How to plan your perfect reading retreat

Recently, my sister Elizabeth and I returned from our Reading Retreat 2025, in Los Olivos, California.

This year, our yearly challenge is to “Read 25 in ’25,” so we’ve been doing many different things to spend more time reading. For instance, we’re doing Simon Haisell’s Slow Read of War and Peace, and we both did “Read 25 Day” in June. A retreat seemed like another fun way to bring more reading into our days.

Several months ago, we’d had the idea for the retreat, and we’d been trying to figure out when and where to have it.

Then I found out that I needed to travel to L.A. for work. Because I was planning to stay with Elizabeth in Encino, we decided to tack the retreat onto my trip. That way, for the two of us, we had fewer flights to book and less time spent traveling. It also eliminated the decision-fatigue of when to hold the retreat: it had to be before or after my work commitment. 

We chose Los Olivos as a spot within driving distance of Elizabeth’s house; chose our hotel, The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern; booked a room; and before long, we were spending two blissful days reading.

We learned a few things:

• we enjoyed taking long walks—to enjoy the scenery, to get to see the neighborhood, to get some exercise to help us stay still for reading
• we appreciated staying in a place where we could walk everywhere; it was really nice not to have to get in the car for two days
• it’s fun to have a same-day book—a book you start and finish in a single day. My same-day book was Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice (Amazon, Bookshop); Elizabeth’s same-day book was Percival Everett’s James (Amazon, Bookshop).

We enjoyed it so much that on the drive back to Encino, we decided to make it a yearly tradition (which is why I’m calling it “Reading Retreat 2025”).

Next time, we want the reading retreat to be three nights long, not two. We would have really enjoyed one more day, especially given the travel time.

How to plan your own reading retreat

Every reader deserves a bit of dedicated time to enjoy a good book. Here are some ideas for planning your retreat:

At home: Try a weekend morning micro-retreat—just a few hours can feel luxurious if you treat it like a real retreat. Hide your phone, tell your family you’re off-limits, and claim your favorite reading spot.

Out and about: Read at a library, a bookstore café, or if the weather is nice, a park bench or quiet outdoor spot. 

Weekend getaway: If you can swing it, a few days in a new location can really enhance your enjoyment. You don’t need to travel far, but getting out of your house removes the domestic distractions that pull you away from your book.

Whom to bring: It’s up to you! You might bring one friend, a small group, your family, or have a solo retreat. If you do bring someone along, make sure you’re on the same page (!) about your plans for reading time, conversation time, breaks, and other activities.

A few weeks ago, more than 1,000 people responded to my poll about the ideal reading retreat, and their answers were delightfully revealing.

Nearly half fantasized about a beach-house getaway, while a third preferred a cozy cabin in the woods. Seven percent preferred to stay home as long as all responsibilities were “magically handled.” The most-mentioned essentials were tea, snacks, and cozy blankets. As for company, people were split between wanting complete solitude and bringing along one close friend. 

More reading for all!