Do you take a couple of big chunksters, or do you take several smaller sized books, a mixture of both? Do you take something meaty that you can really concentrate on for a while, or do you take books that you can get lost in for a couple of hours, but it doesn't matter if you get interrupted. Do I take library books that are due back soon or only my own books in case they get lost?Decisions, decisions.
The fact that I am contemplating these questions means that I am going on holidays myself, and I haven't taken my laptop with me, much to my son's disgust. The boy has recently joined Facebook, and is already playing games such as Farmville (one of the games that I have avoided playing) and he has been begging to take the computer with us. This is also so that his Puffles on Club Penguin don't die too, but I think I am going to be a mean mum and say 'die Puffles, die!'
Here are the books that I did decided to take with me, and so I could be relaxing by sitting in the sunshine reading any one of these books right this moment!
How do you decide which books to take on vacation with you?
It drives my husband crazy, but I bring a lot of books when we go away - I like to have a variety, especially in case one isn't that good. I usually bring a mix of meaty reads and fun beach-type reads. :)
ReplyDeleteThe books are much more fun to choose than the clothes, IMHO. :) If we're going by car I take a whole shopping bag-full. Bliss. By plane... well, I need an e-reader, obviously. So then I try to pick one or two fatties, depending on the length of the holiday and how much reading time I will have. Sometimes that works, sometimes I over or under-estimate. I took Anna Karenina with me on a 17 day trip to NZ and only ended up reading one tenth of it because the pace of the holiday was so fast. I took 5 books on a 2-week holiday to far north Queensland and not only read them all, but borrowed 3 from the hotel bookcase and 2 from a friend! Horrors, to be caught without books like that! Bliss, to have so much unexpected reading time! I like a mix of books: something literary, something romantic, something inspirational.
ReplyDeleteMalvina
I always bring a ton of books too. You never know what you might feel like reading! I think your selection looks good. =)
ReplyDeleteI remembered my last vacation I turned out to be just like you-- I went over a great deal of preparation. I ended up with a handful of papabacks from My tbr and also took a list of my tbr I don't own that way I can buy them wherever I can and whenever my mood requires the smell of a new book from the bookstore. It's hard to tell your mood once you're at the vaca place so I think it's good to have a little bit of everything u have (I think).
ReplyDeleteWell hope you enjoy your vacation and have a safe trip!
I choose my books depending on the destination. If it's the beach, then I tend to take lighter escape reads, romances and lighter historical fiction. If it's a site-seeing destination, then I like to take books that kind of fit the place, for instance, last year I went to Charleston so I took Gone With the Wind, which I was reading for the first time. I also took a couple non-ficition history books and, of course, bought more books while I was there!
ReplyDeleteI usually try and take smaller books that are easier to carry around but I always end up taking more books than I end up reading.!
ReplyDeleteGood grief! How long will you be gone? lol I usually take 2 books. One to read in the car out loud to my family during the road trip and one to read when they are all out fishing and I've already explored all the quaint shops in town. We go tent camping. So between putting together meals for the dutch oven, cleaning up, hiking, and sitting around the campfire, there's not much time left for reading.
ReplyDeleteAhh so hard to choose what to take! It looks like you have a great selection though!
ReplyDeleteI travel for work so am constantly on the road for one to two week trips (sometimes gone for up to a month - that makes for a VERY heavy suitcase!!) and every time it is just as hard to decide what to take.
Good choices! I loved The House on Tradd Street.
ReplyDeleteThe last vacation I took, I only took three books, and I was going for a week. What was I thinking? So I had to find something else to read mid-week.
My Salon:
http://laurel-rainsnowsaccidentallife.blogspot.com/2010/03/sunday-salon_28.html
These all look like great hcoices to me. I only bring about three book, because I also bring my knitting. Enjoy your holiday. Where are you going?
