What My Ideal August Reading Day Looks Like

Every August, my family has always taken a trip away for a week or two. In the true spirit of August by Taylor Swift (play it quietly in your mind while you read this post), we are usually somewhere by the sea, surrounded by salt air, weathered cottages, and the feeling that summer is beginning to soften around the edges. This year feels a little different. My partner and I have already spent much of July travelling, so instead of chasing another busy itinerary, we want this August trip to move at a gentler pace.

When I think about it, June and July feel wonderfully full of energy. They are the months of excitement — of spotting the ocean for the first time, running down to the shoreline, and splashing through the first shallow waves before you’ve even taken your sandals off. That is how July feels to me: bright, playful, and impossible to slow down.

August, however, feels like a sunset over an open field. It is still unmistakably summer, but the colours are warmer, the evenings arrive a little earlier, and everything seems to breathe more slowly. That is why we have decided to make this trip a hiking-and-reading kind of holiday.

So, in this week’s blog post, I want to share what my ideal August reading day looks like, the kind of day reserved for when life has become a little too noisy and you need a gentle reset. A day where nothing is expected of you except to turn the next page.

Choosing the Books

One thing that always surprises people is that I rarely read just one book at a time. I’ve found that reading multiple books works best when each one offers a completely different experience.

At the moment, I’m reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which explores friendship, creativity, ambition, and the complicated ways people grow alongside one another over many years. It’s thoughtful, emotional, and the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve closed it.

Alongside that, I’ve just started Red Rising by Pierce Brown, which is much more fast-paced and science-fiction driven — a completely different mood from my morning read.

And because apparently two books are not enough, I’m also listening to The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent while I pack orders for AStoryToLight. Its dark fantasy atmosphere makes even the most ordinary tasks feel a little more dramatic.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that the secret to reading multiple books is choosing distinct genres. One reflective, one adventurous, and one immersive audiobook is usually the perfect balance.

So before your ideal reading day begins, the first step is simple: Choose the book (or books) that match the mood you want to live in for the day.

Set Your Affairs in Order

This may sound slightly dramatic, but I truly believe a good reading day begins the day before. If there is an important email waiting to be answered, a task hanging over my head, or a half-finished project demanding attention, I know I won’t fully relax into a story. My mind will keep wandering back to what I should be doing.

So the evening before, I like to:

• finish the urgent work task,

• tidy away anything that will distract me,

• put the candles back where I can easily reach them,

• and yes, probably finish writing the blog post I’ve been slowly working on (hello from the present moment).

  
  

The goal is not to create a perfectly productive life; it is simply to create enough mental space to disappear into a book without guilt.

The Slow Morning

My ideal reading morning begins early, while the world is still quiet and the light feels soft rather than demanding. I’d open the curtains, let the morning air into the room, and spend a minute or two simply noticing the light, the weather, and whatever thoughts happen to drift through my mind before the day properly begins. Before I start reading, I like to be fully ready for the day. Dressed, washed, and fed — otherwise I spend the first chapter thinking about coffee instead of the plot.

On a dedicated reading day, I imagine myself sitting in the living room wrapped in my big grey blanket, holding a steaming mug of coffee while my phone charges in another room. I usually keep a notebook nearby in case a something sparks a story idea, a blog post, or a random thought I want to remember later. Then comes my favourite part: an uninterrupted hour or so of reading, with no notifications, no scrolling, and nowhere else I need to be.

A Mid-Morning Reset

Remember when I said to set your affairs in order? You might have noticed I never said clean the entire house first. That is because cleaning and audiobooks go hand in hand together.

After a long reading session, I actually enjoy getting up, opening the windows, putting my earphones in, and listening to a wonderfully dramatic fantasy or dark romance while I tidy, vacuum, or fold laundry. It makes ordinary chores feel oddly cinematic, and it stops me from feeling restless after sitting still for too long. Honestly, it is one of the most therapeutic little rituals I have.

A Small August Adventure

After dinner, I’d want the day to end with a gentle walk as the evening begins to cool.

Nothing ambitious, just a slow “hot girl walk” through the countryside while the sky turns gold and the air starts to lose the heat of the afternoon.

I’d leave my headphones behind and let my mind wander through the book I’d spent the day reading. Those evening walks are often when stories settle most deeply; characters feel more real, favourite quotes come back to you, and suddenly the world around you seems a little softer than it did that morning.

My Evening Wind-Down

As the day comes to an end, I like to keep everything slow and unhurried. The sunlight begins to turn golden, the house feels quieter, and this is usually when I decide what story I want to step into for the evening. Sometimes that means continuing with the book I started in the morning, but other times I love choosing something completely different. Perhaps I’m in the mood for a fantasy world, a cosy mystery, or a book that I know will make me feel nostalgic.

This is also the perfect time to open a Blind Date with a Book. There is something so magical about not knowing exactly what story awaits you — unwrapping the pages, discovering the hidden clues, and settling down with a surprise read chosen especially for that moment.

Of course, no golden hour reading ritual is complete without the atmosphere. I would light my Vintage Bookshop candle from AStoryToLight, letting the scent of old shelves, handwritten notes, and quiet corners fill the room. There is something about a candle flickering beside a book that instantly makes the ordinary feel a little more special.

A Closing Thought

An ideal August reading day isn’t about finishing a book in record time or having the perfect routine. It is about creating little moments that make life feel special: a slow morning with coffee, a walk beneath the summer sky, a candle glowing beside your favourite pages, and allowing yourself the time to simply be.

As August begins to soften into autumn, I think it is the perfect reminder to slow down and enjoy the season we are in. To notice the olden evenings, the cooler mornings, and the stories that keep us company along the way. If you are looking for your next cosy read, want to embrace more slow living rituals, or simply love creating little moments of magic in your everyday life, I would love for you to follow along with AStoryToLight. You can find me sharing seasonal living, bookish inspiration, behind-the-scenes moments, and cosy rituals over on my social media pages. And if you’d like to bring a little more storytelling into your own home, you can explore my handmade candles, bookmarks, and Blind Date with a Book experiences in my shop.

Thank you for spending a little part of your day here with me. Now, make yourself a drink, pick up your book, and enjoy your own little August reading ritual.

Journal Prompt

What would your ideal August reading day look like?

Take a moment to imagine a day with no expectations and nowhere you need to be. Where would you read? What book would you choose? What little rituals would make the day feel special?

Until next time,

Eleanor x