Taking an actual vacation with chill time isn’t a priority as much as vacations that allow me to explore new places, eat new foods, learn new things. That means that often there isn’t large chunks of time for reading, it’s often the opposite that my daily routines include plenty of chunks of reading time so there is an art to reading on vacation but also packing for it too.

Questions like how much room do I have on a carryon or stowaway luggage for books? How much will I need my phone (or want to be off of it) that I don’t want to rely on reading via apps? What types of books am I bringing? For instance, there are times that I’ll bring ARCs because I can dispose of them without the guilt. An ultimate question- do you ever bring library books for fear of misplacing them altogether? And I often have a significant reading list to tackle, so do I bring books I “need” to read versus ones that are simply ones I know I’ll enjoy? And my biggest hang up is always– I don’t know if I’ll enjoy them all so do I bring more so that I can be sure I’ll enjoy the ones I’m reading? Literally these are the thoughts running through my head when I’m packing alongside my hot iron, clothes, and shoes.

Then there’s the time on the vacation for reading. I’m not one to watch movies on my phone on the plane or train, so many of the books I pack are for the waiting before boarding the transportation. Once I’m at the destination I know I’d rather be sitting in quiet contemplation or the “doing” of vacation, so the books I also want to bring aren’t ones that require significant concentration. And there’s where I’ll be staying and how I’ll be traveling to figure out the size and type of book (hardcover versus paperback) based on what I’ll take as a personal bag.

So you can see how a bookish person thinks about the art of packing and reading on vacation. Overly complicated to some but logical for me. Anyone else?

This trip was an actual island vacation with lots of downtime. Only one event was scheduled each of the days we were there and it included a plane. Are you dying to know what I brought to read? Here it is (with explanation)!

• The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami
  • A library book that was my dark horse paperback. I had seen a few recommendations and borrowed it and themed by books into two categories for the trip: Japanese literary fiction and food. This was the airport and plane ride to the destination.
• Best Wishes from The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
  • Another library book (hardcover) but a choice I made knowing I enjoyed the first volume. This is a low stakes literary fiction title featuring a pop up coffee shop that suits the needs of those who find it. This was my poolside and sunset read on day one on island.
• The Kamogawa Food Detectives: Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai
  • Another library book (hardcover) that I knew I’d fall in love with because it’s the third installment of the series in which cases are presented to the owner of a diner and his daughter when visitors seek out the diner to track down a specific food item/recipe they had previously. These are a series of unconnected (but ultimately connected) short stories that are about the human experience through food memories and taste. Food is love. This was my breakfast and poolside read for days two and three on island.
• An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
  • This was a personal paperback copy signed by Adler at an event I saw her at more than a year ago that I hadn’t read yet. Part cook memoir and recipe cookbook, it blended the sensations of food and the utilitarianism of eating magically. This was my airport and plane ride back home read that made me absolutely hungry for a homecooked, albeit, late night meal.
• The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher
  • This was my “reach” read, tucked at the bottom of the checked bag and ready if need be. A behemoth at over 700-pages but a paperback, I’ve owned it for over two years now and haven’t read it because I’m scared I’ll love it so much and won’t be able to re-read it for the first time ever again. The hype of Fisher is real. So back to my TBR shelf it goes, but I have a plan for when I’m cracking it open.