ReplyDeleteHere's my Suddenly Sunday
I love deciding what books to take with me! I usually take way more than I can read, in case some don't grab my attention. It is not always the best way to go about it, though ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt depends on how long I go away for, but an example; I house-sat for 2 weeks last summer and took 10 books. My suitcase was heavy, I took less clothes, (they have a washer and dryer), and I was hooked up to a pc there. All good to go.
ReplyDeleteI get to do the same this summer too. At least I know what to look forward to and what to pack.
Happy Palm Sunday!
When I'm on vacation or break, I often want to read chunksters. They have a vacation-y feeling to them. Have a great time.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog's new look!! Enjoy your books and your vacation! I liked Fireworks over Toccoa!
ReplyDeleteColleen Gleason's book should be a fun read. Love the new look, by the way!
ReplyDeleteI have a horrible time trying to decide what books to take on vacation with me. I finally broke down and bought a Kindle so now I feel like I can decide when I get to my destination if I have to but I still bring a stack with me and have the hardest time deciding which ones! Looks like you have a wonderful stack lined up for your trip. Happy Reading!
ReplyDeletePlanning vacation reads can be so exciting but exhausting. Last thing you want is to be caught with a bag full of books you end up not liking or being able to get into!
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a great start to your vacation and are enjoying your reads. And, loving your new look! Very pretty.
Great selections! I always pack too many reads when I go on vacation. I somehow think I will end up with a ton of reading time, and rarely if ever even get to crack open one book during vacation. I am ever hopeful though, and will continue to overdo it with the books!
ReplyDeleteWhat are Puffles? I might have to go look those up now.
ReplyDeleteJodie, they are a creature on ClubPenguin.com, which is a Disney website for the kids and they have to look after these Puffles!
ReplyDeleteZibilee, I think I did okay. In the end I finished off 4 books, 2 of which I had read at least part of previously.
Thanks Iliana! The vacation was good, although for some reason I am really tired tonight!
Kathleen, the idea of being able to travel with books is the major reason why I would be tempted into buying a Kindle or other ebook reader.
Thanks Chris. The Gleason is one of the two books I didn't get to, but I will in the next couple of weeks.
Thanks Aths. I liked Fireworks too. It was a really good vacation read.
Hi Vasilly! I ended up getting through several smaller books, although I did have a chunkster with me. If I had of had a couple of more days I would have got to it!
Fredamans, I was gone for just under 5 days and took 6 book, and in the end I finished 4, so I was pretty pleased with that.
Aarti, I always tend to take too many as well, but it is only because I am afraid that I will run out of things to read.
Jenny, I went to a small island not too far away from here called Philip Island. It was very nice.
Laurel-Rain Snow, not having enough to read strikes fear into my heart! I always tend to take far more books than I could ever actually read.
Amy, glad I am not alone with this dilemna! If you travel so much maybe you are a prime candidate for an ereader!
Angie, I can't read in the car. Makes me feel sick. That and the fact that I was driving! LOL!
Daphne, same here!
Lady Quinlan, reading for your destination is such a fun thing to do. I don't think that there is any fiction written about Phillip Island though!
Natalie and Meghan, mood is such an important part of choosing what to read next on vacation. I think I had a nice mix this time.
Malvina, to be honest, I can't imagine being able to get much Anna Karenina read on vacation, no matter how much I love that book! LOL.
Carrie, variety definitely worked for me too!
Thanks for stopping by everyone.
I was given an ereader for Christmas this year actually :) But I still find it hard not to take a couple of books from the tbr pile as well!
ReplyDeleteThere's something so comfortable about holding a book in your hands isn't there!
ReplyDeleteThis is the only decision I agonize over when I pack!
ReplyDeleteI make sure I have enough books for every possible hour I might read (every hour of travel time, and several hours a day). Then I try to take the books that I most want to read...no holding back! And they're usually library books, because I'm okay with the risk of losing them (and they're usually packed in my carryon anyway).
Before I went to Turkey last year, some friends and I were talking about how heavy/light we packed. Someone said they went to Japan with just a carryon...I couldn't believe it (and yes, they were a guy). I said I could do that if it weren't for the books and hair products (as they're more than 3 oz!).