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A guide to enjoying Read in the Bathtub Day

Did you know there is a Read in the Bathtub Day? Well there is and it’s on Monday 9th February.

So, if you ever feel the need to justify time spent wallowing in the bath with a good book, this day is for you.

 

If you’re going to make the most of this day dedicated to enjoying literature, then you’ll need to get organised. From gathering your reading material and booking your bathroom slot, to securing the day off work, here’s our guide to help you do just that.

 

Take the day off

Unfortunately this isn’t a national holiday, so if you intend to pull a sickie and immerse yourself in the bath, you’ll have to get creative with your cover story.

 

Common excuses used when taking a sickie include, the death of a pet or relative, sudden illness and transport issues. Whatever your excuse for not showing up for work, make sure you get your ‘fake’ facts in order ready for your return.

 

Useful tips for pulling a sickie:

 

  • Death of a pet or relative – this emotive reason is unlikely to be challenged by your employer unless they believe you’ve used it too often. Remember pets and relatives can only die once, so if you’ve used their fictitious death as an excuse before it’s unlikely you’ll get away with it twice
  • Sudden illness – unless you’re notorious for being off work due to illness, this reason is also pretty safe. However, hanging out on social media (in between reading of course) will not only raise eyebrows from your work colleagues who may also be Facebook friends, but may lead to speculation that you’re puling a sickie
  • Transport issues – you can only really get away with this if the whole country has ground to a halt due to snow or a strike. Rookie errors include blaming the breakdown of your car when you don’t even own one or travel to work this way, as well as missing the morning bus and assuming you can take the whole day off. Generally not the case unless you live in the sticks

 

Ensure your bathtub is available

This might sound ludicrous but others may have designs on the bathtub too. To ensure you have full access to the bathroom and no interruptions whilst enjoying it, fashion a ‘cleaning in progress’ sign to discourage others from disturbing you.

 

Set the scene

Make sure your environment and bath are comfortable for lounging and that you have everything you might need:

 

  • Reading material
  • Plenty of hot water on tap
  • Bath bombs, bubble bath, bath salts or plenty of your favourite bath time product
  • Fluffy towels – ideally warmed on a towel warmer or radiator
  • Optional background music
  • Refreshments
  • Your mobile phone

 

Reading suggestions

Whether you prefer a book, Kindle or tablet, Reading in the Bathtub Day is the perfect excuse to finish that novel or pick up that book you’ve been dying to start.

 

For reading suggestions for your long soak or quick dip, take a look at The Guardian’s Best Fiction of 2014 and The Telegraph’s Best Books of 2014.