The time has come to start planning what books I want to take with me on my vacation. Realistically, I won't do much reading while we're actually there. I always think I will and I spend much of the week carrying my book from one location to another, but when it comes down to it I end up spending the time with family instead. This doesn't mean I don't take a bunch of books anyway. This trip has the added bonus of 3.5 days in the car so it's possible that something will get read.
The two I am definately taking are:
Animal, vegetable, miracle : a year of food life by Barbara Kingsolver (I've barely even started it and I love it.)
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon (I dare you to read Trish's review and not want to read this. I had to get the LARGE PRINT edition from my library at a whopping 837 pages! LARGE PRINT will be easier to read in the car, right?)
Here's where you come in. Help me choose what else to take. I'd like to narrow it down to 5 books, if possible. I WILL take whatever three books you choose. (Some of the non-fiction may go along in Mike's bags anyway, I'm not sure.)
Here are the options:
From my own shelves:
The Year of Living Biblically by A J Jacobs
From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
In the Woods by Tana French
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
From the library:
That summer by Sarah Dessen.
How the states got their shapes by Mark Stein.
Ten cents a dance by Christine Fletcher.
13 things that don't make sense : the most baffling scientific mysteries of our time by Michael Brook
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Savvy by Ingrid Law
The Boy Book by E. Lockhart
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Coroner's Journal: Forensics and the Art of Stalking Death in Louisiana by Louis Cataldie
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
(I do know how to capitalize book titles. I copied those from my library account online because I am lazy.)
So, what am I taking? My vacation is in your hands.
And, if you were going on a 9 day vacation, how many books would you take?
I say...The Year of Living Biblically, Graceling, and Ten Cents a Dance...if only because I loved them all!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I go on vacation for extended periods of time, I always take one book for each day I'm there and 3 or 4 alternates. A girl has to have some things to choose from! I also don't have children to be watching either, so that makes it much easier to read!
I'd say The Year of Living Biblically and The Other Boleyn Girl. I've heard good things about Biblically and I hope to read TOBG this year. I only got halfway through In The Woods before I set it aside...
ReplyDeleteThe only one I've read is In The Woods and although I enjoyed it, it's not a good "vacay" book. It requires too much thought. It's pretty deep. Unless you are like me and like "deep" when you are on vacay.
ReplyDeleteI cannot read in the car or I will hurl. LOL. TMI.
I'm not sure what I will take on mine. I have Animal, Vegetable which is brand spanking new and totally waiting for me to pick it up but I will probably sink my teeth into one of my book club picks (Bridge of Sighs or The Danish Girl).
I'd say not to take too many books. I always take more than I can read and you end up hauling them back home. I see that the previous poster didn't like Into The Woods. I have that one and The Likeness in my pile to read. I hate to see that she didn't finish it. Enjoy your trip.
ReplyDeleteI'd take In the Woods and Super Crunchers.
ReplyDeleteI've heard lots of good things about In the Woods. Had to pick Super Crunchers because I have a daughter who thinks in numbers. As a young girl, maybe 11ish, she said just out of the blue, "even numbers are female and odd numbers are male".....what? She's just wired that way.
And as for the number of books to take -- take less than you need because it will give you a reason to go to a book store. That's my rule of thumb when it comes to reading material for a trip. I always, always buy a book on vacation.
The Other Boleyn Girl. Without a doubt. Loved that book!!!! In the Woods was okay; but you might not be impressed by the ending (or lack thereof, really).
ReplyDeleteFor a 9 day vacation, I would take 5-6 books. However, I agree with Nancy - take less than you will need so that you get to visit a bookstore :-)
I typically finish 1 book every 3 days, so I would probably bring at least 3 for a 9-day vacation but more likely 5 just in case. :)
ReplyDeleteMy votes are for either Melina Marchetta book and Graceling. And either of the Dessen books because I haven't read anything by her yet & would love to see your reviews when you get back. :)
Okay, I really liked "The Other Boleyn Girl". I know that Gregory isn't high literature, but I could not put this book down.
ReplyDeleteAnimal, Vegetable, Miracle is a good choice. The only other one I've read is The Other Boleyn Girl, and I really enjoyed it too.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these, but the one that looks most interesting to me is In the Woods.
ReplyDeleteThe Coroner's Journal
ReplyDeleteThe Other Boleyn Girl
13 Scientific Things
I'm going to the beach next week and am having the same problem. I even did a poll on my blog to see what everyone thought I should take. I'm going to take the top three of those, but what else do I take? It's so hard!
ReplyDeleteI loved AVP and it's a great one to take on vacation. It always made me hungry.
The Year of Living Biblically is good. So is Just Listen. I am taking some Dessen with me too! The Other Boleyn Girl is really good too. I have Jellicoe Road, Saving Francesca and Savvy out from the library too!!!
Good luck picking and i hope you have a great time!
wow, you have some good ones to choose from.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend these ones:
In the Woods by Tana French
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Savvy by Ingrid Law
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
Super crunchers : why thinking-by-numbers is the new way to be smart by Ian Ayres.
haha, I don't know if this is helping!
ReplyDeleteSo far The Other Boleyn Girl has a HUGE lead over the others, so I'll take that, but otherwise almost everything has been mentioned. Maybe- TOBG, one lightweight fiction, In the Woods and Year of Living Biblically. Plus the two definates- AMV and Boy's Life.
I've still got two days to decide.
I am on vacation right now and brought like eight books for a six day trip. I can't help myself!
ReplyDeleteI pack waaay too many books for vacation too, all the time. Oh well, carrying them all around builds muscle, right?
ReplyDeleteI say The Year of Living Biblically. I thought the whole book was very funny, and I think it's written in a way that you could get distracted for a bit and come back to it without feeling like you'll have forgotten what happened so far.
Too late now :( but my vote would have been for My Year of Reading Biblically. I just picked it up at the store and am trying to figure out when to fit it in. Could use it for the NFF, but there are already so many other NF books I have on the list!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm a bit late for this one! I hope you took Savvy, because it's about a roadtrip..
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I really want to read Animal Vegetable Miracle. Can't seem to find it anywhere.
I think That Summer was the Sarah Dessen I couldn't finish. But I'm dying to read other books of hers! And Maureen Johnson who's hysterical on twitter.