To read, or not to read outside?
Summer is here ! Bright summer days, *most* people now having time for a breather and relax before school/work starts back in September.. wether you stay home or go in vacation elsewhere, the weather just calls for a calm day reading in the sun.
Will you be one to go read outside this summer?
I’m sadly not one to have a body who can deal with the summer heat – on top of that, my anti-depressors make my body overheat way faster than it normally would. Which makes things slightly difficult for me to do so, around 20°C with a bit of wind is my perfect weather – which I can maybe stay our 2-3hours, potentially more, but if the temperature rise above that, sometimes 5mins is all I can manage 😅
Concentration is also one thing that i’m struggling with – while trying to read day-time instead of in the middle of the night as per usual, I spent like atleast an hour for a chapter of maybe 10pages maximum (as the tv was on and my mom was blabbering at all times). If you’re as unlucky as I am, the time you wanna quietly read a book outside is also the choosen time for the neighbor to mow the lawn, or for construction near your house to occur, or even for the next house’s kids to yell outside.
The next best thing? That would be a windowsil seat you can cosy into for reading ! Ideally with a breeze of salty air. But when that’s not available.. a back porch’s gazebo will have to do ! Which is a newly bought from my parents for this year, hopefully I can sneak in for some quiet reading in my “getaway gazebo” 😘
The most fun part – is they also bought a little “curtain” thing to go around the screen walls so water doesn’t penetrate inside – which means that I can still enjoy reading outside while it rains, and when it’s usually less hot (among with more quietness, as who in hell would mow the lawn in the rain ??). Of course, rainy days are also a favorite of book dragons !
- Do you have the same problem as me? What’s your solutions?
- What would be your perfect “reading temperature” ?
- What is your favorite reading spot outside?
30 thoughts on “To read, or not to read outside?”
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I’ve always loved to read outside. But I love being by the water so that might be why. Of course this means I usually dont do it in the colder months. Plus when ther is no one at the pool where I am a life guard this summer I get plenty of quiet reading time (under an umbrella and with loads of sunscreen) 🙂
Ohh that’s nice !
I love to be by the water too, but unfortunately it’s kind of limited here 😅 way less access to water than in my hometown- I can only think of one very small outdoor pool and a waterpark ..
I will read outside for a little bit if I can find some shade but it has been super hot this summer so I have been avoiding the heat for the most part 😛
that’s mostly what I do ! ahaha though it’s been rainy and mostly fresh for summer.. and we are now entering a heatwave (after having colder weather this pasts weeks) that’s a big NOPE from me !
I tend to not read outdoors, the few times it’s nice enough it’s usually too bright for me to see! But, I did used to enjoy reading out by the side of the pool while my daughter swam at my parent’s. Most of the time it’s raining and here and I’m a night time reader myself. Cool prompt!
Thank you !
Ohh yes, I can relate. Im so happy to have proper prescription sunglasses now- so I can actually SEE in them xD before that I was too lazy to buy some (well, my sight always worsened anyway..) so I bought some regular ones instead but oh my I wouldn’t see much xd
I’m not a big fan of reading outside. I can’t get as comfortable as I could on my sofa or in bed, bugs are annoying, the temperature fluctuates too much or it’s just too hot – anything above the mid-20s is too much for me! I’d much rather read indoors but next to an open window or patio doors.
Have you tried listening to white noise/nature sounds through headphones when reading to help with concentration? I find it really helps me, especially when I want to read in a room with people watching television.
Ah, no I haven’t tried that! I should try sometime, maybe it’d help indeed.
Yep same .. it is « only » 26 today but ohh my lord, I spend a few second to un-zip something and I was already melting 🤦🏽♀️
I don’t read outside much since it’s either too hot or cold but during months like September and March, I love to sit in my garden or on the balcony and read!
Concentration is not much of a problem with me – I can read even if someone is shouting in the same room as me but I prefer the quiet too, definitely. Especially when an intense part is going on.
