird crap?
The sound
Background noise can complement or completely ruin a reading experience, depending on what that sound is. The sound of workmen digging up pipes right outside your window, for example, isn’t the best sound to accompany a good book. But the right song/album/natural noise can enhance the experience, and actually allow the reader to become more engrossed in the story.
To give a brief example: I like to listen to the same album throughout a book. For me, I usually find an album that captures the themes or tone of a novel and go with that. It also helps me create a sense-memory aspect to the situation. If I hear one of the songs, I am taken back to what happened in that book. I did this with the Twilight books. I was reading and decided I need some music to set the scene. So I flicked through my iPod until I came to Dido’s Life For Rent, which I realised would fit in with some of the themes of the book (the album deals with relationships, the end of relationships, moving on, those sorts of things) and used that. Now for me, that album will be associated with the books, and whenever I hear it, my mind is instantly and involuntarily drawn back to specific moments from the book, and how I felt reading it.
And some people prefer silence to read. Noise can provide as much of a distraction as a tool, so sometimes it is better to just switch everything off and focus solely on the words on the page.
The key to sound: What won’t distract me, or lessen my reading experience?
So there you have it, my guide to finding your perfect reading spot. Ultimately, what the whole issue boils down to is what works best for you.
Please feel free to let me know where you like to read, and what you need around you to enjoy a good book by emailing alldunn_katy@yahoo.co.uk
–Katy Gordon
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