WOW! I can’t believe our first ~official~ book·cation is complete. For 2 years I’ve been dreaming about this experience and it was so amazing to watch it come to life! We had 34 amazing women, from 7 states, attend our reading retreat 👀 and a fantastic time was had by all! Keep reading to get a glimpse into what transpired during our weekend getaway 👇
Friday Night
Doors opened for dinner at 6:15 where everyone received their swag bags! There wasn’t assigned seating so everyone could choose to sit wherever they wanted. There were discussion questions on the table to kick off some book-related conversations and it was fun to watch connections start to form. 🥰 We also had a photobooth area for people to take selfies and sign our guestbook!
We ate all the comfort foods highlighting some specifically from Wisconsin and Chicago- so lots of cheese! 😂 The only feedback from that was maybe I should’ve added in some more veggies, LOL. I know for next time 😜 For dessert, we moved our s’mores bonfire inside because of weather and had treats in our event room. They were still delicious! After dinner, everyone could go read and relax throughout the resort. There were so many options like cozy fire pits and comfy couches in the lobby or even the bar!
Saturday Morning + Afternoon
There is no photo evidence of our 8am yoga class and I’d like to keep it that way, ha! About 20 of us decided to kick off the morning with some beginner yoga and it was a great class. 🧘🏻♀️ It had just enough challenge and also had some really funny moments- who knew yoga could be so fun?
Around lunchtime, a local mobile bookstore – Lakeside Books – stopped by for some personalized shopping! This was even more special because the Saturday of our retreat just so happened to be ‘Indie Bookstore Day’ so it was wonderful to support a local, independent bookstore on such an important day. It was also their first official event, too, which was so fun!
In the early afternoon we had our Book Club where we read ‘The Frozen River‘ by Ariel Lawhon. We had special themed donuts made by my aunt at DoughNationWI that were such a hit! It turns out most of us really enjoyed the book and definitely felt all the feels + frustrations at the injustices it portrayed in terms of women’s rights (or lack there of in the 1790’s). Definitely recommend if you’re looking for an emotional, historical fiction, mystery 👍
Saturday Night
Saturday’s dinner was a bit different because everyone was seated by favorite genre! We had tables for Fiction (Contemporary + Historical), Romance, Fantasy/Romantasy, Mystery, and Thriller/Suspense and there were separate discussion questions for each table. Everyone loved being able to chat with attendees who read similar books so they could swap recs and talk fav tropes. 🙌
As we wrapped up dessert, we did our blind book exchange! This was optional, but everyone participated because who doesn’t love getting a new book? (Especially if it’s one that comes highly recommended by a new friend ❤️) I mailed out a little insert for everyone to fill out and include with their book that explains why they chose it and who they are so we’ll never forget where the book came from. It was so beautiful to watch everyone find the person who gave them their book to thank them and discuss.
Sunday Morning
We didn’t have anything formal on Sunday, but I told everyone I’d be getting brunch at 8:30 and would love for them to join me if they’d like and about half the group showed up! We all ate and chatted a bit more before people started to get ready to head out. I used that time to sneak over to the really cozy lobby couches to get a few hours of reading in 🤫
My goal for this weekend was to make sure everyone got their cup filled. I wanted each person to leave feeling better than when they arrived and I would say we succeeded! If this kind of weekend would fill your cup, too, then come read with us! Our next book·cation is October 2025 in Wisconsin and there’s room for you. 😘 I hope you’ll join us because you’re deserving of it, friend!
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