Lucky! Yeah I used to be like that too.. but alas, things like anxiety and depression do mess with the concentration 😕
Mmhmm- I agree! In canada though we have a few times that i’d qualifer as my « perfect weather » 😂 summer is way too hot for me, and winter dure one hell of a lifetime here 😎 starting early and finishing late- it even snowed in may 🤷🏽♀️
I can’t read outside during the summer because: 1) the heat and 2) mosquitos which I’m allergic to. So I tend to do my summer reading curled up in bed with the fan on high 😂 outside noise doesn’t bother me that much because I tend to have an audiobook playing so I’m listening to that more than paying attention to anything else
I see ! On the case of an audiobook, yeah you don’t hear much of anything else ahaha, really need to try that!
Twinning with the heat ! though musquitos are mostly evenings/nights over here I think… I haven’t seen much since we got our gazebo. our problem was wasps… it was friggen EVERYWHERE 🤦🏽♀️ even chasing after us and my dogs ahaha
I love reading in my garden! Under a tree. I am alone and no one come find me to do any chore 😉
Ahh, that sounds wonderful !
I love reading outside, ,especially in parks 🙂
Yep, me too!
Not a fan of reading outside. Summer in both Malaysia and Japan is humid and you’ll die of heat stroke if you stay in out in the sun for too long lol
yeap, it’s pretty humid here too .. in fact we just started a heatwave yesterday – I go just 5seconds and im already melting xD
I listen to audio books mainly when I’m outside otherwise actually sitting down with a book or kindle is to hard- for some reason even with dark glasses the glare is too much also it’s crazy hot here in the summer!
Good that you found a way of reading that works for you, then! 💕
I love the idea of reading outside, but honestly…..I’m too paranoid. That’s completely a me thing and no, i’m not working on it., haha. I cannot read outside for the life of me! It’s too difficult.
I think the perfect reading temperature changes for me quite frequently. As long as I’m comfortable, I’ll be able to read. With that said, I normally read in bed.
The bed is the perfect place to read, indeed !
I would love to be able to read outside, and in fact, I used to have a hammock outside where I would read all summer. But now I am on medication that increases my chance of melanoma (which is a very real possibility in Australia) so I’m not allowed in the sun very much. However, our new home has huge north-facing windows (very important in the southern hemisphere) and so I can curl up in my armchair in the winter sun and get a little bit of sun!!
Ahhh I so want an hammock too!
Aww, I see.. my medications makes me overheat while mom’s increase the skin cancer’s possibility when mixed with sun (basically, she shall not go outside atleast without a hat and stuff)
Happy you got the windows though! Sounds lovely
I struggle to read when it is hot, the stifling heat and sweat is much too distracting. I always love the idea of reading by the pool or at the beach, but the sun is always too bright??? lol
Yep I agree! Also, shakl not get too closes… or splashes onto book/ereader, and BOI that won’t be good 😂
I’m in the same figurative boat! hot weather is a nope from me, my preferred temperature is around 65-70 F (18-21 C) but it’s currently much warmer than that. the neighbor kids are so loud that I can hear them from inside my room with the window closed, so honestly indoor/outdoor doesn’t make a difference in that regard. a windowsill seat would be the dream, I have a windowsill but I don’t think it would support my weight and don’t dare to really test it 😅 but your gazebo sounds fantastic, I’m more than a little jealous!
Oh my yep.. same actually! The houses are so close together we can hear the neighbor off-key signing from my room, all things closed. 🙄
Ahahah yeaah you better not, just in case..
I’m just like you. I live in a hot and humid climate that makes reading outside almost unbearable for most of the year. But there are a few perfect days in the low 70s (Fahrenheit) that I take advantage of by putting up my hammock in my backyard and reading (usually until I fall asleep).
It’s still an heatwave in my town – 91+ farenheit, which is WAY too much for me xd with thundershowers still for the next week… while where I am at for my vacation, it’s fresh and windy no more than 62 degrees F! So that’s a change 😂 But then with the boyfriend and the visiting.. sadly reading are kind of strictly for when he’s fast asleep and I can’t..