Sometimes you read in a chair, sometimes in bed, but what about all those other places you could be reading? Allow me to suggest some reading locations you may not have tried (or at least haven’t tried in a very long time):

#5 Hammock

Okay, sure, plenty of people have read in hammocks, but have you ever read in a hammock swinging above pure inspiration? I read in such a hammock once upon a time. When I was very young my parents had a hammock strung up between two porch-cover posts. Beneath the hammock was a small garden bed populated by the cutest little frog and gnome statues you have ever seen. I know, it sounds tacky, but trust me, it was adorable. And you should have read the stories it inspired in my young mind. Who knows? Perhaps it was that set of kissing frogs that first kindled my love for romance.

#4 Blanket fort

I know. Most of us grown ups are simply too busy to build our own blanket fort. (Although if you can, you should. I’m of the firm opinion that most adults don’t get nearly enough play time.) However, if you are blessed enough to have little halflings running about your home you may have noticed their tendency to spend hours building these temporary structures only to abandon them after minimal use. (It may even be acceptable to offer digital bait to entice them from their layer – that’s your call.) This is your moment. When the halflings have wandered off to destroy – er play somewhere else, you sneak in with your book and flashlight (or e-reader), close the blanket-door behind you and delve into another world.

#3 On a swing at the beach

This one is really a two-fer.

You could just read on a swing. Can you imagine reading about a space battle or jet fight while swinging through the sky?

You could also just read at the beach. What better way to immerse yourself in that tropical island romance than while sinking your toes in the warm sand?

But one of the best places I have found to read is on a swing at the beach. Specifically near dusk when everyone else has mostly gone home for the day. It’s quiet. The waves are crashing. And you’re soaring. Back and forth through the deepening blue sky. As you read how a new love makes the heroine feel as though she were floating.

#2 On top of a mountain

This is another throwback to when I was young. My dad was working graveyard at the electrical company and my mom was juggling swing shifts at the local hospital on her way to an RN degree. Family time was tough to come by, but my parents did their best. This time, they knocked it out of the park. We lived in a very urban setting, but there was a hill behind our neighborhood, as yet untouched by development and covered in hiking trails. One day my parents took us hiking up that mountain. We were young, so I don’t know how far we actually traveled, but it felt like we walked all day. It was several hours at least. The highlight of our hike? Our glowing reward for all that stomping up dirt? Our own little Bible study and worship session right there at the top of the mountain. Three-hundred sixty degree views of the city below us, blue skies above, nature all around, my family, and God’s Word. It’s something I’ll never forget.

#1 Historical Site/Treasure

Hello. I write historical romance. You probably saw this one coming, but can you argue my point? Picture yourself reading a Civil War era novel on the fields of Gettysburg, a railroad heist novel on a restored steam engine (moving or stationary – it’s up to you), or better yet, reading my WWM novel on a bench in the middle of Old Town San Diego. What better way to make a story come to life?

Well, those are 5 of my favorite places to read. What about you?

Have any secret spots you care to share?

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Where do you read? 5 New Places to Try!