Holiday reads

We’re away at the moment, which is a rarity for us and the biggest decision I found myself making whilst preparing to leave had nothing to do with what clothes to take or how much currency needed exchanging, but what books to pack.
When I was a kid (just a couple of years ago), my dad used to take stacks of ‘holiday’ books, which he would then leave behind. This act always used to perplex me; surely if a book is a worthy read, you don’t want to leave it in some far flung hotel room? He said it was to combat the whole weight issue with bringing back suitcases now splitting from straw donkeys and the like, but I always felt that those poor books were being abandoned. I like to think that the books were passed on to another weary traveller who happened to find themselves in the same hotel that we had stayed in and not that they had been thrown down the rubbish chute by an exasperated cleaner who was muttering something roughly translated as ‘Those bloody English…’
My dad now has a Kindle which negates such cruel behaviour and also allows my mother to pack that extra pair of shoes. I still can’t get used to the e-book platform, so have not yet succumbed. I understand the pros and all that jazz, but I still love the physicality of a book. I will make my peace with the trees in my own good time.
I digress as usual. So, what did I take? Well we’re only away for four days, so I just brought one along; Barbara Kingsolver’s The Lacuna. It was a present and not something that would ever tempt me if I’m honest, so I have taken this opportunity to try it out. As I say, a very different read for me, but a change is good as a rest and so far, it’s getting a thumbs up. It was lovely to have the luxury of a kid-free flight thanks to dodgy seating arrangements, as it meant I managed to plough my way through half of this chunky bestseller in one sitting!
I will admit though that I have also started to read eldest’s latest, How to Keep a Boy as a Pet. Although only ten pages in, it’s proving to be a bit of a hit. Perhaps I just enjoy experiencing the teenage angst of someone else other than my daughter’s? Whatever the reasoning behind it, Diane Messidoro has captured the teen in me and I am determined to now finish both books before we leave Poland.
What would you choose as a perfect holiday read? Does the location of the trip dictate the book or do you grab something from your ‘to read’ pile?