The magic of a reading cove...

When I was about 10 years old, I stumbled through the wardrobe with Lucy and discovered the unforgettable world of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. After that first step into the realm of the White Witch, Aslan and Mr. Tumnus, I devoured every book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

Most of the pages were consumed in one of my “reading coves.” I had several little cozy niches where I hid away to do my reading. The first was a sprawling old magnolia tree in the front yard. Inside its canopy of wide flat leaves, in a nook created where two thick branches came together, I nailed in my reading seat with a hammer I borrowed from my dad’s workshop.

Then there was the hidden corner in our local library, next to a tall window, tucked away behind a shelf. That was a great place to while away stormy Florida summer afternoons. I would lean my head against the wall, oblivious to the drops thumping against the glass, lost instead in Peter and Susan’s battle with minotaurs, ogres and boggles.

My third reading cove was literally my closet. I felt that much closer to Narnia as I, like Lucy, hid away in the space behind the skirts and slacks, snuggled against the paneled wall. That was also the hidey-hole where, by flashlight, I discovered Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Sherlock Holmes.

I can close my eyes and conjure each of those reading coves today. I remember the rough feel of the magnolia’s branches, the sound of the old air conditioner in the library, and most importantly, I can remember exactly what I read in each place.

Now I’m (QUITE A BIT) older. My reading cove is a comfortable, well-worn chair in my office. There’s a candle that smells sort of like pumpkins and flowers, and my hydroponic garden gurgles in the corner. I can only imagine what 10-year-old me would think if I went back in time and told her, “One day you’ll read in your converted garage while you keep an eye on your crop of parsley and arugula!”

Our reading coves, like everything good in our lives – our friends, our families, our homes, our favorite yoga pants – mold around us. And they mold us. They reflect who we are and what we love. Our stack of “To Be Read” books is a visual representation of our optimism: I’m a person who’s going to (eventually) have all this goodness in my brain.

The world can get a bit frenetic sometimes. Most rooms contain multiple screens. We are bombarded with information from all sides – a lot of it shouted. There are days when I would love to retreat to the magnolia tree of my childhood. But at least I have the chair by the hydroponic garden, fairy lights strung around the room, and a stack of books on the table next to me.

So this month, we want to celebrate cozy reading coves. We would love for you to tell us about YOUR “reading cove.” Is it a quiet corner? Do you read on the bus or the train? Do you prefer to read outside (if so, you probably don’t live in Florida) or indoors in a spot that holds the indentation of your body, while it also holds your place in the book you just put down?

If you – or your kids, or you AND your kids - have a reading cove, please let us know! Email editor@turtlecovemedia.com with a photo and/or a description or tag us in a post on Facebook or Instagram. We’d love to hear about the place where you relax with your favorite books … and don’t forget to tell us what you’re reading!