How to Pick Your Vacation Reads for the Summer

I’ve been seeing a lot of social media posts of people wondering what books to bring with them on a trip. Now that summer and summer vacations are imminent, choosing your vacation reads has become a crucial must-do for readers.

But choosing what books to bring with you is really hard! You don’t want to weigh your suitcase down with books, but you also don’t want to bring something you won’t end up reading or liking. 

That’s why I thought it’d be a good idea to share some ways I narrow down what book(s) I bring with me when I travel. Hopefully, they’ll help you ease the burden and get those books packed before you miss your flight.

Here are some ways you can narrow down your possible vacation reads

Pick a genre you love

Even if you read across many genres, chances are there is one you love above all else. Whether it’s mystery/thriller, romance, horror, or nonfiction; one is your top, go-to genre. 

When choosing your vacation reads, it’s always best to go with a genre you absolutely love. One you know will never let you down. 

You don’t always have to go with “beach reads” because what if you’re not going to the beach? I, for one, do not enjoy the beach. My trips are often to the mountains or the countryside. But if a promoted “beach read” catches my fancy, I’ll still read it.

So when choosing your vacation reads, first nail down your favorite genre. This will limit your choices and hopefully, get you to pick a few titles faster.

Opt for a longer book

If you don’t want to bog your suitcase down with multiple books, consider choosing a longer book for your vacation read. Having one book that’s roughly 400 pages or more is guaranteed to last you through your trip.

Well, that does depend on how long you’re going, how fast you read, and how often you’ll get to read. But the truth is if you bring a longer book with you, chances are you won’t finish it before heading home.

If your favorite genre includes books that run shorter in length, opt to bring a long series (no more than two). For example, Jasmine Guillory is a romance writer whose books all fall into the same universe. Many minor characters become main characters in their own books. 

If you can’t find a longer book to bring with you, consider bringing two books by the same author. Bonus points if they’re part of a series or, like Guillory’s books, are part of the same universe.

It’s a fun way to keep yourself immersed in one story and/or world while enjoying your trip.

Opt for an essay or short story collection

If longer books are not your preference, you can always go the opposite and bring an essay or short story collection.

My attention span on vacation is limited and trying to remember the events of a full-length novel is sometimes difficult. In the past, I’ve brought with me an essay collection or a book of short stories and I found that is a perfect balance. I’m able to read entertaining pieces that are shorter and easier to retain. 

One of my favorite books I read on vacation was Shit, Actually by Lindy West. It was a collection of commentaries about popular movies and her hilarious opinion of them. I never laughed so much while reading a book. It was short, light in tone, and made my trip that year even better.

So if you don’t want to bring a longer book, you can always opt for a collection of shorter stories.

Choose a book by your favorite author

I already mentioned that to narrow down the playing field, you should pick your favorite genre. You can also choose to bring books from your favorite author. If your favorite author tends to publish a book a year, hold off on reading it until vacation.

For example, one of my favorite authors is Jennifer McMahon. She writes supernatural thrillers that often center around family and past sins. Her visceral writing always captures me. She tends to release a book a year and I often save her titles for vacation.

Sometimes, I do read them before then, but because I know she’ll most likely have a new book, I’ll hold off on reading it until our summer trip.

Picking a book by your favorite author will guarantee a read you’ll love and you know what to expect. When reading on vacation, you want to bring something you know you’ll love. And what better way than reading something new by your favorite author who never lets you down?

Go for something light in theme and tone

I tend to read across many genres in both the fiction and nonfiction space. I love memoirs about people escaping abusive relationships, nonfiction books about overcoming self-doubt, and horror stories about a creature targeting children.

But when I go on vacation, I prefer to have something light in tone and theme. Meaning, I want a story that doesn’t require a lot of imagination on my part. It might seem odd to say I don’t want to think on vacation, but it’s true. This is my time to relax and I want the book I’m reading to represent that.

That’s why I’ll often opt for a quick contemporary story or light thriller. If one catches my eye, I’ll bring a young adult book. Or a nonfiction book that covers something minor like minimalism or organizing tips.

Why go for something light in tone? Because it keeps with the theme of vacation, which is relaxation. If I’m reading a true account of a woman escaping a religious cult, I’m going to feel paranoid on my trip. 

A light contemporary story (romance or not) puts me in a state of tranquility, which is what I want to feel most while on vacation.

Re-read an old favorite

If you just can’t seem to pick a new read to take with you, there’s nothing wrong with bringing an old favorite and re-reading it. I’ve re-read many books. 

My favorite ones to read over and over again include Jane Eyre, Little Women, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Yes, those are all classics, but I find something new every time I re-read them.

Modern favorites to re-read include The Hunger Games series, Harry Potter, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. 

So if you’re really in a pinch and not sure what book to read, consider re-reading an old favorite. Sometimes we connect to something new or notice something we missed the first time while reading it. 

Consider your itinerary 

To be honest, I always think I’m going to read a lot more when I’m traveling, but I often don’t. The most I read is during the actual traveling or if we have a day of downtime. But for the most part, our trips are filled with places to go. 

By the time I get back to the room, I’m exhausted and can barely read three pages before crashing. That’s why I prefer bringing shorter books or collections of essays because I know I won’t read as much as I planned to.

That’s why you should always consider your itinerary when selecting your vacation reads. If you plan on being out, visiting museums, going to amusement parks, or more, chances are you won’t have a lot of energy to read when you get back to the room. So you might be better off bringing one book.

But if you plan on lying on the beach and doing some minor shopping, you can bring more books. Especially if you know you’re going to blow through them. Still, don’t bring more than three books. You can always buy more, which we’ll talk about in a second. But trust me, more than three is going to overwhelm you and your suitcase so stick to that number.

When in doubt, buy one while away

My mom and I always stop in whatever bookstore we see. It doesn’t matter where we go. If we see a bookstore, we go in. She’s even claimed that all the books she’s purchased from stores on vacation have turned out to be her favorite books.

If you’re completely unsure about what books to bring as your vacation reads, don’t bring any. Instead, go to a local bookstore in the area you’re staying in and buy one then. Whichever you buy, commit to reading while you’re there.

You can also opt to buy a book in the airport bookstore. Give yourself time to browse before boarding and pick your vacation read or reads then. Sometimes when you’re on a deadline you tend to pick faster and go more with your gut.

So when in doubt, buy a book en route to your destination or when at your destination. Who knows? You might just find your next favorite book or discover a new author that way.

In the end, choosing your vacation reads is not easy but the decision must be made. Try one or more of these tactics while you’re packing for your next trip and see if they help. Then be sure to post in the comments if you tried any and how they panned out for you.

And if you have any tips on choosing vacation reads, comment below. I’d love to know how you go about picking the books you bring with you. Also, if you want to know what books I’m currently reading and/or finished, follow me on Instagram.