Jul 19, 2018

Vacation Reading

by Bronwyn Jameson

Despite a succession of cold foggy midwinter days, I'm forcing myself toward optimism. Because winter is halfway done...or, if you're in the other hemisphere, the summer heat is halfway done.  We're all on our way out of the extremes and heading toward the enticements of spring and fall.  My favourite seasons.  Yay!

We all have our favourite season(s) and I've been pondering the concept of seasonal reading.  This was driven by the sharing, a month or two back, of several lists of recommended Summer (or Beach) Reads.  This year I garnered at least six new titles/authors for my TBR list, saved for possible purchase for my next vacation reading binge.

On holidays, whether that's a grand adventure with long plane trips (excellent for reading!) or a staycation (equally excellent for reading!), I do choose books that are a little different to my norm.  I want something absorbing, entertaining, unputdownable. Something that adds to the vacation feel by removing me from my usual pattern.  My usual mood.  My usual genre ... that being traditional romance, mostly category or shorter length titles, from trusted authors and/or series.

My vacation reads may include a dark thriller, a family saga packed with secrets and drama, a fun frothy chic-litty comedy, or a slice-of-life told with an engrossing voice.  There may be a once-a-year title by a favourite author, or it may be completely new-to-me, chosen from the blurb or title or buzz.

I've included a few covers from this year's Summer/Beach Reading recommendations and a couple of new titles by author favourites.  Have you read any of these?

Do you read different genres or types of books when on holidays?  

What does the term "Beach Reads" conjure up (apart from sand between the pages or sunscreen smeared on your Kindle screen)?

9 comments:

  1. Hi Bronwyn

    I don't have different types of reads for holidays I read what I want when I want LOL and for me there is never enough time for the fabulous books that are out there to read, my list is forever growing and I do hope that one day I will get to them all

    Have Fun

    Helen

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    1. Funnily enough, Helen, your reply does not surprise me. Never enough time to read ALL the wonderful books out there in the world!

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  2. I don't have any specific holiday reads, whatever strikes my fancy is fine! I am starting to read "The President is Missing" by James Patterson and President Bill Clinton, and I also have "My Girls" by Todd Fisher on my Kindle

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    1. I like that you mix things up all the time, Laurie. There are so many wonderful reads to choose from and not nearly enough time to get to them all!

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  3. I loved The Woman in the Window. I stayed up so late reading it. Beach reads to me are something light, something you don’t have to think too hard, a happy fun read. I like to have fun reads when I’m on holidays. Nothing too intense. Maybe a RomCom.

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    1. Veronica, the fun, light, easy-to-read but pleasurable book is the purest definition of the beach read. Thinking about this: back when I used to actually read on the beach, it was usually a family holiday with children to supervise. It was not in anyone's best interests for me to be so immersed in a book that I didn't remember the supervision part! The Woman In The Window would not have been a good idea!!

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    2. I actually had to stop reading all together when my children were little because nothing was getting done;including feeding them.

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  4. Like Veronica, I think of beach reads as something light and fun. Mind you, I rarely read on the beach -- but a beach holiday isn't complete without a book for those 'not at the beach' moments. Anything by Liane Moriarty fits the bill for me. Am loving the look of your selection above though! More for the list. :-)

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  5. They do look interesting, don't they Michelle? Do you read Sophie Kinsella? I think she would fit the bill: light and fun, but always with something to think about later.

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