Personally, I can read anytime, anywhere, and while at University I’m just lucky to squeeze in an hour of reading here and there, and so where I read isn’t a massive deal.

However, I thought it would be a fun post today if I chose 5 books, and decided on the perfect location to read them in. This is just a bit of fun based on what I think of when reading these books, but feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments! Or better yet, do your own post and tag me in 🙂

I have chosen these books at random from my reading log from the past couple of years.

1. ‘Nerve’ by Jeanne Ryan

‘Nerve’ is such a thrilling, fast-paced novel, and it deserves to be read somewhere just as stressful and fast-paced! I would say somewhere like a train? It’s definitely a place which doesn’t have a calming atmosphere, and there’s nothing better than settling back with a good book when you’re on a long journey, and you need something exciting to distract yourself from boredom. And when you’re travelling through those dark tunnels, this can only add to the atmosphere of the thriller! I guess genres really determine where and when you feel like reading a book!

2. ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman

I read this one pretty recently, and I would say it’s definitely a book that’s meant to be read in a café. I can imagine myself leafing through the pages of this book while eating a cinnamon bun and sipping a peppermint tea. Or maybe I’ll opt for a cheese scone like Eleanor does! Either way, cafés are perfect places to read heart-warming and light bestsellers like this.

3. ‘Atonement’ by  Ian McEwan

Hmmm… This book is such a unique read, and it’s not like anything I’ve ever read before. I think this book needs to be read somewhere sad and depressing- maybe on the edge of a grand fountain which has fallen into disuse? Or maybe in an old and musty church, surrounded by memories and missed opportunities? This book will make you angry, sad, and thoroughly frustrated, and so you need a setting which reflects that. The fountain and the church are also settings in the book 😉

4. ‘Mrs Hemingway’ by Naomi Wood

I read this book ages ago, but I can still remember how vividly Wood depicted the settings within the book. While a lot of this book took place on the streets of Paris, it is an image of French beaches and villas which is conjured when I think of this book, due to the first part, and the importance of this setting to the marriages of Hemingway. If I could read this anywhere, it would be at the side of a swimming pool, with my feet dipped in, drinking in the warm French sun and looking out on a beautiful villa.

5. ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ by Thomas Hardy

This was the first book I’d read by Hardy, and I wasn’t exactly overwhelmed. However, due to the (very, very) descriptive nature of this novel, it’s not hard to come up with the perfect reading location. This book would be perfect to read while sat in the middle of a field, having a picnic. The field is covered in wheat, the sun is shining and there’s a solid oak tree nearby. You have to be wearing some kind of over the top hat and outfit, of course. This book centres on a farm, and one woman’s attempt to keep it running, as well as to find love, and so a field and a picnic just seems like a fitting place to enjoy this classic.

That was so much fun! Which books and locations would you choose? Do you think location matters when reading? What’s your favourite reading spot? Tell me all about it in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading!