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Try a Reading Retreat This Summer, They’re All the Rage

2 weeks ago 2

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Book Riot Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz is a writer and former bookseller from San Diego, CA whose Spanish is even faster than her English. When not reading or writing, she enjoys dreaming up travel itineraries and drinking entirely too much tea. She is a regular co-host on the All the Books podcast who especially loves mysteries, gothic lit, mythology/folklore, and all things witchy. Vanessa can be found on Instagram at @BuenosDiazSD or taking pictures of pretty trees in Portland, OR, where she now resides.

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My social media algorithms know me a little too well and keep suggesting I need a staycation and reading retreat. I do, in fact, spend a fair amount of time dreaming of such a getaway, so I welcome the inspiration. This summer, I’m trying to find a spot in the woods or by a pretty lake where I can cozy up, sip on various somethings, go for some nature walks, and read some of the books I’ve been meaning to get to for years. It appears I’m not alone in my Calgon-take-me-away aspirations: according to Pinterest, Gen Z’s top interests this summer are book clubs and reading retreats.

Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but I am not of Gen Z. Perhaps the reference to body care product ads from the 80s gave me away. But you don’t have to be one of the youths to indulge in a reading retreat this summer, or any ol’ time of year. Whether you’re feeling a solo sojourn or organizing a reading retreat for you and some of your pals, here’s a little inspiration to get you started, from the planning process to some goods to enhance the experience.

First: Logistics

Determine what kind of reading retreat you’re looking for. Are you feeling a solo retreat or a group one? Is this a one-day (or night) affair or a weekend getaway? If travel is in the cards, what’s your desired destination? A cabin in the mountains? A Victorian in a historic town? A coastal cottage escape? If you’re doing a group retreat and scheduling allows, I love a coffee shop meetup or video chat planning date beforehand. A lot of the back-and-forth of the planning process is just easier to knock out when you can do it in real time. Once everyone is on the same page, pick the option that works best for everyone’s schedules and budget.

As Leah suggests in our previous guide to creating your own DIY reading retreat, it’s important to be realistic. One day may be all you need, or you might be in the mood for a longer reading reset. I treated myself to a reading retreat a couple of years ago and confidently said I would read for three straight days. It turns out one full day of reading was all I was in the mood for.

The Goods

When it comes to accommodations, you might immediately think of something like Airbnb or VRBO. Those sites can be great options, but I’d like to suggest a local boutique hotel or traditional bed and breakfast. I find you get a lot more charm and often at a similar price point once you factor in the extra fees tacked onto vacation rentals. Look up “boutique hotels in <city name here>” or try sites like Breakfast and a Bed.

I also suggest making sure that your accommodations are conducive to reading: for me, that means having a separate dedicated space for reading that isn’t a bed, like a couch or reading chair. Reading in bed is fine before bed or on a lazy weekend morning, but for a whole day!? This 40-year-old lower back doth protest. If reading in bed is your preferred method, or if you like reading on a couch or chair but want to up the comfort, you have a few options.

You can get a laptop tray that will hold your bevvies and book, ereader or tablet ($80)

woman sitting under a tree on a blanket with a black laptop resting on wooden laptop stand

There are all kinds of reading pillows for extra back support ($43), or ones to rest your hands on while reading or crafting ($36).

a grey backrest pillow with arm supports

young person holding a gaming device with their hands restiing on a grey pillow that wraps around their waist

There are these ergonomic lap desks ($70), or these very fancy wedge pillow setups ($60).

woman sitting in a couch with a grey foam lap desk on her lap with a laptop and beverage

woman in a blue satin robe resting on a wedge pillow in bed

These options are probably best for the kind of retreat that doesn’t come with luggage restrictions, though I would love to see someone carting one of these through TSA.

Next: Structure

I very much cosign Leah’s suggestion in the reading retreat guide linked above to follow some kind of schedule. Having several dedicated reading blocks broken up by meals and other activities, like going for a stroll or crafting, was the perfect mix of structure and flexibility.

I’m a big fan of working crafting into reading retreats, either as an activity to do between reading sprints or as an accompaniment to audiobook time. If you enjoy or would like to try cross-stitching, a digital download cross-stitch pattern like the one below is less than $10.

set of 10 bookish cross stitch patterns, each with a book and a genre

Or you can opt for physical cross-stitch kits for around $30.

an oval cross stitch pattern of a pile of books

Puzzles are another great idea here. These obviously don’t have to be book-themed but hey, you’re a reader, odds are…. The options below range from $10-$20. For a low-cost option on a group retreat, you could also organize a puzzle swap! It’s a nice way for everyone to get and give puzzles, with bonus points for sustainability.

a person putting together a puzzle in a books and flowers pattern

a puzzle in a reading room pattern with a large window and couch at the center, shelves of books along the walls, and a dog in the middle of the floor

puzzle of a bookshelf with plants placed throughout the shelves next to and on top of the books

puzzle of bookshelves with multiple cats resting on top of the books

For the reading blocks, be honest with yourself about your relationship with your phone. If setting a timer on your phone and setting it face down is enough for you, swell! If you’re the kind who needs to leave your phone in another room in order to truly ignore it and focus on a task, you can get a little digital timer like this one. It’s a little extra, but hey, it’s your reading retreat. Get the $7 timer if you wanna.

one pink, one blue, one green and one white

Other Fun Accessories

Let’s be real here: you don’t need to buy anything on this list to have a successful reading retreat. You don’t even have to buy books! Maybe you bring books that have been on your shelves collecting dust, or books from your latest library haul. All you need is something to read and the will to do it.

However, if you are in your “treat yourself” era and want to jazz up your reading retreat with an extra accessory or two, here are some suggestions.

To keep track of all those books you’re going to read, these reading log bookmarks are two kinds of functional and are $6+ for a pack.

a han holding a fanned out set of different colored reading log bookmarks

I have trust issues when it comes to tea selections while traveling and like to bring my own. If you too like some variety and matching your tea blend to your mood, a mix-and-match tea sampler like this one is great for $15+.

You probably don’t need to bring drinkware on a reading retreat, but if you’re a person who likes to max out the vibes, maybe you want to anyway. I have this $10 glass tea infusing cup and find it aesthetically pleasing.

clear glass tea cup and infuser wih amber liquid in it

And finally, my reading retreat requires a soundtrack. If you also like some background tunes to set the mood, this portable Bluetooth speaker is only $21 and won’t take up too much space.