‘Where everybody knows you’re reading’

     Where do you love to read?

     Most people probably just want to read within the comfort of their own home; on the couch after a long day or work of in bed before you hit the hay. Some no doubt visit their local library, which is an obvious place to sit and enjoy your current read. Others perhaps use their lunch hour to read in a local park. I’ve been known to spend my lunchtime either sitting in the downtown pocket park or Riverside Gardens here in Monticello. But, a new reading spot is slowly becoming a “thing:” bars.

     Not just any bars, though; your hometown bars are the perfect place to sit quietly by yourself, enjoy your favorite adult beverage, and get lost in your favorite book.

     Take it from someone who does this on occasion… reading in a bar isn’t as distracting as it sounds, especially when the saying “get lost in a book” is true. I’m able to completely immerse myself in what I’m reading that it’s easy to drown out and ignore what’s going on around me.

     And I’ve witnessed where people see me reading, and are known to be respectful. (Now, let’s be honest, reading at the bar on a Friday or Saturday night is not the best, as that’s when it’s the busiest.)

     I recently came across an online blog from the website Book Riot that had the headline “Where Everybody Knows You’re Reading.” (Get it? It’s a play on the theme song to “Cheers,” “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.”)

     The blog offered, “A neighborhood bar is an ideal place to read because it is adaptable.” You become comfortable with your favorite reading spot inside the bar that it starts to feel like your couch at home. For someone like me without a personal reading space, you just want to escape, literately and figuratively.

     The author of the blog said some people look at those reading inside a bar as being “anti-social.” Well, again from experience, that’s most definitely not the case. Yes, I’m sitting at the bar, enjoying a glass of wine, and reading my latest book. But that certainly doesn’t mean I won’t converse with you if you walk in and start visiting with me. In fact, that can be a welcome distraction. But don’t all readers enjoy the leisure activity more so with a cold, enjoyable beverage by their side? It’s not any different than reading at home with a glass of wine on your coffee table.

     Or, I’ve had people I know sit next to me while reading at the bar, inquire as to what book I am currently enjoying, and we engage in a conversation about the book/author. And isn’t reading more fun when you persuade others to read, too? Then a great conversation will ensue as you discuss the book, almost like a mini book club!

     Speaking of book clubs… Bars are also the best place to come together and discuss what your club is currently reading.

     And while I’m reading at a local bar, I will no doubt know those who also choose to patronize the business. That certainly doesn’t stop me from reading what I want to read, afraid I might be judged for my choice of literature. (Political books are great conversation pieces.)

     So the next time you’re looking to get out of the house, head to your local bar of choice, with your book of choice, and get lost in another literary world… “where everybody knows you’re reading.”