How to Create the Perfect Cozy Reading Day
- Katherine Perrone
- Mar 22
- 7 min read
With the new trend emerging about how we're shifting back toward a more analog life and taking time to step away from constantly being on digital devices, I reflected on some of the hobbies that I have naturally gravitated toward. One of my favourite ways to do that is by creating the perfect cozy reading day.
If you've followed me for a while (mostly on socials), then you probably have seen me post about my current reads over the past few years. I got back into reading a little before 2018 and have been a pretty avid reader since. Now, I wouldn't say I'm on the same level as those who read 50+ books a year, but I love to cozy up with a great book and just switch my brain off for a while.
In 2024, I did in fact buy a kindle which has been great for anytime I travel or want to read a book that I'm not 100% certain I'll love. But if I'm being honest, I'm still a paperback book girly at heart. I would say that 85% of my reading is still with physical books and I love to create an atmosphere to take a break from my every day and absorb myself in the story I'm reading.
So if you're looking for ways to slow down, romanticize your hobbies, and create your own reading ritual, here’s how I craft the perfect cozy reading day (or just a short break if you're a busy bee like me).
Here's a checklist to get your started on crafting the perfect cozy reading space:
Find a comfortable reading spot
Grab a cozy blanket
Pick the book you want to read
Set up ambiance or instrumental music
Accessorize with a cute bookmark or stickers
Make your favourite drink
Have a notepad to capture your thoughts
Source: Pinterest
Create the Cozy Reading Space
I am so jealous of everyone who has the space to create a whole hobby & reading room. My ideal would be floor to ceiling bookshelves, a big, round cozy chaise, and moody lighting that I could get lost in for hours.
However, a cozy reading space doesn't need to be a whole room takeover. Find a spot in your home that you love to relax in, either a living room, bedroom, basement, etc. To me, cozy = blankets, so even if the weather is warm, I demand to be covered in a cozy blanket. The bigger, the better. Additionally, your space doesn't necessarily need to be at home. If you love to take yourself on solo dates, go to the park and have a picnic, or visit your favourite coffee or brunch spot. The key is to find a space that sparks coziness and relaxation for you.
Source: Pinterest
Now that you've found the spot, time to accessorize the space. I personally love to have a drink by my side; it could be a hot cup of coffee or a crisp coke zero, as long as I have an emotional support drink with me. One thing I've loved doing is setting up the environment with an on-theme ambiance video on YouTube. While I read the Fourth Wing series, you bet I had the Basgiath College ambiance playing in the background with dragons flying along. When it was the Fall, I pulled up a cozy cabin environment so I could hear the fireplace crackling while I read a thriller.
Finally, and this one really depends on how I feel at the time, I also set up a reading playlist filled with instrumental songs so I could put my headphones on and really block out the world for hours on end.
The real focus here is to create a space that is cozy to you and how you can feel at ease and relax for however long you need to fully dive into your next book journey.
Craft The Reading Ritual
I haven't always been a reader. I actually pretty much hated reading when I was kid. There were some novels that I do remember loving, series like Junie B. Jones and Geronimo/Thea Stilton come to mind, but never enough to make me feel like I was a reader.
This all changed when I hit university. I was studying accounting, and truly, hating my life, and I knew I needed to do something for myself outside of the daily drained of studying. So, I challenged myself to start reading at least one chapter a day. I've always been a very career focused person, so I have to admit that I did start with self-help and career-driven books. Think Everything Is Figureoutable and Girl Code, then slowly made my way to Mindy Kaling's autobiographies because I was obsessed with The Mindy Project.
As I gradually starting reading at least one chapter a day, my habit and interest in reading grew tremendously. Suddenly, I was reading romance and romantasy, like the Red Queen and The Selection series, and after that I was a goner.
All this to say, if you're not one to read, but want to become a reader, you need to start slow. Whether it's one chapter a day like I started with, or setting a 10 minute timer to read as much as you can and then build from there. You have to make it a priority and add it as part of your daily routine. Maybe it's reading a quick chapter while having your morning coffee or implementing reading right before bed to reduce your screen time and have a better sleep. Whatever works for you, as long as you lead with intention.
Personalize Your Reading Accessories
I'm not totally sure what the psychology behind gravitating toward cute accessories for anything you do. I'm totally guilty of buying a bunch of notepads and only using them if they look cute and match my aesthetic. I just find it adds that extra bit of motivation and cozyness to do whatever task or hobby you're about to tackle.
For reading physical books, the best accessory is a bookmark. Whether you gravitate toward seasonal themes or bookish related merch, there will always be a bookmark that matches your vibe. Personally, I love to switch out my bookmarks depending on the type of book I'm reading and sometimes even matching it to the cover.
Discover bookmarks that I designed:
If you're more of a Kindle or Kobo reader, the first step is getting a cute case. I have a clear case where I like to switch out the backgrounds depending on the season, but there are a ton of cute cases that even include a cover from small businesses. The TL;DR shop offers really pretty and whimsical cases (and they're Canadian)!
The next step is personalizing your device, or even the water bottle that's keeping you hydrated, with your favourite stickers. This can sometimes be an overwhelming feat because of the various types of stickers that are available. However, this is also the fun part; it's where you can really showcase your personality and interests. Accessorize with stickers from your favourite books, tv shows or movies, songs and artists, or even just seasonal ones that speak to you.
Discover some stickers I hand-made:
The most important part of this step in building your perfect reading day is how you your accessories feel. Customize the look and feel of everything that you make a part of your reading journey and it will certainly provide a cozy escape every time.
Write Down Your Thoughts In A Reading Journal
I am so guilty of forgetting every book that I have read right after I finish reading it. And honestly, I feel pretty sad about it. There have been so many great books that I love to recommend to others until I hear the dreaded question, "what is it about?"
I know I'm not alone in this, but feel like I have lost being intentional with what I'm reading. Sure, I'm not consuming anything super educational or groundbreaking all the time, but I want to increase my retention and memories of 5-star reads. I've slowly started to keep a notepad or my notes app ready to write down any of my favourite quotes. Unfortunately, I am not an annotator or highlighter; I like to keep my books cleans.
I could have just started jotting down how I'm feeling and my opinion on the book I'm reading within my own personal journal, but as a Type A organizational girly, I had to take it one step further.
I created a digital reading journal that I use to log all my books for the year within my iPad or any tablet. I imported the template I made into Goodnotes and use it to track my reading habits, log all the books I'm reading and want to read, then take the time to rate and write my own review of the books. I like to use it because everything is linked together and I can easily refer to it in one place. If you're still into digital journaling, but don't necessarily have a tablet, a ton of small businesses have created book log notion templates which essentially does the same thing.
On the other hand, if you're trying to get away from looking at devices entirely in this process, a good old journal will do the trick. Grab your favourite moleskin or pretty-patterned notebooks and just brain dump everything you loved or hated from your read. You can even print out a small version of the book covers and anything else that reminds you of the book to create a junk journal-esque page. Top that off with some book-related stickers and you've basically just had a two-in-one hobby session with reading and scrapbooking!
Creating a cozy reading day doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s really just about slowing down and making the moment your own.
It's about intention. Carving out time for yourself, romanticizing the little moments, and surrounding yourself with things that make the experience feel comforting and personal.
Whether it’s setting up the perfect ambiance, a bookmark that matches your current read, a notepad to capture your thoughts, or a cozy setup that you look forward to at the end of the day, those small details can make all the difference.
Save this as a reminder for your next reset day, and come back to it whenever you need a little inspiration to unplug and unwind.
Happy reading!
Kat ♡
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