Where do you Read?

This chair not only fits a short person (me), but it reclines for extreme, comfy reading.

I was watching HGTV (I think it was Sara 101 or something like that) and the host decorated this office with two, chaise lounges. If I had a chaise lounge two feet from my desk, I wouldn’t get much done. I’d be on the chaise lounge reading.

When the host moved on from the chaise lounges, I got to thinking about where we read, because I didn’t want to move on. When I was a little girl with FOUR brothers, I used to read in the bathroom, because it had the only locking door. But I used to dream of:

• A tree house with comfy cushions and soft breezes stirring my hair as I read…
• A round tower with comfy cushions and soft breezes drifting in…
• A bay window with comfy cushions and an awesome view I forgot to notice while I read…

Do you notice a theme developing? I even have a bunch of tree houses and up type places on my Pinterest Dream Board. I have to say, comfy reading ramped up with digital readers. None of that exhausting holding-the-book-up or turning-the-pages crap…

When I got older, I added to my dream reading spot: a drinks fridge with Diet Dr. Pepper, something sweet and something salty, oh and a bathroom (see drinks fridge if you don’t know why). O.O

Though now that I’m older, a chaise lounge would probably be a better option than cushions. I wonder if one could get a chaise lounge up a tree house? Then gravity could help me get upright when I need a drink or the bathroom. O.O

With a digital reader, laying down to read got a lot easier. I like big books and they’re a killer to hold up while lying down. Did I mention I’m a lazy reader?

One thing that has recently changed both my reading and where I read is audio books.

It all started with a Facebook ad for Venetia by Georgette Heyer. If you’ve hung around my blog at all, then you know I LOVE Georgette Heyer’s books. I’d seen a lot of different books in the Audible ads and never been tempted but Heyer…

I clicked over and it was free to try. So I downloaded it and lo, and behold! The narrator was Richard Armitage! The man has a gorgeous voice. A gorgeous voice with a lovely, British accent. Happy sigh.

So my temporary-just-to-get-the-free-audio-book membership has grown and grown until I now have a modest, audio book library. At first I only listened just before bedtime, which was sometimes a win and sometimes a lose, if the “reading” didn’t lull me into sleep, but instead got me caught up the story. But listening to a story is a lovely way to not sleep. I used to do it a lot when I was younger and could burn my candle at both ends and the middle.

This is the audio cover for my Romance stories collection. For some reason, audio covers are square, probably because of CDs, but dude, those are so last century!

I was a little wary of listening while driving, though I now know a lot of people who do that, because I’m a get-lost-in-a-book kind of person. Behind the wheel of the car is not the time to get lost in anything. But I gave it a try and now driving-across-Houston-to-see-the-twin-grand-babies has become happy, listening time. A nice side benefit for everyone around me is that I’m a somewhat more mellow (except when a driver tries to kill us both) driver.

I’m not too picky about narrators yet, though I can see a future when I could be. Or maybe I’ll just turn into a narrator fan girl for my favorites. Mostly I like having someone read to me. I don’t have to turn a page or push a button. I know. It’s totally lazy, but you must have guessed that about me already. LOL

The downside is that not every book I’d like to hear is available in audio. The upside is that it motivated me to get my books into audio. And yeah, I sometimes listen to my books. It’s kind of weird to hear someone else read my words, but kind of cool, too. And I still love to curl up in one of my comfy spots and with my digital reader. And sometimes even a print book. Were they always that heavy?

So, where do you read? Do you have a dream spot or spots? Are you like me and mostly make-do read (at the dentist, etc)? All comments are entered into my monthly drawing for $20 AnaBanana gift card (this month only because of my comments malfunction in March). Winner is announced in the first blog post of the new month.

Perilously yours,

Pauline

Pauline Baird Jones was a reader before she became an author. Recently she released her 13th novel and is now avoiding black cats and mirrors, just in case. To find more about Pauline, buy her books and some random stuff, hop over to her website at paulinebjones.com.

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