Smart Podcast, Trashy Books Podcast

336. Reading Sanctuaries, Cat Poop, and Murder: A Conversation with Amanda and Elyse

This week, we are talking about reading sanctuaries. Well, we started by talking about reading sanctuaries, but you might guess from the title that we got a little sidetracked.

Amanda, Elyse, and I all require different elements to build the perfect reading sanctuary, and we talk about what we have, what we need, and what we absolutely must not include in order to reach optimal reading enjoyment. We cover blankets, locations, lighting, noise, and whether Amanda can realize her dream of becoming a vampire librarian drow who reads in the dark. We also discuss intricacies of reading in the bathtub (which, for me, no thank you), and mention some podcasts we like to listen to while knitting or stitching.

Reading Sanctuaries are pretty personal, and reveal a lot about what we need to create a quiet, restorative space for ourselves.

And of course I want to know about yours!

What about you? Where is your reading sanctuary? What do you need? Pillows? Blankets? Weighted blankets – are you a fan? Do you prefer a bed or chair? Bathtub? Silence or music? How much light is ideal? Tell us all about it!

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Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

So many things to link to in this episode!

Shopping!

Links!

Podcast episodes! 

And finally, hidden in spoiler tags, is the picture that Rich texted to Elyse while we were recording:

Abandon All Hope, Ye who Click: For Here be Skid Marks

A very unfazed Fischer standing beyond a long smear of poop on the linoleum floor. It's super gross

 

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This Episode's Music

Blackhouse by Peatbog FairiesOur music is provided by Sassy Outwater each week. This is the Peatbog Faeries album Blackhouse.

This is “The Ranch.”

You can find The Peatbog Faeries and all their albums at Amazon, at iTunes, or wherever you like to buy your fine music.


Podcast Sponsor

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Transcript

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This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.

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  1. On weighted blankets – I have one! I heard of them first through a friend whose kids have sensory issues and they use lightly weighted blankets for therapeutic reasons. My friend got one and said it helped her sleep too.
    My husband bought me a weighted blanket. There are different levels and weights. He picked a middle range weight. It took some getting used to, and if it weren’t such a pain to return it via mailorder I would have traded in for a slighly lighter one. I only use the weighted blanket in winter because it gets hot. And not easy to kick off in the night since…uh, it’s weighted 🙂 So my advice is start with one of the lightest weight options offered.

    Like you all, I’m always cold and have a variety of blankets on my couch for reading or TV watching – big fluffy warm for winter or lightweight for summer. Even in summer, if I’m on the couch for more than five minutes I need a blanket.

  2. Also related to the podcast! There is an ambient sounds of Harry Potter website! https://harry-potter-sounds.ambient-mixer.com/

  3. SB Sarah says:

    @Stephanie: Oh, the ambient sounds site has MADE MY FREAKIN’ DAY. Thank you!!!!!

  4. Lostshadows says:

    I can do silence, but I prefer music. Lyrics don’t bother me if I’m really familiar with them. They just become part of the music to me.

    For long reading sessions, I really need a table. I like to prop up paper books on a book stand and my kindle is in a case that lets me do that with it.

  5. Elisa says:

    I’m mid-listen to this podcast and have a recommendation so I apologize if it is already mentioned later in this podcast, headlamps! I have to read physical books at night because phone or kindle light keeps me up, so I use a headlamp on the red light setting. It doesn’t bother my husband and the red light instead of blue based light lets me fall to sleep like a normal(ish) person. The downside of the headlamp is well how rediclous you look wearing it.

  6. scifigirl1986 says:

    Isn’t Blush the name of the magazine in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?

    Currently, I do not have a book sanctuary, but I’m hoping to create one when I move into my new bedroom in the next few months. I’m hoping to get a big, comfy chair, a warm throw rug, and a book shelf for the few paperbacks that I own.

