My favorite recent trend in the book space is definitely the rise of the reading retreat. If you’ve been on Bookstagram or BookTok lately, you’ve probably seen book lovers retreating to the mountains or the woods with a bunch of new friends, glass of wine in hand. The scenic outlooks, campfires, and book swaps are enticingly scrollable on social media, but they’re even better in person.
I was lucky enough to be hosted at book retreat, and I’m happy to report it’s more than just hype. As the books editor for Good Housekeeping, I do a ton of reading and chatting about books both at work and at home. Even though I work with books professionally, a reading retreat was still a game changer for my reading and self-care, and I already want to do another one next year.
What Is a Reading Retreat?
A reading retreat or book retreat is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a short trip, often a long weekend, focused on reading in a beautiful place. It encourages unplugging and connecting with fellow book lovers, with built in time for reading and discussing favorite books.
I was invited to a book retreat called Camp Unwritten, hosted by Reese’s Book Club and Hyatt. It was held at an Under Canvas glamping destination in Oregon’s beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
Every reading retreat is different, which is part of the fun! My book retreat looked like sleeping in a personal tent with a king-size bed, with beautiful mountain views during the day and a starry sky at night.
I ate charcuterie at a local winery and picked a bouquet at a lavender farm with a new friend who works at an indie bookstore. I hiked to a scenic waterfall with YA author Olivie Blake, who later treated us to an exclusive Q+A and a themed dinner. In the book swap, I grabbed a collector’s edition of a book I love and shared one of my favorite summer reads I’ve been dying to talk about. And throughout the retreat, I met so many other book lovers while making crafts, enjoying happy hour, and roasting s’mores.
What Are the Benefits of a Reading Retreat?
Reading when I was a kid felt like falling into another world. Everything else literally disappeared around me. Reading as an adult unfortunately isn’t quite as magical. For me, and I think many other people, reading looks more like keeping one eye on the clock for the end of my lunch break or my stop on the train while fighting off a mental list of things I need to do later.
On the book retreat, reading wrapped in a blanket by the campfire under the stars or by lantern light in my luxury tent recaptured that feeling of being totally transported by books. I branched out from my usual reading tastes for the retreat and found myself enjoying something totally unexpected.
Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge at night
Seeing the Milky Way as I fell in love with a surprising genre reconnected me with that totally transportive feeling of reading as a little kid. And beyond both giving and getting countless book recommendations, I read two books in three days: one start to finish on the cross-country plane ride and another during the actual retreat.
It was also so restorative to unplug from my phone and to spend time in a community of other book lovers. When I got home, I was inspired to do more reading in nature, and I’ve since spent several days reading outside on a picnic blanket.
It felt so good to totally destress and just get absorbed in a book. I definitely recommend a reading retreat for anybody who loves to read and could use an escape, and I want to plan one every year.
How to Plan a Book Retreat
There are two ways to go on a book retreat: Join a guided experience, or DIY one. If you want to go solo, I recommend joining a planned experience. It was a great way to meet people and take the stress out of solo traveling. All I had to plan was what books to bring.
However, if you want to go on a retreat with a larger group of friends, it might make sense to plan your own experience by booking an AirBnb or VRBO in a scenic location. These are my best tips for planning your own reading retreat:
- Pick somewhere with limited internet. It’s a little daunting to unplug. But the biggest enemy to reading is your phone, because it’s so easy to pick up. A location with limited reception cuts down distractions like social media, TV, or the news so you can totally escape into your reading. (If you read on a Kindle, make sure your books are pre-downloaded!)
- Decide if you want to read the same book. If you love a book club discussion, pick a book everyone should read before or during the retreat. For a lower pressure option, have everyone pick their own book from a genre you theme the retreat around, like mystery or romance. Or, just have everybody bring whatever they’re reading right now, no matching required.
- Plan themed activities. Even if you love to read for hours a day, eventually your eyes will need a break. This is the perfect opportunity for a craft, happy hour, hike, winery tour, campfire, or bike ride! Mix up a literary cocktail or make a bookmark to engage your creativity and chat about what you’re reading.
- Do a book swap. Have everybody bring an extra book to exchange. Not only is it a great way to find new reads, it’s also a fun way to learn more about your friends’ favorites.
- Schedule quiet time. If you know your friends love to chat, don’t be afraid to make a schedule with designated reading time to make sure you, you know, actually read during your retreat.
Wherever you go, the most important part is to have a good book, a beautiful view, and great company. You might just find yourself planning another one as soon as you get home.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.goodhousekeeping.com ’
