How I Romanticized My Reading Life (and How You Can Too)

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Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack. Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_.

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A couple of years ago, I accidentally fell into a very particular reading groove one summer. It all started when my car had to be in the shop one weekend, and I thought the weather was nice enough to walk to the library. I decided to spend the majority of the day at the library and read a few graphic novels that I came across. This little walk-and-read became a thing I did every weekend when I didn’t have other plans.

The whole process was one of delightful discovery. The walking to the library meant I was talking in scenery that I usually missed while driving, which made me feel more connected to my neighborhood, and making it a point to read what my nearest library branch had meant I was sorting through a selection of frontlist and backlist titles, plenty of which I’d never heard of.

Then there was the quiet of the library. Apart from the occasional (and endearing) hoots and hollers from the children’s section, and someone needing help on the computer here and there, the library was full of people but wonderfully quiet. I noticed after each day-long library session how relaxed I felt. The whole thing was a way to shake myself out of my usual schedule with something that was calming, meditative, and mostly free.

Though I don’t do the weekend library sessions with the same regularity as before, there are other ways I’ve found to revamp my reading life. Which brings me to what I mean by “romanticizing my reading life.” The past few months, I’ve seen videos here and there across social media platforms that show how people have “romanticized” certain aspects of their lives. A little of everything has been enhanced, from studying to writing to just life in general. Regardless of what is being romanticized, the process has the same underlying goal: to better appreciate some seemingly mundane thing. As I’ve mentioned before, applying this process to my reading life has been meditative. Through it, I’ve been able to practice my own version of mindfulness, become more intentional, and more appreciative of my life in general.

If you’d like to revamp your reading life in this way, I have a few tips.

All access members continue below for the tips

Set Time Aside

If you feel like this is too obvious, let me just say that I had never done it before that summer.

All my life, my reading schedule had basically consisted of reading whenever I had free time and wanted to get back to the story. But, as my coworker, Editor Danika Ellis, has shared before, intentionally setting aside time to read can make all the difference. Even when it comes to getting better sleep.

a fair-skinned Asian woman sitting on a blanket on the grass reading a book

Whether you plan for just a few minutes before bed or pencil in an hour or two in your calendar, setting aside a specific time to just read can be the first step in romanticizing your reading life. That chunk of time you’ve taken out means quiet time to yourself, and represents something you can build up and look forward to all week.

You can get real funky with it by scheduling when you’re going to read, and even what you’re going to be reading. Every year, we release a Reading Log that could also serve as a sort of calendar for your reading life.

Just follow the instructions to edit it in the way you wish.

Find Your Place

I’ve already sung the praises of the library, but let me harp on a little more. Not only is the library free and full of books, but it can be an excellent way to be amongst others while still by yourself. Going to your library more often can help make you more connected to your community. If you make a real routine of it, you might get to know the librarians, some other local regulars, and even about various community goings-on. This can all help you feel more grounded in where you live.

Even without the community aspect, which I would argue is especially important right now, the public library is a free third place that is often perfectly geared towards helping you romanticize your reading life. For instance, during my little summer of discovery, I found out that my local branch had a cozy reading room replete with fireplaces. Some libraries even have cafés and vending machines for when you need a little pick-me-up.

But libraries aren’t the only place you can reserve for your newly romantic reading life. There are also cafés, parks, certain parts of museums, and maybe even a corner you designate in your apartment.

If you’re going the home route, we have guides and suggested items to help you carve out and populate a space. Wherever you choose should speak to you in some way.

Lately, I’ve made a few adjustments to my nighttime routine and environment that have made the whole thing feel more intentional and luxurious:

For starters, I’ve started going to bed a bit earlier (as Danika mentioned in their article).
I’ve also added a few soothing decorations, specifically huge pillows and a light projector. The combination has been so relaxing.

New Ways to Engage

Annotation or Nah?

In addition to the updated bedtime and the cutesy decor, I’ve also incorporated a new way of annotating that is quicker and feels less involved than writing everything down.

I was sent this voice note recorder that is way better suited to my verbose notes, which helps me to be more present and in the story’s moment, but writing more lengthy notes might work for you. If so, we do have some tips for annotation.

Light Socializing

Earlier, I mentioned engaging in light socializing when you’re reading, which you can take a step further, though I don’t mean by joining a book club. Or, at least not one in the traditional sense.

Lately, reading parties have been gaining popularity, which are basically gatherings where people read whatever book they want at some predetermined place, like a café, bookstore, or bar. Reading Rhythms is one organization I know that throws them, but you can put your own together with a friend or two. It could be the perfect opportunity to try out a new café or spend more time at your favorite one. Many libraries also offer study rooms that you can check out ahead of time, which make great little meet-up spots.

Read Mood-Lifting Books

I can romanticize reading any genre, even horror, but I will say that there is something particularly soul-affirming about reading cozy books all day in the library.

If you would like to add a few of what Japanese people call iyashikei books—or “healing-type” books—to get that extra spirit lift, here are a few of my faves:

Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani

This is so darn cute. It follows Riko, a 29-year-old who is all work when in the office, but a hardcore gamer at home. She surprises even herself when she agrees to take home a kitten found in the office’s parking lot, and obviously, adorable kitten hijinks ensue.

Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith

We follow Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie as they navigate their own friendship, as well as their everyday lives, in the Bronx. As the title suggests, the importance of wash day — when many Black women set aside time for self-care through hair maintenance—centers the friends’ story. Differing color palettes help set the mood—which is often cozy!—as the women revel in their sisterhood.

The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono

Main character, Tatsu, provides a good portion of this manga’s comic relief as a former member of the yakuza who now spends his days as a loving househusband to his wife, Miku. Turns out you can take the husband out of the yakuza, but you can’t take the yakuza out of the husband. Tatsu’s natural aesthetic and demeanor are just a little too gangster-adjacent and still reflect his time as the much-feared “Immortal Dragon,” and his facial expressions still make people sweat. They’re also just a little out of place in the clearance section of the grocery store. Tatsu brings a hilarious intensity to the most mundane and everyday househusband chores, and it’s fun to watch him interact with his neighbors.

At the end of the day, just how you go about cultivating a more romantic reading life is highly dependent on you. Whatever ends up working for you should shape your reading into a more intentional and mood-lifting activity that will have you appreciating it—and life in general—a little more.