Well can you believe I have only just discovered Starbucks!! How could I possibly have missed out on this experience!!!!

I am now not only addicted to their coffee, but to their relaxing coffee shops. Particularly the ones situated within bookshops! Wow! What a combination!!! Comfy armchairs, frothy coffee (in a variety of different flavours/combinations - loads to choose from) and a supply of books borrowed from the bookshop shelves to browse through.

Admittedly on my first visit to Starbucks within Borders bookshop, I thought it was a bit cheeky of the customers to be reading books they hadn't even bought. So when I was browsing through a section and couldn't make up my mind, I was delighted when the assistant told me "take a few books and go and relax with a cup of coffee until you find a book you like." Well, that was all I needed, "official" permission to sit and read their books.

I know from reading other reviews on here how Starbucks originated and I am really glad this is one import from the US that we have adopted!

For a pleasurable afternoon (or evening, most of them are open late, often until 10pm) visit your local Starbucks, but if you are a reader then choose one inside a bookshop!

At lunchtimes the coffee shop tends to become rather crowded with business people, so if you don't work avoid these times, it is not fair to take up seats when others have a limited amount of time. Keep to the quieter times if you can then you can have a leisurely couple of hours, sipping their delicious coffee and nibbling on the snacks available, and deciding which book you want to buy. Or maybe you can't make up your mind that day, so another trip is needed! Good excuse and much better than reading at home where you can be interrupted by the phone, family, neighbours, dog etc etc etc. In Starbucks you can be invisible if you want to be, nobody bothers you if they see you are reading.