There’s just something beautiful and magical about winter time...Don’t get me wrong I no longer want the cold and snow after the holiday season is over, but when it’s not super windy and you have that silent sparkling snow falling down all around you how can you not feel joyful?

Today’s post we’re talking about going on nerdy outings! You can either do this solo or invite a friend or a few to join along to get yourselves out of the house and have some fun because you all know how it gets when we have to start bundling up to go outside! We either stay indoors 24/7, besides for #adulting, then we can get sick of the same old pattern. So instead of that happening I’ve come up with some new ways to get excited for the winter season and have some things to look forward to! Keep reading to start scheduling some bookish adventures in your near future!

JOIN OR START A BOOK CLUB

If you read my previous posts you’d know I went over a lot of the beginner details on how to start a book club. So if you haven’t read into that you can go take a look at it and brush up on those tips. And if you don’t feel like starting one, it’s all good because I’m sure there are plenty of ones to find online and/or in your city.

SEARCH FOR BOOK EVENTS IN YOUR AREA

I’ve only ever been to one event so far so I guess I’m kind of a noob, but it was fun to be in the midst of other book lovers! My husband and our two friends went to the one up in Detroit over the summer and we really enjoyed it! For a long time I never bothered to think of searching for these type of events online and boy was I missing out! So now I make a mission to try to go out and do more to make my nerd self more content. Reading can be such a solitary type of activity, but you don’t have to make it be.

These are some things you’ll want to try to search for online: “city + book events,” city + book fairs,” “city + book festivals.” You should be able to get a general listing of any of the above mentioned. These terms can be searched in Google, ask your local library, and/or Goodreads has a search section for events. Just go to Goodreads.com/events (it’s also under the community tab > events, for future reference) and put in whatever criteria you’d like for as near or as far as you want to look for.

BOOK TOURS + BOOK SIGNINGS

Stay up to date with all your favorite authors and give their websites a visit! There’s usually a section on their site for whether they’ll be on tour or attending certain events. Usually this will be more prominent with authors who have just come out with a newly released book, but sometimes they still go to other events even if their book has been out for awhile. You can also find this kind of info. on their social accounts like Instagram and Twitter. Take a quick peek at their IG stories and highlights. It may even be found in one of their posts on their IG feed.

BOOKSTORE SHOPPING

You could schedule in some bookstore shopping for once a week or once a month, depending on what your budget calls for. Stay up to date on your favorite book series and authors to check on when their newest books will be coming out!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORES

This is a great idea if you want to go on a huge shopping spree, but have limited funds or are trying to put yourself on a budget. I’m in my late 20s and I still haven’t been to all the bookstores in my area yet! That’s crazy, right!?! You want to know the true reason? Growing up all I ever really knew about were the big mainstream stores like Borders, Books-A-Million, and Barnes & Noble. At that time I normally just went to Borders because it was the closest and most convenient being a part of the mall. Sadly, those stores are no longer with us. R.I.P. Borders, you are surely missed. 💔 In other words, there is no bookstore directly connected to the mall which just makes me mad, but WHATEVER. Yes, it’s a touchy subject because they need to put one in there again. ANYWAYS. Moving on.

What I’m getting at is that there are plenty of indie and thrift bookstores for us to go visit. We might as well support our local businesses during the holiday season and try to more so throughout the year as well. They usually provide a lot of different genres of used books at half (or less) the price. So it’s a win/win situation! How to find them - go to google and search for: “bookstore,” “books,” “indie bookstore,” “used bookstores,” “thrift books,” “thrift bookstores,” and you’ll probably find what you’re looking for! If you don't have any quite nearby plan a day trip which makes it even more fun! My friends and I do this as well by visiting a bookstore a couple or so hours away. Let me say, we’re never disappointed and it’s always worth the trip!

BOOKISH PHOTO SHOOT

Are you a bookstagrammer or any other bookish enthusiast (aka book blogger, booktuber, book clubber, etc.)? Then I think you’re going to like this idea. Make a day of creating an awesome photo shoot to take pics of both your books and yourself! Invite friends along to create more hype and to make it easier for you to take photos of each other! If the weather is bad you can stick to staying inside places like your house, bookstore, library, etc. For people who love the outdoors pack up and go take a hike at a local park or historical landmark. Bring some supplies and go make some magic happen!

P.S. - If you’re lucky enough to have a sunny day on a weekend (or day off work) sunrises and sunsets with snow make the most gorgeous pictures! It’s even more of a bonus if you have horse drawn carriages around to snap some lovely photography! So search around your area for anything that stands out to you, whether landmark wise or holiday celebrations! ;)

BOOK HOPPING

Last, but not least, you can go book hopping! What, pray-tell is this? Well, let me explain the concept that I came up with! This is the one I’m most excited to do which I still need to make happen! Basically you create a day trip or you can make it a weekly/monthly thing - whatever floats your boat, to visit all the bookstores or libraries in your area! So, instead of “bar hopping” you’re going book/library hopping! DOESN’T THAT SOUND LIKE SO MUCH FUN!?! Sorry, I get thrilled about this kind of stuff. You can even make stops along the way to get hot chocolate, coffee, smoothies, ice cream, and other delicious treats.

A lot of times I stick to the same stores and libraries that I’m use to and have grown up around. Therefore, I’m limited to what books I see in those locations. By switching up your stores and libraries you get a wider range of books to choose from. We all know that the library only circulate to new books so often based on requests and what the librarians choose to order. This way you can get a fresh pick of the bunch to borrow and go home with!

I hope I gave you a lot of fun and unique experiences to go try. Was there anything new and exciting you thought of while sifting through my ideas? What’s the one you’re most psyched to go do? Type it out in a comment below!

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