Maybe it’s the quiet.
Or the way everything seems to move just a little slower near the water.
Maybe it’s the fact that a book, a chair and a view of the lake feels like a completely legitimate plan for an entire afternoon.
Whatever it is, we’re lake people.
And when we started thinking about some of the places that have become part of the Craft’n Pages story — and our story as friends — we realized just how often there’s water somewhere in the background.
For Wendy, it starts close to home
Lake Linganore is part of everyday life for Wendy in Maryland.
It’s the backdrop for walks, sunsets, changing seasons and those little pockets of ordinary life that don’t necessarily feel significant while they’re happening.
Until you stop and realize that maybe those are the significant parts.
There’s something different about reading near water, too. Bring a book down to the lake and suddenly reading a few chapters feels less like something you squeezed into the day and more like something you intentionally chose.
No productivity required.
Just a book, a little fresh air and maybe the occasional distraction when the light hits the water just right.
Then there’s Wisconsin
Wisconsin is home for Sarah, which means water has found its way into our Craft’n Pages adventures there, too.
We’ve spent time together in Bayfield, tucked along the edge of Lake Superior, where it’s almost impossible not to slow down and pay attention.
The boats. The shoreline. The little shops. The enormous stretch of blue that looks like it might go on forever.
And then there’s Milwaukee, where Lake Michigan creates an entirely different kind of waterfront — a massive, beautiful body of water sitting alongside the energy of a city.
Two places. Two very different experiences.
Both reminders that there’s just something about being near water that makes us want to stay awhile.
Preferably with a book.
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Maybe that’s why lake![]()
stories get us, too
There’s something about a lake setting in a book that immediately creates a mood.
A lake can mean summer nostalgia and childhood friendships.
It can mean a cabin where everyone gathers year after year.
It can mean first loves, family traditions and the place someone keeps returning to when they need to remember who they are.
Of course, depending on the book, it can also mean someone definitely knows a secret and there is a suspiciously abandoned dock we should probably be concerned about.
We enjoy those lake stories, too.
That’s part of what makes water such a great setting for a book. It can feel peaceful and romantic, lonely and mysterious, freeing and familiar — sometimes all within the same story.
Reading by the water is its own kind of magic
Beach reading gets plenty of attention.
And we get it. We love a beach read.
But may we make a case for the lake read?
There is no sand finding its way into page 237.
You can usually find a tree somewhere nearby.
A dock makes an excellent reading spot.
There might be boats quietly passing in the distance.
And if you happen to have a coffee, cold drink or little snack beside you?
We see absolutely no reason to leave.
There’s something about reading near a lake that feels especially suited to the kind of moments we’re always trying to make more room for at Craft’n Pages.
Nothing huge.
Nothing particularly impressive.
Just time to yourself. A story you’re enjoying. Somewhere beautiful to sit. Permission to stay there a little longer.
Find your water
Maybe you have a lake that feels like ours do to us.
Maybe it’s the lake where you grew up spending summers. The one near your house. The one you visit every year. The one where your family rents a cabin. The one you discovered on vacation and still think about.
Or maybe your version isn’t a lake at all.
Maybe it’s an ocean, river, creek, pond or even the neighborhood pool where you sneak in a few chapters while everyone else is swimming.
The location matters less than the feeling.
That little exhale when you settle into your spot, open your book and realize there is nowhere else you need to be for a while.
Those are the moments we want more of.
More stories.
More water.
More afternoons that aren’t particularly productive.
More places that make us want to put our phones away and look around.
More books tucked into bags because maybe, just maybe, there will be time to read.
And if there happens to be a lake nearby?
Even better.
A few stories to take to the lake
Of course, after all this talk about lakes and reading, we couldn’t possibly send you on your way without a few books.
Some of these actually take place on or near a lake. Others capture the nostalgia, mystery, summer memories and sense of place that make us love a good waterside story in the first place.
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
For the lake-summer nostalgists. Childhood summers, first love, friendship, mistakes and returning to the place where so many memories were made.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
For the quieter, more reflective reader. A story about family, memory, the people we used to be and the stories we choose to tell about our lives.
The Lake House by Kate Morton
For the family-secrets crowd. An abandoned house, an old disappearance and a mystery that reaches across generations, all wrapped in the kind of atmospheric setting that begs for a blanket and a free afternoon.
Consider this your invitation to pick one, find some water and stay awhile.
