Reading Essentials

What do you need when you are ready to dive into a good book?
Do you need quiet?
Do you prefer noise and people?
Is a coffee shop the perfect combination?

I can recall countless instances of sitting at a coffee shop with a book of John Donne or Rainer Rilke poetry or a C.S. Lewis book. When I was taking my online literature class through Oxford, I went to a certain coffee shop in town to read. There is something about a stranger-filled environment, even when full of noises, that is easy for me to read in. I think it is because the people are unknown to me I can cast the voices to the background and create my own focus bubble amidst it all. The muffled conversations around me along with the espresso machine up front lingers in the air. The sounds of clinking mugs and glasses are harmonious to peoples' voices. Where did all the free time go to sit at coffee shops these days? Sometimes I daydream about spending days with my nose in a book, tucked away in some lovely coffee shop and a perfect cappuccino.

In Oxford, I indulged in the blessed hours of pondering over words from the old pages of the book I brought with me that day, to the backdrop of British accents and the creaking of old rustic wood floors.

Lately, though, my place of reading has been in my tiny home. Quiet. Peaceful. I curl up with a crocheted blanket on my sofa as the a/c unit never turns off because it's so hot outside. Birds chirp noisily at certain times of the day, fluttering around happily. Today, the wind is also throwing the wind chimes around frequently. 

I am one who is always seeking out a good location to read. What is the perfect place for you?