As we enter 2026, we’re leaving the days of brain drain and bed rotting behind and entering our cozy “bookish” era. After being overloaded with information and running on fumes during hours of class, setting aside time to read is a perfect way to wind down. Put down the phone, and forget spending hours doomscrolling on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
The best way to start a new habit is a change of scenery. There are many idyllic spots at the University of Nevada, Reno to escape into a world of literature. Venture beyond the confines of your bedroom to explore the beautiful campus, crack open your favorite novel and bask in solitude at these reading nooks.
- Manzanita Lake
Known as one of the most breathtaking spots on campus, Manzanita Lake is the great, glittering and graceful home to water fowl and magnificent fountains. A true beauty of nature, it’s as pretty as a picture. There are several benches resting under the leafy shade of the trees and atop lofty boulders on the shore to sit upon and read while you listen to the calm lapping of the water. You may even find yourself a new reading buddy — the ducks and geese!
- Colton N. Hilton Foundation Rotunda Quiet Study
There isn’t a place more silent than the tower room on the fourth floor of the Knowledge Center, which makes it the best destination to find peace and quiet. The round, domed study space is much less crowded than the rest of the library and has numerous plush chairs for you to snuggle up in with a good book. The rotunda embodies the dark academia aesthetic, making it the perfect space to solve a murder mystery.
- Edna B. and Bruno Benna Atrium
Some may consider it a rather obscure and unconventional area to read, with the foot traffic of students who enter the Church Fine Arts building, yet the large glass windows allow the sunlight to wash away your worries as it filters through the crystal panels. Tall potted plants loom over you as you sit on the homely bench, making it a pleasant space for you to take out a book as the UNR orchestra plays in the background.
- The Honor Court
The campus’s historic site serves as a token of gratitude to the treasured students, faculty and donors of UNR’s past with their names etched in towering granite pillars. The charming feature of this spot is the fountain: a boulder spewing rushing water. The court envelops visitors within its lush garden, with a few picturesque gazebos and smooth, spacious benches for one to seek refuge in a book from the noisiness of the outside world.
- Georgianna Trexler Memorial Garden
Almost everyone on campus is familiar with the lovely garden of flowers that they likely pass on the way to class. Although it can get quite busy in between classes, you’ll find peace laying on the grass under a low tree or sitting on a bench beside budding blossoms once classes are in session. Once you find a moment of solitude, take advantage of the dreamy scenery as if you’re the protagonist of a Jane Austen novel.
Explore Campus and Escape Into a Novel
To fight against burnout from classes and doomscrolling from social media, it is essential to find time for quiet, purposeful hobbies to relax your mind without rotting it. One of the best ways to do that is by reading, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, romance or sci-fi. There’s no better place to settle down and take out a book than the charming campus of UNR.
