My dream weekend

It’s no secret reading has become more popular since the pandemic. More people picked up the habit, typically people who were heavy readers as teenagers.

Many of my friends read, and we have the best time discussing our favorite books. I work part-time at the bookstore not because of the money, but because it brings me joy to be surrounded by books and readers. There’s nothing I love more than finding the perfect book for someone.

Because of this love, I have several group chats with different groups of friends where we send memes, videos and our thoughts. One of the videos I always see are women getting together at an Airbnb for a reading weekend.

After my last miscarriage, I decided I needed something to look forward to. So we planned a ladies reading retreat where we will head to eastern Iowa for a weekend in a cabin overlooking the Mississippi.

What’s on the agenda? Reading. That’s pretty much it. When I was looking at places, I was looking for lots of seating so we can all spread out and read.

We do plan to stop and go to an indie bookstore in the area, but there’s not much else on the itinerary. And I think that’s why everyone is so excited. There’s no pressure to be social or present, just to exist simultaneously.

One of my favorite parts is the group of women we have coming. I invited friends from Creston, my hometown and college friends. Then they invited some of their friends. It will be a beautiful hodge podge of strangers and friends all coming together to unwind through the shared love of reading.

I planned the weekend months ago, unintentionally scheduling it on John J. Harris weekend. Don’t worry, Larry has graciously volunteered to cover the event in my absence.

It was slightly planned around the release of “Onyx Storm”, the third installment of the “Fourth Wing” series by Rebecca Yarros. The anxiously-awaited book follows a massive cliffhanger, and I know many of us ladies will have that book on the list for the weekend. Several of my friends, myself included, are working on re-reads of the first two to be ready.

“Fourth Wing” was easily the number one book of 2023, and the second book was released at the end of that year, meaning readers have been waiting over a year for this book.

I’m excited to report back on how the weekend pans out and whether or not it will become a tradition.