I’ve realised that my tote bag says a lot about the kind of day I’m hoping to have.
If I’m heading into town for a few hours, meeting a friend for coffee, or simply planning to spend an afternoon in the park, there’s a good chance I’ve packed it with the quiet hope that I’ll find time to read.
It’s never packed particularly neatly, and it certainly isn’t curated for anyone else to see. It’s just a collection of things that make reading away from home feel a little more comfortable and a little more enjoyable.
The first thing, unsurprisingly, is a book. However, to keep my life as portable as possible — books included — I opt for my Kindle.
Look, a Kindle is a big purchase; and to a lot of readers, an unnecessary one. But if your life is busy and you have too many physical books? It’s the way to go.
Sometimes it’s a novel I’ve been slowly making my way through all week. Other times it’s a non-fiction book filled with pages I’ve already folded over because I know I’ll want to come back to them later. I rarely leave the house with just one option because reading moods have a habit of changing.
A sturdy tote bag makes that possible. I like knowing I can wander into a bookshop and come home with an unexpected find without having to juggle books under my arm. Somehow, I almost always leave with more than I planned.
Alongside whichever book I’m reading, I nearly always pack a small notebook.
Perfect for whatever nonsensical thoughts you need to mull through; book/movie reviews; and story ideas!
Not because I’m trying to analyse everything I read, but because certain sentences have a habit of lingering. Sometimes it’s a quote I don’t want to forget. Sometimes it’s a question a chapter leaves me thinking about long after I’ve closed the book. Those little notes often find their way into my commonplace book later, but I like capturing them while they’re still fresh.
There’s usually a bookmark tucked inside as well, although I’ll admit I’ve occasionally used an old receipt or train ticket instead. Somehow those improvised bookmarks always become little reminders of where I was when I was reading, and I quite like that.
If I’m carrying a hardback or a book I’ve been looking forward to for a while, I’ll often slip it into a simple book sleeve before leaving the house. It keeps corners from getting bent as it bumps around beside my keys and water bottle, which means it still looks well loved without looking completely worn out.
I’ve always been incredibly pedantic about how my books look. So listen up: if you’ve got a first-edition or exclusive hardback you don’t want to scuff, wrap it with one of these. Put your book and brain at ease.
Speaking of water bottles, one always comes with me, along with a travel mug if the weather calls for tea or coffee. Reading always seems to last longer when there’s something warm to sip between chapters. It turns a spare half hour into something that feels much more intentional.
Perhaps the most important thing in my tote bag, though, isn’t something you can buy.
It’s a little bit of unplanned time.
The kind where you wander into a café because it started raining. Or you find an empty bench in the park that catches the afternoon sun. Or you arrive somewhere earlier than expected and decide not to reach for your phone straight away.
Those are often the moments when I read the most.
Over time, I’ve realised that my reading tote isn’t really about carrying books. It’s about making space for curiosity wherever the day happens to take me.
A good tote bag, a notebook, a dependable pen, a favourite bookmark, and a few small comforts are all simple things on their own. Together, they make it easier to turn ordinary moments into opportunities to read, think, and notice a little more of the world around me.
And somehow, that’s always worth carrying.
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