Let’s Talk Bookish: Books on Vacation

Since I started vacation a little while ago and I’m actually going on a vacation today, I thought this was an appropriate topic. I’m going camping this weekend, a place I go yearly, and I’m getting to see one of my friends who I haven’t seen in a couple months, so I’m excited to see her. And of course, I’m bringing books with me. So let’s talk about it.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Books on Vacation (suggested by Fives @ Down the Rabbit Hole).

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Prompts: What books do you like to bring on vacation? Do you bring any books at all? What kind of books do you think are good for a vacation? How much time do you usually have to read on vacation? What does an ideal vacation with a book look like?

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Books are essential when going on vacation–I always pack one. Or two, depending on how long I’ll be away. I don’t usually have a ton of time to read while on vacation, but it really depends on what kind of vacation I’m on. If I’m camping (which is normally what my vacations consist of), I’ll read when we’re hanging out in the campsite, while dinner is being made, and before bed. I haven’t taken a non-camping vacation in a long time, so I’m not really sure when I’m able to read, but it’s usually whenever I have time.

I don’t like to read books that require too much concentration on vacation. Vacation is about letting my brain not focus on anything too hard. Books with complex writing, detailed worldbuilding, or complicated plots I try to avoid when deciding what to bring. I don’t remember any specific books I’ve brought on vacation, but I think they’re typically contemporaries. What’s good about those is that it’s set in the real world, so I don’t have to learn about a made up world with a bunch of new rules. Overall, it depends on what I have at the time. I’ll bring the book I’m currently reading, regardless of what genre it is, and most likely another one that I have.

I like to read physical books when I’m traveling. I’ll sometimes use Libby, but even though the app automatically downloads the books I borrow, I like to be extra sure I’ll have something to read if my phone fails me. Audiobooks are also something I usually have to listen to in the car. It helps to make the car ride not so boring and makes the time pass by more quickly.

I’m not sure what my ideal vacation would look like, but I would definitely want plenty of time to relax and read. I went to the Cayman Islands at the start of 2020 (before the COVID shutdown) and a lot of the time, my mom and I would go down to the shoreline and sit in the hammocks and read. I was listening to The Hidden Oracle back then, the first book in the Trials of Apollo series. That was a nice vacation, with plenty of time to enjoy the tropical winter.

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Do you like to bring books to read on vacation? What kind of books do you bring?