BookOpinion

Perhaps Mark Twain or F. Scott Fitzgerald once stayed there or perhaps it is a home with a library stacked floor-to-ceiling with novels and great volumes. There is something about bed and breakfasts that appeals to booklovers of all kinds, whether it be the historical charm of a restored inn or the peaceful serenity of finding a good place to simply sit and enjoy a good, long read. Here are some bed and breakfasts that especially appeal to anyone with a passion for all things literary.

A Respite for Booklovers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore

What is in a name? Well, by any other name The Alexander House Booklovers’ Bed and Breakfast would be just as sweet. However, the name does say it all. This is a retreat for those who love everything about reading, from the sweet, musty scent of old books to the magic of being transported to faraway lands and other times. Each of the guest rooms has its own literary theme. The Jane Austen room is decorated with touches of Regency England and includes a bathroom with a clawfoot tub. The Langston Hughes room is 1930s Harlem, with vintage furnishings and large portrait of the famous writer. The Robert Louis Stevenson room is a nautical-themed retreat. There is a Mark Twain Reading Room filled a vast collection of books, from classic or contemporary fiction to history to politics to art and music. Afternoon tea and an evening refreshments are all part of the fun. If you can tear yourself away from your favorite novel, the village of Princess Anne, Maryland, offers much to attract. Travelers can take the ferry to Smith and Tangier Islands, walk along the seashore, rent a kayak and take tour of the Tangier Sound and much more.

Enjoy Book, Bed and Breakfast in Jay, New York

Literature is all around at the Book and Blanket, a historic inn located in the Adirondack Mountain town of Jay, New York. Each of the guest rooms is named for an author, such as the Jack London Room or the F. Scott Fitzgerald Room. A cozy nook is named for James Thurber, who wrote a short story while staying in the town. There is a library, of course, and guests are encouraged to read to the heart’s content. Read on the front porch swing or curl up and relax in the privacy of your guest room.

Curl Up and Read in the Nation’s Capitol

Located in a restored 19th century Victorian rowhouse, The Akwaaba Bed and Breakfast, is charming inside and out. The rooms are stunning, each individually decorated with its own theme. The Zora Neale Hurston room includes a brass king bed, antique writing secretary desk, bay window with a view of 16th street and a guest bath with a two-person Jacuzzi tub. The Inspiration Room is another memorable room featuring an ensuite clawfoot soaking tub. The opulent Writer’s Suite is its own little apartment featuring a galley kitchen, and main room that serves both as a living room and bed room. Find more Washington DC bed and breakfasts here.

Oregon’s Sea Coast Perfect for Booklovers

What could be more restful than reading a book in an library overlooking the sea? That’s just what you’ll find at Sylvia Beach Hotel. Curiously, the hotel is not named for a beach, but Sylvia Beach, a famous patron of literature. There is definitely a touch of whimsy here. Guest quarters are organized into three categories, Classics, Best Sellers and Novels. The Classics rooms include a fireplace and a deck overlooking the ocean. Each of the rooms is named for a different author, playwright or poet, from Dr. Seuss to Jane Austen to Oscar Wilde. The Table of Content Restaurant will leave you chuckling over the name while enjoying award-winning cuisine in an oceanfront dining room. Find more Oregon bed and breakfast inns here.

Concord’s Hawthorne Inn Beckons to Booklovers

There could hardly be a more quintessential writer’s town than Concord, Massachusetts, once home to Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Hawthorne Inn, named for the aforementioned author, and rests across the street from that author’s home. The house next door was residence to both Alcott and Margaret Sydney, who wrote The Five Little Peppers books.  The inn itself rests on land once owned by its namesake, and features charming guest rooms decorated in period style with antiques.  Several rooms are named with literature in mind, from the romantic Sleepy Hollow room with its canopy bed to the Alcott Room, which includes original paintings and a view of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s home. Find more Massachusetts bed and breakfast inns here.

 –Jane Leisteiner