    @Elyse, I’m totally down with murder podcasts–have you listened to Hollywood Crime Scene? I’m binging that one right now and the women who host it are actually laugh out loud funny. The first episode is about the Wonderland Murders and a large section of it deals with the size of 70’s porn star, John Holmes’s dick. I’m going through their backlist and just listened to their episode on Lizzie Borden. It is so much fun.

  7. Kate says:

    I hate the overhead light in my bathroom (a light/fan combo, not dimmable) so reading in the tub has always been a challenge but I found the best thing at Ross for $6: it’s a regular size bulb with a string of LED lights stuffed inside instead of a filament on a 6″ chain with an alligator clip so I can just clip it to the shower curtain by my head.

    My favorite background noise for reading or writing is a baseball game. I absolutely cannot listen to music with lyrics. Until I started working from home, I used a variety of atmosphere “rooms,” like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. on YouTube with earbuds to drown out my boss’s music. Claire at ASMR Rooms does a fantastic job: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXQCYOw5–9PlQ74JVIEmw

  8. KateB says:

    @SB_Sarah: I am the same with hot tubs! I get shaky and almost dizzy if I sit in them for more than a few minutes at a time. I have to pop in and out, while everyone around me is chillin up to their chins.

    My reading sanctuary is my bed. But only on top of my bed. If I get under the covers I am asleep within minutes. I make an iced coffee or tea, turn on some music (right now the Coffee Shop Electronic playlist on Prime Music), get my reading pillow and this blanket, and I’m good to go:

    https://www.amazon.com/Chanasya-Blanket-Weight-Luxurious-Hypoallergenic/dp/B01FVHTB10/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_asin_image

    This blanket is great. I have the larger size (60×70 inches or, exactly the size of the top of a full size mattress, so my feet never peek out). It’s lightweight but so so so warm and faux fur on top, fleece on the bottom.

    Also! I needed a booklight for when I’m reading a paper book at night. I have a lamp, but it’s blocked from my reach in bed by my desktop fan so I have to GET OUT OF BED to shut it off. Noppppe. Luckily, I found this booklight. It’s the perfect solution. It has three light settings, from white light to a more natural yellow light. It charges via USB (so no batteries), has a bendable gooseneck, light enough to clip to any kind of book, but sturdy enough to stand on its on. I’ve ended up clipping it to the side of my fan and bending the gooseneck up so it illuminates more of the space. Perfect for reading paper books in bed! Also, according to customer images on Amazon, great for knitting!

    https://www.amazon.com/LuminoLite-Rechargeable-Brightness-Lightweight-Bookworms/dp/B076SVC7SN/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_asin_image

  9. Amanda says:

    @KateB: That blanket looks so cozy! I might have to buy one for myself.

  10. KateB says:

    @Amanda: it’s totally worth it!

  11. chacha1 says:

    LOL that cat is an outrage. He’s all, what? I hadta wipe.

    I don’t have a reading sanctuary, which seems like an oversight. Our little bitty house has exactly two comfortable places to sit, one of which is the futon couch in the den (with TV) and the other of which is the bed. In the bedroom I have a table lamp and a ceiling fan with a dimmable LED light kit, and there is also a big window if I happen to want natural light and I happen to want to/be able to read in there during the day.

    I mostly read on my Kindle because aging eyes, if reading a real book I need my granny glasses, but can’t tolerate them for more than a couple of hours.

    Minimal pillows that will stay where I put them are preferred, and a quilt over my legs. Only recently it’s been cold as balls (by SoCal standards) so it’s a quilt over my legs already clad in socks, legwarmers, long underwear, and lounge pants.

    Music (with or without lyrics) distracts me when I’m reading, so I tend to go for silence. TV on the other hand, I can cope with. It’s like the conversation track on a TV show goes through a different neural pathway or something. Exception: Mrs. Maisel. I had to pay attention to that show.

  12. Megan says:

    Sarah, you need a small space heater for the bathroom. It makes all the difference to keep yourself warm in the bath.

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