Writer Wednesday: My Reading Nook
Hearing about the terrific destruction of the recent hurricanes has made me think more carefully about my house. What I took for granted only a few weeks ago now seems palatial. I recently read a post by Nick Maley, the talent behind the “That Yoda Guy” exhibit in St. Maarten. In the brief post—there is no electricity to charge devices there—he wrote about the extensive destruction of the hurricane and about the grocery stores now essentially under martial law to prevent looting. It made me really appreciate the safety of my own home and the resources of my pantry.
In fact, as a result, I’ve been having dreams about my house and simply appreciating how safe and comforting it is. In one dream, we somehow decided to sell the house, and I was running around looking at all I would miss. I think all the news about the hurricane has made me consider what it would be like to lose my home. I woke up with a new appreciation of my space. That made me think about a room I’ve been imagining for a while now.
In my current reality, my toddler has made my ideal reading space the bathroom floor as I monitor her during bathtime (I have to limit myself to books that can be read while keeping half an eye on her at all times). However, I often fantasize about when she gets a little older and allows me more time to read. I wonder about the furniture we might buy once she is finished coloring on everything.
I have often fantasized about having a “Halloween room.” Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, and while I don’t imagine the room being completely black and orange, I want it to have that Gothic, Halloween feel to it. Something about autumn and a bit of creepiness puts me in the mood to read and write.
I’d want the lighting to be low, so I’d choose a decorative wall sconce like this:
Since I’m a writer, my ideal space would have a writing desk. Something not too big or distracting, but something with a little umph. And of course, keeping with the Halloween theme of my ideal nook:
Isla mirrored writing desk at arhaus.com
While I’m a big fan of sectionals, I would prefer an individual chair of some sort, something to tell other family members that reading/writing time is not to be interrupted. I’m thinking something like, only in black (and the dog in the picture would be replaced by my corgis):
But I would put it in a corner, and I would enclose it in a gossamer curtain of fairy lighting. Something like this:
Speaking of mirrors, I think I’d add one. Mirrors are always a little creepy, and a Gothic frame would help give my reading room the creepy edge that helps spark my creativity. Maybe something like:
From https://i.pinimg.com/736x/7b/ 70/0b/7b700b92f7a51695b0d289a0b9bedce9–gothic-chic-dark-gothic.jpg
Not too big, of course. Just something to put in the corner to catch the twinkling fairy lights and add a bit of adrenaline-inspired creativity.
And perhaps out of practicality, I might have to build a custom shelf myself, but I would love if the entire back of the room were filled with shelves because I literally never have enough space for my books: they end up double- and triple-stacked. But a girl can dream of being able to afford something like this:
Athens large wall unit in tuxedo black at arhaus.com
I do think my Halloween nook will one day come to fruition, but that day is measured in decades, not hours. For now, I enjoy the soft plushness of a Peppa Pig towel and the ambient background noise of toddler, ducks, and boats splashing in the tub while the occasional splash of water dots the pages of my book, and pages turn against the gleeful giggles of a child.
Barking Rain Press is featuring all books and ebooks at a 50% discount for the rest of the month. The sale 
even extends to Overdrive, the system that allows schools and libraries to purchase ebooks for patrons. If you haven’t already checked out The Scarred Letter or The Girl Who Flew Away, now is the chance to do so for the price of a pumpkin spice coffee 🙂
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