I am leaving for vacation tomorrow, so I though I would blog a bit about what I am planning to take to read and how I go about choosing the books I take.
First you need to plan out how many books you will need. This is a relaxing vacation with a lot of beach time and very little tourism planned. I go to the same place every year for about the same amount of time so I know I need about one book every other day, with a couple of extras thrown in just in case! So for my 16 day trip I will need around 13 books.
Next I think about the type of books I want to have on hand. For traveling I need a different kind of book then I do when I am sitting on a beach chair drinking a gin and tonic! For travel I need something fast paced, that keeps my attention, and distracts me from the vagaries of traveling, but that I can quickly put down or pick up with out loosing my place. I don’t want to end up missing my plane because I am so engrossed in what I am reading, but I also don’t want to have to reread the entire last chapter just to remember what was going on. I find detective novels, mysteries, and covert spy suspense thrillers often are the best fit for traveling. This year I am taking:
Messenger of Truth, Jacqueline Winspear
When the Devil Holds the Candle, Karin Fossum
For reading at the beach I like to vary things up. Sometimes I need a light hearted, romantic novel, sometimes I want something more serious and historical, sometimes I want something non-fiction. I have found that sitting on the beach with the warm sun and sand on your toes, can be very helpful when you are reading difficult things like The 9/11 Commission Report, or Rick Atkinson’s series on World War II, or even self help books that give you insights on how to be a better person. So this year I am planning on taking:
The Piano Turner, Daniel Mason
A Pledge of Silence, Flora Solomon
Testaments: The Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood.
The Hamilton Affair, A Novel, Elizabeth Cobbs
The Storyteller’s Secret, Sejal Bandani
The Woman in the Window, A.J. Finn
So there you go. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. I hope this give you some ideas on what to take when you go on vacation!
Good reading!
Brenda's Bookshelf 