For me, traveling requires a lot of preparation: closet-cleaning, shopping, list-making, and of course, stocking up on books to read.
I often think about what makes a good travel read. For me, there’s no one definition of a good travel read. Some like to read about the place they’re going to, some prefer really light page-turners. I prefer books that are meaningful (memorable, well-written, with something to say) because I may forever associate that place with that book. But I also don’t want books that are too dark or too dense. That said, I’ve read Thomas Hardy on the beach and I can read just about anything on a plane, depending on the distractions around me. I can’t sleep on a plane but I can read.
As I’m getting psyched for my trip (for some of us, getting psyched is half the fun), I’ve been checking out new releases and wondering if there’s anything I should add to my Kindle suitcase. I already have my 20 Books of Summer list, but here’s what I’m thinking about. Anything here you can recommend, or not recommend?
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler: a take on The Taming of the Shrew, what’s not to like?
The Girls by Emma Cline: recommended by many and I find the Manson story fascinating.
Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler. A novel about working in a restaurant. I’m not sure why I’m intrigued by this one but the reviews are good.
The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock. I’d read this for the title alone, plus it’s about Alaska, a place I visited and loved.
Pierced by the Sun by Laura Esquivel. She wrote Like Water for Chocolate. Enough said.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. A World War II novel set in London.
Any thoughts?
