BEIRUT: It may not rain for much of the year in Lebanon, but when it does the inevitable downpour saps all impetus to do anything but curl up indoors. But eventually cabin fever sets in, the once-charming walls of one’s home become oppressive, and the realization quickly dawns: It’s time to get out. For avid readers, that means seeking out spots where one can comfortably sit for hours in the thrall of a book.However, the perfect public reading place is an elusive entity. Factors to be considered include light, warmth, music, the availability of caffeine and food, as well as temperament of the staff and fellow customers. Bearing these things in mind, The Daily Star trawled Beirut to find the best of what’s on offer.

Brisk on Hamra St. nears perfection. Since its opening about a year ago, this establishment has become a popular spot for a young crowd, but the L-shaped cafe offers a snug, warmly lit back corner where one finds comfy couches and often a good dose of solitude to go with them. While music plays, it is turned down low, and as the place is self-service, persistent and bothersome wait staff are not a problem. The food on offer is natural, locally sourced fare, and for coffee fiends, a Gloria Jean’s counter supplies all needs – and does so at half price before 11 a.m. But potential drawbacks for some readers may be the lack of natural light indoors and the possibility that a particularly garrulous study group may invade the tranquility.

You are far less likely to encounter over-zealous students at Ashrafieh’s Gou. This small cafe is set just far enough off Avenue Charles Malik that the din of the street is adequately muted. The interior feels continental and the menu offers pastries and a large selection of teas. Place your order, make yourself comfortable, and the staff will leave you in peace for hours.

Upstairs at Café Younes in Hamra, one can find a similarly cozy retreat, particularly on a Sunday morning when the generally teeming Beirut institution is quieter than usual. The tea and coffee range, along with a reasonably extensive breakfast menu, adds to its charm as a morning spot. As the day ages, however, you may find yourself reading to a background chorus of key-tapping and increasingly animated conversations as regulars take advantage of the popular Wi-Fi spot and friends pour in for afternoon coffees.

If you’d rather read in a location entirely dedicated to the enterprise, the Geitawi Public Library is ideal. Indeed, as it has collections in English, French and Arabic and offers a range of current newspapers and magazines, you don’t even have to worry about bringing your own reading material. Located in the Jardin des Jesuites, you can choose to either set yourself up at a table indoors or to wrap up warm and sit on a sheltered bench in the library’s leafy garden. However, the library is closed Sundays, and outside of school hours a nearby playground may prove irritating if you are among those who don’t find the sound of romping children charming.

If the rain holds off for an hour, a second option for those who find fellow customers a nuisance is to take a novel to the seating area beneath the statue on Martyrs Square. A hot drink to aid in keeping you warm is available from the downtown outlet of Dunkin’ Donuts just across the street. You can position yourself to make the best of either the sun’s rays or the shadow cast by the monument. And in all likelihood you’ll be entirely undisturbed, except perhaps by a friendly cat. Should the ever-unpredictable skies open, refuge is quickly found by retreating to Dunkin’ Donuts or under the awning of the Le Gray hotel.

Though many loathe admitting it, one of the surest bets for a comfortable afternoon’s reading is Starbucks – be it in Ashrafieh, Downtown or Hamra. Reassuring in its predictability, Starbucks offers its familiar soft furnishings, nonsmoking areas and a well-known menu. Individual branches do have particular appeals. Starbucks Downtown has a toasty and often empty upstairs area, where you’ll find seclusion except for the occasional courting couple who have sought the venue out for precisely that same quality, while at Starbucks Hamra the upper level’s roofed outdoor space is an ideal place to stay dry – as long as the downpour is vertical and not horizontal – while getting some fresh, smoke-free air.

While the best books are utterly engrossing, a reading spot with a view can’t hurt. And on stormy days what could make for a better view than the turbulent sea? An indoor table at La Plage right on the seafront in Ain al-Mreisseh is the perfect place for an afternoon tea and extended session with your favorite magazines or a poetry compilation.

For readers who love the indoors but hate not being aware of what the elements are up to, the conservatory area at Paul’s Gemmayzeh is a great option. In a heavy thunderstorm a table in this section of the restaurant almost creates the illusion one is seated beneath a waterfall. You’ll also be the first to know when the sun comes out again. However, if bustle disrupts your concentration, this spot is best avoided at packed meal times.

A slightly less busy but still lively mealtime reading spot is Belima in Saifi Village. Here the couches are truly the kind you sink into. And fear not: The staff never seem in any hurry to get customers out. Indeed, don’t be surprised if you manage to read for an hour before even being asked if you’d like to order something.

Of course, while the motivation for taking your book out and about is often the sense that you’re about to start crawling your living room’s walls, there really is nothing better than curling up in an armchair, and the only place better than your own living room for that is someone else’s living room. Malilou in Kaslik is a bit of a jaunt from Beirut, but if you’re looking for a homey change of scene, you’ll find it here in overstuffed furniture arranged warmly in nooks and corners. Coffee and homemade food will fuel you throughout the day, and staff will leave you in peace in a way family never would.