My personal favorites are Slater park by the pond, or India Point Park

The Providence Athenaeum is a lovely option. I'm also a fan of New Harvest.

Botanical Gardens in RWP. Maybe a bit too warm though. Ymmv.

What a great idea.

Prospect Terrace

I'm a big fan of cemeteries for reading or painting in. Lots of shady trees that are changing color this time of year, no other people around to be disruptive for the most part. I recommend North Burial Ground in PVD.

I went to riffraff to read a few weeks ago and was really surprised at how bad the lighting is. Do they really expect people to read in there?

The providence library downtown was renovated a few years back and I've heard it's beautiful. I used to go all the time in high school and it was great

The library, of which there are multiple in Providence.

Love me a Kindle Paperwhite and its backlight.

Me too, wish I’d had mine with me that day! Lesson learned.

If you end up in the Pawtucket area, i recommend the Pawtucket Public Library as they have many different unique areas in that big building.

If the weather is good it just about the best spot in the city for a blanket and a read

it's supposed to be in the 70s the next few days so take advantage of the outdoors.

otherwise, the arboretum or the providence library.

Also Swan Point cemetery

Also just up the hill from there is Brown's John Hay Library which is also open to the public. (And in the entry, you can see a new page every day of one of the only complete folios of John Audubon's bird paintings)

I think they expect people to drink there. :) But they seem cool with people staying for long periods of time. The light hasn't been a problem for me so far.

Yeah, it's not for a few weeks so it'll be colder then. Definitely getting out this weekend to take advantage of the nice weather.

Yes, drink and read. As I was trying to do. : )

It's going to be 75 on Sat. Go sit on the west side of the State House on the lawn. There's a few plastic Adirondack chairs out there for use as well.

New harvest is good. I also like seven stars bakery on Hope Street.

The Coffee Depot in Warren is my favorite spot, and its a beautiful little area to walk around in too. Plenty of shops/restaurants/etc. to check out.

Excellent suggestion! A great place to be warmed to the core in the winter!

The libraries, parks, Providence Place Mall, Kettle Point although you did specify indoors, the Bike Paths & the AMTRAK x MBTA PVD Bus & Train station are the first spots which come to my mind for reading.

I like reading in my den, but it is very exclusive. I don't think you'll be able to get in.

preach. i love it there

wildflour - and if it IS nice outside, you can sit in the park nearby.

New to providence and came here to ask the same exact thing! Ive been picturing some sort of cafe/bookstore that i could get lost in for a couple hours