Let me paint you a picture: Four women. A cabin in the Georgia mountains. Book-themed charcuterie. No kids. No pets. Just cozy blankets, Greek mythology gifts, spicy book talk, and a sunset over the Blue Ridge. Yes, friends—it finally happened.
After months of dreamy planning and chaotic group chat texts, my House of Wind book club (yes, named after the iconic sanctuary in A Court of Thorns and Roses) managed to pull off the ultimate girls’ trip: a full-blown bookish retreat in Talking Rock, GA.
Getting There Was Half the Fun (Okay, a Quarter…)
Three of us carpooled from Nashville, with another friend rolling in from Knoxville. We pulled up Friday night just in time to catch the last golden slivers of sunset from the porch—one of those soft, quiet mountain views that makes you want to toss your phone into a ravine and live off cheese and fantasy novels forever.
Dinner? A charcuterie and cheese board dream, and here’s the kicker—each spread was themed by ACOTAR court. The Night Court tray? Dark chocolate, blueberries, brie, and a little something sparkling. The Summer Court? Light, fresh, and citrusy. If you know, you know.
Bookish Secret Santa Magic
After dinner, we did our Secret Santa-style gift exchange. We had each drawn names ahead of time and curated bookish bundles tailored to our buddy. Let me tell you—it was pure serotonin.
My buddy Chelsea understood the assignment and created an entire Greek mythology-themed gift set in honor of my upcoming trip to Greece. Highlights included:
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A Grecian man head bust
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Greek mythology books
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A stunning scarf with Greek details
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Hair clips, a bookish tee, and a mythology coloring book
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Bath salts and sugar scrubs (because I’m that bath girl)
For my buddy Jordan, I went full Kindle queen mode:
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Kindle stand with a snack bowl
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Kindle page turner
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Highlighters, book light, annotation tabs
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Nest Votive Candle
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Bubble bath, pen, Trader Joe’s snacks, sugar scrub & body butter
It was cozy chaos in the best way. We spent the entire evening squealing over book merch, sipping wine, and laughing until our faces hurt.
Saturday: The Agenda Was No Agenda
The next morning was a rare mom-life miracle: we slept in. No tiny humans or fur babies to wake us up. We slowly migrated to the porch with coffee and Kindles, wrapped in blankets like fantasy-loving burritos.
Chelsea and Sheri whipped up a breakfast that honestly rivaled the night before’s spread, and then we all just did our own thing. I read most of the day—desperately trying to catch up on Trial of the Sun Queen (I fell behind thanks to work and finishing Legends of Thezmarr—no regrets). Meanwhile, the others played a color theory game, colored in adult coloring books, and even started listening to The Rise of the Aurora King on audio.
Lunch? Charcuterie leftovers, because of course. Still elite.
The Spicy Book Games Begin
After lunch, we pulled out Cards Against Prythian and Cards Against Fourth Wing. If you like your fantasy a little filthy and your humor unapologetically unhinged, these games are for you.
Let’s just say… the Prythian version is not for the faint of heart (and absolutely hilarious). Fourth Wing was tamer but still brought the giggles. We played until sunset, drinks in hand, marveling once again at the beauty around us—and the fact that we’d actually done this.
Sheri made lasagna for dinner (yes, we’re keeping her), and we capped the night with a 
soak in the hot tub under the stars. We read, we drank, we played, we exhaled. It felt indulgent in the most necessary way.
The Slow, Sweet Goodbye
Sunday morning came slow and soft. Coffee on the porch, the final chapters of Trial of the Sun Queen, and a reluctance to leave. Before we parted ways, we drove into Ellijay to visit Hemlock Bazaar—a darling bookstore/coffee shop hybrid where I grabbed hardback copies of the Monsters & Muses series.
We closed out our weekend at Back Porch Bistro for a quick lunch before heading home, hearts full and bags stuffed with books, candles, and good energy.
Your Sign to Plan the Book Trip
This weekend was a reminder that joy doesn’t always look like a packed schedule or a plane ticket. Sometimes it’s a cabin, your closest friends, and a hot drink on a cool porch. So if you’ve got a girls’ trip idea hanging out in your group chat, this is your sign—book it.
Because moms, readers, and overachievers need rest too. And sometimes, rest looks like scandalous card games, themed charcuterie boards, and reading your way through the weekend.