Relationships
11 Date Ideas For Bookworm Couples That Perfectly Match Your Interests

by Christy Piña

Dinner-and-a-movie and Netflix-and-chill can be perfectly adequate dates, but if you've spent your whole life captivated by the love stories in novel after novel, those more typical dates may sometimes fall short. As avid readers, you and bae have probably read about countless intricate and out-of-this-world dates that may make you feel like you want a little more oomph from your date nights every once in a while. Which is why these date ideas for bookworm couples are ideal when it comes to planning a date that flawlessly encompasses everything you love about books.

Granted, some of these dates might tailor to different stages of a relationship, like when you're still getting to know each other or further down the line once you've already been together for some time. But regardless, spicing up your date nights by going on dates that are influenced by some of your favorite novels can make for gorgeous memories. Not to mention, bookworm dates often don't need to go through a thorough planning process. They can be spontaneous, which is incredibly novel-esque. So, if you're looking for a unique date for you and your book-lover love without the fuss of planning a date with a lot of moving parts, you may want to consider trying any of these 11 ideas.

01
Check out your local bookstore and compare your favorite novels.
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Whether you live in a big city, a small town, or somewhere in between, your local bookstore is probably a town staple. It's the perfect place to disappear with your books in one hand and your coffee in the other, but it can also be a pretty cool date spot — especially for bookworms. Peruse each aisle hand-in-hand, and find and compare your favorite books. You can even make it a game to choose a book for each other that you think the other would like.

02
Go on a literary-themed bar crawl.
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If you just started dating, and the one thing you know you absolutely have in common is your love of books, a literary bar crawl is the way to go. It combines your love of books with a way to ease the anxiety that may come with the first few dates. It's called liquid courage for a reason.

03
Visit an author's home-turned-museum.
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This serves as another good date for the beginning stages of a budding relationship. Put yourself in the exact place where iconic authors like Ernest Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, or Edith Wharton created some of your absolute favorite novels.

04
Plan a book-related scavenger hunt.
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Once you've learned what your date's favorite novel is, you can take aspects from it and create a scavenger hunt all around town for them. If you're feeling extra creative, you can even combine parts of multiple books to lead your date from one spot to the next.

05
Have a book-to-movie marathon.
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It's common knowledge that movie adaptations of books almost never live up to the the actual novel, but they can still be somewhat enjoyable. Watch subpar movie adaptations, and then laugh about how they so aren't better than the real thing. And don't forget the snacks!

06
Prepare a book-themed dinner.
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Pick your favorite romantic dinner from your collection, and recreate it for your date. Seriously, there is an entire Harry Potter Cookbook. I wouldn't joke about this.

07
Go to a reading or book signing.
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Check the events calendar of your local bookstore. Your favorite author could be coming to your town, or even an author you've never heard of. Embrace the adventurer in you and go to a reading of a book you know nothing about. You never know, you and your date might find a new author to obsess over together.

08
Check out your local literary trivia night.
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Put your literary knowledge to the test at your local dive bar's literary trivia night. Prove how much you know, or humbly succumb to how much you still have to learn.

09
Go stargazing and bring your audiobooks with you.
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Nothing says romance like looking up at the cosmos above you, your newest audiobook playing from the speaker, your date at your side. Make sure to pack a blanket!

10
Picnic in a park, and bring your books.
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If stargazing isn't really your thing, but you do like being outdoors, picnic at your local park! Pack a basket with your books, favorite foods, a blanket, and some wine in disguise, if that's your thing, and you're set.

11
Take a literary road trip.
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While some iconic literary spots are scattered across Europe, there are plenty of spots stateside. Find your nearest one (or ones), and plan a day trip to visit them! Or, if it's a special date like an anniversary or a birthday, go bigger and go away for the weekend — somewhere that gives you access to multiple literary spots.