We Have the Perfect Weekend Project to Celebrate National Book Lovers Day

Apartment Therapy Weekend Projects is a guided program designed to help you get the happy, healthy home you’ve always wanted, one weekend at a time. Sign up now for email updates so you never miss a lesson.

National Days, you’ve probably noticed, have become a thing—mostly thanks to social media, aka The Great Proliferator. We might be a little eye-roll-y about National Days, but, honestly, they can remind us of worthy causes and, on a less serious note, give us an excuse to sprinkle some spontaneity (cupcakes, anyone?) into our days.

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day, a day that “harnesses all the excitement bibliophiles feel about books into one celebration.” That’s a lot of excitement! Whether you’re a book lover or not, having an official reason to crack open a book is really just a reminder to feed the soul.

We’re going to accept the gentle nudge that comes from knowing about this national day. As Holiday Insights suggests, “Book Lovers Day encourages you to find a place in the shade to relax with a good book.” Let’s do it.

Whether you’re rediscovering the joy of a beloved hobby put to rest while life got busy, or you’re dipping your toes into a pursuit you didn’t previously call your own, reading is a highly beneficial endeavor. My favorite scientifically proven effect of reading is stress reduction.

So now that you have a good reason why you should carve out some time for reading (as if you needed one), you should decide what to read and, perhaps more importantly, where. Although it’s an aspect of reading you may not pay much attention to, your choice of reading spot affects your comfort level and, sometimes, how far and how long you’re able to get lost in a book reverie. You’ll be brought back to the real world pretty quickly if your tailbone hurts or your neck is getting a crick in it.

Finding or creating a comfortable spot to read outside can also drastically improve your reading experience. Getting outside means a break from the demands that pull on us when we’re inside the house. Placing ourselves in quiet surroundings heightens the level of relaxation we’ll achieve.

If you don’t already have a comfortable, shady spot to read outside, consider setting something up. Pull a chair to the front stoop, where there won’t be glare from the sun. Or finally hang that hammock on your empty stand. Add an outdoor end table to your porch tableau so you have a spot to rest your coffee mug. Think about an outdoor spot where you can read and make it one you’ll come back to.

Where will you read this weekend?

You can catch up with weekend projects right here. Share your progress with us and others by posting updates and photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #atweekendproject.

Remember: This is about improvement, not perfection. Each week you can either choose to work on the assignment we’ve sent you, or tackle another project you’ve been meaning to get to. It’s also completely okay to skip a weekend if you’re busy or not feeling the assignment.