Read in the Bathtub Day

Is there a better holiday on Earth than Read in the Bathtub Day? For bookworms like yours truly, this is akin to Christmas. In fact, for some of us, it may be even better than Christmas (unless Christmas comes with some great book gifts and time to read them, which becomes a commodity as we get older). If you love to read, schedule in some time to do so this February 9 (or better yet, all month long!). Here are some things you might want to do to celebrate.

Mark your calendar. Make it a date with yourself—one that you can’t back out of with any excuses. Tell your family members to expect you to have the evening (or morning, or whenever you have the time) to yourself and to use the other bathroom! If that’s not feasible, try just an hour or two while everyone else is asleep.

Reserve library some books. If you call or go online right now, you could probably have a good stack going by Tuesday. Then you can pop right in after work and pick them up. Sure, browsing is fun, but this is a day to spend in the tub with your books.

Scan the book lists. Chances are you’ve already got hundreds of books you want to read—either on an ongoing list or in your own home. But if you don’t—or if you simply want to browse—you can try:

• Asking the librarian for help. Our library always has bookmarks featuring different genre authors, or ones that read, “If you like Harry Potter (or Stephen King or Debbie Macomber or whoever), you might like…” followed by a list of authors. Your library’s website might also have some good search engines by subject, genre, author, etc.
• Try looking up “recommended reading.” This search will yield tons of results, including yearly booklists from the New York Public Library, recommended reading by age, and college bound reading lists.
• Search for your favorite genres or authors. When was the last time you read the latest book by your favorite author? Or go for something entirely new!

Set the atmosphere. Get some candles, incense, or whatever ready for your reading. If you need extra light, can you fit a lamp in your bathroom? If it’s a spiritual tome, perhaps you’d like to burn a sage bundle or some sweetgrass; romance novels could call for red and pink candles and rose bath petals.

Make a Do Not Disturb sign. Post it on the door while you’re reading. Lock the door if you can. Make it known that you are taking part in this holiday and NO ONE is going to stop you!