Take Yourself on a Book Date

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Picture this: you’re in a bookstore and from across the room your eyes lock on “the one." You try to play coy at first, picking up other books but ultimately you pick up the one that's stolen your heart on the spot. You simply can’t just go home and read on the couch, oh no. This book is different. You want to enjoy your time together. You plan to take this book on a date.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Where to go

Picking the perfect location is the first step in planning a book date. You want somewhere not too loud or distracting. The lighting should be good as well. Our top picks for your book date are the following: a coffee shop, library, or a park.

Coffee shops have several perks, such as tasty pastries (and coffee, of course)! Also, nestling in a comfy chair (coffee shops always have at least one) with your date is very appealing. Going to your local library is also a top contender for location. Calm/quiet atmosphere, surrendered by books, and fellow book lovers, the library never disappoints. Lastly, if the weather is agreeable, reading in the sunshine on a park bench or on a blanket under a shady tree is very picturesque.

What to wear

Dressing for your book date should not be taken lightly. Comfort is important, and one should always look your best! It depends on which location you picked for your date, as well.

For the coffee shop, you can dress trendy or casually, plus it’s great location to take some Instagram photos! Channel your inner librarian if you chose that route, and might we suggest an oversized cardigan? Your local park is great time to show off any nerdy t-shirts that have been hanging in your closet, or maybe those cute pair of overalls? For accessories, might we suggest that you should have a jacket on hand in case it gets chilly and an umbrella in case of rain? Oh, and a bookmark of course!

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

What to read

You know where you’re going and what you're wearing, but what are you reading? Each location again plays a role in your date selection.

If you don't already have a special book picked out, here are some of our picks:

Coffee shops invoke quintessential cozy reads, so we suggest a murder mystery like Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie or On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle. If the library was your perfect book date destination, we would lean towards the fantasy/sci-fi genres. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs would be a fun date or Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. If spending the day at the park struck your fancy, then try to read a book with plenty of adventure. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith has adventure, gore, and a hint of romance. Or you could read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo if a fantasy heist is more what you crave.

And if you're feeling really open to a new read, whatever it may be, check out our Blind Date with a Book Pop-Up Shop and treat your shelf to a secret new read. Each book (or trilogy) is a mystery until you open it…but you can get a few clues about each book from the descriptions we've listed. Take a risk on a secret read and you'll end up with a book you may not have been expecting, but we think it'll be one you'll enjoy. Oh, and let us know how your book date goes by tweeting @quirkbooks!