One thing I've finally had time to do again this summer (along with getting adequate amounts of sleep!) is reading for fun. Really I needn't even add "for fun," because I usually don't even do "required" reading during the school year. Almost as important as choosing a book to read is choosing a place to read. I have found several good locations, and it is my aim to briefly glance at all of them here. Some (namely those that are particularly awesome and accessible to the public) will get their very own posts in the future.
The balconies:
I have two: a sunny southeast-facing one and a shady nortwest-facing one. The sunny one has a hammock and is great for mornings or cool days. Sometimes I pretend to tan while I'm reading back there, but I don't think it really works. The shady one is perfect for afternoons, evenings, or warm mornings. On warm afternoons, I don't go outside unless I'm working. It can get pretty brutally humid and gross out there.
The kitchen table:
It's the perfect place for morning Bible-reading. I can eat at the same time, and it's not so comfy that I risk dozing off. The next reading place is the exact opposite.
The circle chair:
My good friend the circle chair has followed me from place to place since my freshman year. Anyone who has ever sat in it knows how amazing it is. I can curl up in a dozen different ways with a book and a drink and spend happy hours on a day off.
The sofa:
The sofa is only a short distance from the circle chair, but it has a few advantages over the dear old chair. It's next to a light for greater evening visibility and allows me to completely sprawl out after a long day of work.
Buy the Book:
I found out about this place by happy accident. I was discussing my plans to read Dune with someone at fighter practice, and she said that I would want to buy it and that a little used book store called Buy the Book would be the best place in the area to get it for cheap. Not only did I find a cheap copy of Dune (permeated by that wonderful old book smell, no less), but I also found a bright, clean little coffee shop within walking distance of my apartment. This place will definitely be getting its own post.
Purdue's HSSE Library:
I haven't tried doing any leisurely reading here yet, but I know it's good for low-key school reading. I go there when it's too cold to be outside and I don't need to be super serious about getting to work. They have lots of comfy chairs and some tables, but it's usually pretty full. Quiet, but full. If you do find an empty chair ring or table, you can count on being joined by a stranger at some point. You can also count of them to be silent and pick a chair at the appropriately courteous distance.
Purdue's Hicks Library:
The undergrad library is underground. It opens earlier than the rest of the libraries, so if I need to get work done before a 7:30 or 8:30 class, that's where I go. Like HSSE, it's quiet, but it has more space and therefore less crowding. It's also a bit more dreary and less comfortable which somehow makes me more productive. It is worth noting that this may be the absolute worst place to study during dead week and finals week. It becomes packed and noisy.
The Union at Purdue:
The Union is much like HSSE, but better for rainy days. It also doesn't have books and computers like HSSE, but I usually have everything I need. It does have the advantage of being above campus' non-dorm food central. When it's lousy outside, it's nice to stop by the Starbucks in the basement and pick a comfy old chair next to one of the tall old windows. It's particularly quiet since approximately half of the sofas and chairs are occupied by sleeping students between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
The Krannert Lobby at Purdue:
If you want to get down to business and defeat the Huns, you go to the Krannert lobby. With an abundance of comfy but not too comfy chairs with moveable tabletops and tables perfect for group meetings, I can always count on being more productive here than most other places. Maybe it's the business-like atmosphere of the school of management, or maybe it's just the well picked and placed furniture.
The Hort Gardens:
I can't really count on getting anything at all done once I sit down out there, but for a relaxing afternoon of reading and nature-watching, it can't be beat. The surrounding beautiful plants and intriguing wildlife, the periodical passing of a friend or professor, and the quaint view of the old glass and brick headhouse make the hort gardens glorious at any time of year.
Tippecanoe County Public Library:
So far I've only walked in to look for a periodical (which they didn't have, as I expected), but it had the air of a place I'd like to be. I'll have to give it a more thorough review after I've actually spent some time there. It has sort of an aged feel, but not ancient or anything. Just well-loved and well-worn.
West Lafayette Public Library:
Like the Tippecanoe County Public Library, I've only been inside once looking for the same periodical. But I've seen it many times, and have always liked the look of it. If you saw it, I'm sure you would agree. It's a newer building that makes no efforts to fake age and venerability, but there are subtle hints that show its respect for the past. The decorative tiling looks to be inspired by historically significant tiling on an old bank a few black away (on a fuller review of the place I'll give more detail) and the font used on the website and elsewhere has ties to Frank Lloyd Wright's Samara House a few miles away. I'm sure there are even more little nuances like this that I'm missing, and I'd love to be privy to them.
I look forward to continuing to discover books to read and places to read them for the remainder of the summer. I've still got four or five weeks left, and what's to stop me from continuing to explore once school starts back up? Spending the summer here has helped me learn what the Lafayette-West Lafayette area is about: community. Especially downtown Lafayette and the West Lafayette neighborhoods north of campus. I'm sort of looking forward to being a local for the next handful of years, and I no longer wonder what on earth I'll do with myself between graduation and leaving this area. It feels more and more home-like all the time. Having multiple home places is a mixed blessing, but that's another post for another time.
Also note the background change corresponding to book-reading season. Here's a picture for future reference:
