Reading Retreat with Mary Robinette Kowal & Sandra Tayler 

Come find a quiet corner, settle in with a good book, and spend a few days in the company of fellow readers on the Oregon coast.

This retreat is simple by design: good books, comfortable surroundings, and people who understand the particular pleasure of uninterrupted reading time. All on-site meals are included, so there's nothing to think about except what to read next. And if you feel like talking about what you're reading — the plot twist you didn't see coming, the character you can't stop thinking about, the book you want to press into everyone's hands — there will be plenty of people happy to listen.

No agenda, no pressure — just the chance to read, share, and spend a few quiet days alongside others who feel the same way.

Your hosts are Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Lady Astronaut series, and Sandra Tayler, writer, publisher, and author of Structuring Life to Support Creativity, whose work focuses on helping people make more space for the things they love without burning out. Together they'll create a warm, welcoming space where readers can relax and do what they came to do: read.

Where You'll Stay

You'll be staying in a VRBO in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. The house has six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and multiple places to curl up with a book. There will be two ticket types available, either for a shared room with three other people or a bedroom with a king or queen bed that can either be single or double occupancy. 

If you want to visit the ocean the house is about a block and a half away from it and about two miles south from Rockaway Beach proper. 

King or Queen Room

You can either purchase this room for just yourself or bring a friend/partner that will share the bed with you. If you wish to share the room then you can select the optional ad-on ticket for the King/Queen room and enter in your roommate's information. You will be sharing a bathroom with the other attendees.

One of these rooms is on the ground floor and the other ones are on the second floor. If you need the ground floor room for accessibility reasons please let us know in check out. 

Shared Bunkbed Room

The four person rooms have bunkbeds so keep in mind you may end up on a top bunk. Please be aware that these rooms may be mixed gender. There will be bathrooms available for changing clothes. Both of these rooms are on the second floor.

At the Retreat

Where to Go

The house we will be staying at is about 90 minutes from the PDX airport in Portland. We will rent a van and meet any attendees who wish to shuttle with our group at the Hollywood N. 42nd Station of the Portland MAX light rail system. It's on the red line and it runs every 15 minutes from the airport. We will pick up people at 2pm on the 15th at this station. If you choose to meet us at the house we will provide the address to you before you arrive. Check in to the house is at 4pm and we will be arriving with the van around that time.

What's Included

• Your lodging from January 15th to the checking out on the morning of the 18th
• Meals from dinner on the 15th to breakfast on the 18th
• Time! Lots of time to read, hang out, chill, and chat 

What You'll Do

Most of the time will be open time for everyone to either socialize or curl up with a book and spend time to yourself. We will have a few optional group activities throughout the day. There will be a designated social spaces and quiet spaces. 

• Afternoon Tea - Sandra will prepare tea and snacks each day
• Dinner - Mary Robinette will prepare a meal for everyone to enjoy together 
• Storytime - After dinner either Mary Robinette or Sandra will read aloud from a work in progress

What You'll Eat

Breakfast and lunch will have grocery items available and you will forage among these things to make your own food. Sandra will serve tea and snacks mid-late afternoon. Dinner will be made by Mary Robinette each evening for a group meal together. 

Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions in the registration form and we will do our best to accommodate them.

Policies

Accessibility 

The house has porch stairs to enter, an open first floor with one bedroom and bathroom, a second level with multiple bedrooms, and a third level attic hangout space. If needed, we are happy to rent a ramp for entrance to the house, let us know if this would be of service to you during registration. On the ground floor there is one bedroom with a single king bed and one bathroom with a shower. Please purchase the ticket type that best meets your needs. 

Harassment Policy

We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of attendees in any form. Participants violating these rules may be asked to leave the retreat early without a refund. 

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Refund Policy

Booking and credit card fees are non-refundable. Your base ticket cost will be fully refundable until 11:59PM on October 1st, 2026. After that date, no refunds will be issued. If you need to request a refund please email assistants@maryrobinettekowal.com. 

FAQ

What should I bring? 

Comfortable clothes for lounging, books, slippers, any treats or snacks you can't live without and yourself! It's a chill time and we want everyone to be comfortable. 

What books will we read? 

Right now it can be any book you are interested in reading. We may as a group come up with one we all want to read before or during but that will be discussed among the group after everyone is registered. 

Can I use my time to write or craft instead of read? 

Of course! Writing books and crafting is just as cozy as reading them.

I have a question that is not listed here or discussed up above

If you have more questions you can email assistants@maryrobinettekowal.com