Our Criteria for a Vacation Read
Everyone has different opinions on what they may be in the mood for when they’ve got that special downtime to devote to books. Here are some of the big things we look for when picking out our books:
Engaging & Compelling
There is a time and place for working your way through books that are not easy reads. Vacation is not that place, in our minds.
When we’re on a trip, we prefer books that easily engage us and keep us turning the pages. Rarely will you see us select nonfiction for that reason (especially historical).
We aim for an interesting, yet somewhat low-effort read that allows us to excitedly snatch up that book and open to the next chapter. Difficult reads are good reads; but your mind needs a rest sometimes too, so switch over to something that will give your brain a break.
Lighthearted
For us, vacation isn’t the time to get bogged down in heavy material. I can find myself drawn to pretty heavy stuff (history, cults, disaster stories, et cetera). But when it comes to vacation, I want to feel light and happy. I love to laugh, so vacation is often the time I pick up rom-coms, for example.
Length
If we’re going to be gone for a solid 5+ days, we may grab a new (or old and beloved) series to immerse ourselves in. I’ve taken the entire Percy Jackson series with me before and loved diving into such a familiar series with uninterrupted time.
The flip side of this, of course, is finding several shorter reads to enjoy with that uninterrupted stretch of time.
Vacation can be a great place to make progress on your reading goal for the year. So, for us, you may see either extreme by picking short, easy books to fly through or long series to camp out in depending on the trip.
Location
It is so fun to read about cool new places when you’re in a cool new place. So whether the novel’s plot involves travel; if it simply takes place somewhere new-to-you; or if the location is so integral to the story it’s like a character itself (Where the Crawdads Sing is a great example of this), a book’s setting can play a part in whether or not we choose it for a vacation read.
This is, by no means, a comprehensive list, but it should give you a clue as to why we picked what we did for this book list.
Without further ado:
10 Books You Should Bring on Your Next Vacation
- When in Rome series (Sarah Adams) – An easy-to-read rom-com series with compelling characters and lots of heart. What makes it a perfect vacation read? It makes you happy. Not to mention the setting of a small town in Kentucky, the romance, and the quirky side characters.
- When in Rome (#1)
- Practice Makes Perfect (#2)
- Beg, Borrow, or Steal (#3)
- Love, Lists & Fancy Ships series (Sarah Grunder Ruiz) – A rom-com with thoughtful character arcs and travel (yachting!). Why not take this on vacation?
- Love, Lists, & Fancy Ships (#1)
- Luck & Lasts Resorts (#2)
- Last Call at the Local (#3)
- Picture Perfect Boyfriend (Becky Dean) – Set in Hawaii over the course of a family vacation, Picture Perfect Boyfriend is a funny and heartwarming YA, no-spice rom-com anyone can enjoy.
- River of Time series (Lisa T. Bergren) – Time travel. Travel-travel. Tomato, tomahto. This series combines almost all of those vacation-book-criteria: setting of beautiful Italy, a series to dive into but with individually shorter books, and engaging. Not to mention, romantic.
- Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan) – A great example of choosing something that may already be familiar to you to pack for your trip! I didn’t have to worry about “missing” anything in the book as I read semi-distractedly in the car, on planes, or around other people on the trip because I already knew the story. Instead, I was able to just kick back and enjoy.
- American Royals (Katharine McGee) – This series has it all: romance, a different world (monarch-ruled America), politics, and a little mystery. I could not read these books fast enough, and I kind of wish I could re-read them for the first time on vacation.
- If I Run (Teri Blackstock) – I’m pretty sure this series actually was a beach read for me in vacations past. It’s fast-paced, interesting, and – while a trilogy – quick to get through.
- Fate of Erynthia (Heather Frost) – This may not be everyone’s vacation cup of tea, but boy, would it be mine. While it would probably take your whole vacation to read the series, they are perfect escape reads with romance and action.
- Office BFFs (Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey) – While this particular memoir would make an excellent vacation read, I’d like to expand #9 to include any lighthearted or funny memoirs out there. While it does deviate from our general nonfiction-on-vacation thoughts, listening to someone else tell their story (usually humorously depending on what you choose) makes for some excellent getaway reading.
- Beach Read (Emily Henry) – Emily Henry is pretty popular these days for her rom-com reads, and while I have found them to be somewhat hit or miss in my opinion, I did love Beach Read. Just like the title implies, it fits the criteria for a vacation book, as it is easy to read and a sweet story.
Content Thoughts
Most on the above list are no/low spice with little language. Some of the rom-coms deviate from that. So, if that’s a concern for you, check out our individual reviews for more on content rating.
Adding to your TBR?
Let me know which of these you’re taking on vacation with you! I love to hear from you!
Happy reading, all! And have a great vacation!
J.P. Lee