books to take on a trip

[Barbara]

I always worry more about books to take on a trip than the clothes I need to pack. I am thinking of packing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as one of the books (I'm swayed by all of you who have read it), but worry that it is more violent than I can handle. I'd appreciate a comment. My other travel books? The Poisonwood Bible and Coop (Michael Perry). Thanks very much.

[Ann]

It is violent, and you will need to give it a good 50-75 pages before you really get into it, if your experience mirrors that of many others. I will confess, and perhaps this says something not so great about me, that I was not bothered by the violence as I read, and in fact had to go back and refresh myself when I heard the first comments about it. So I think a lot of that is personal tolerance.

If it's something that concerns you, I think I would choose a different book for the trip, and save Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for another time when you are home and not in danger of being stuck with a book you aren't enjoying.

[Lil]

Barbara,
I just finished TGWTDT on a trip and ended up being alone in a cabin in the woods when it started getting violent. I confess I'm a total chicken and found it scary. I won't likely read the next one (had already downloaded) but I'll definitely recommend it to my mother-in-law, who has much more tolerance than me. Hope that helps.
Lil

[Vanessa]

I didn't find it scary but I could see someone being disturbed by maybe two violent scenes in the book. Like Ann, fortunately I am immune to violence :)

(maybe it wasn't disturbing since the book's protagonists weren't content to be victims. I want to elaborate here but I can't ruin it.)

However, I did see the movie of the book and one scene in particular was significantly more disturbing once there was a visual attached. I still do recommend the movie. It's great to have a visual for Lisbeth. They really picked the perfect actress.

BTW, Poisonwood Bible is a great book but it's rather a melancholy story. Just FYI. I'm not sure what you are in the mood to read on vacation.

[Peg]

One of my all time favorite stories which is perfect for vacation since it is about vacations = Elizabeth von Armin's Enchanted April. One of the few books I re-read and re-read and re-read. Charming.

[Andrea]

I've been lost on another planet evidently. TGWTDT has been made into a movie??? When? Does it have the same title? I must find it!

[Andrea]

This i one of the reasons I love my Kindle. When I can't decide, I can take MANY books with me and choose when I get there!

[[deleted user]]

Andrea wrote: "I've been lost on another planet evidently. TGWTDT has been made into a movie??? When? Does it have the same title? I must find it!"

The movie that's currently making the rounds isn't in wide release, showing in a lot of art house and independent theaters as it's the Swedish import (And yes, it has the same name as the book.) There are rumors that a US version has been optioned, but I find that an almost physically painful thought.

[Andrea]

Thanks! I now have a quest hunting for TGWTDT. I love foreign films and would rather see it as that than a US attempt.

[Sandi]

I have certain criteria for vacation reads.

1. Must be mass-market paperback because they're small, cheap and easy to hold.

2. They have to be fairly fluffy because my brain cannot handle dense literature when I'm on vacation.

3. It's really helpful if the book is part of a series I've already started reading. That way, I know the characters and don't have to absorb anything new.

4. Rule #3 isn't cast in stone. If the book grabs me in the first chapter, it's good to go.

5. Rule #1 would change if I had an e-reader.

Here's some recommendations I have for vacation reads:

1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: As a book of letters, it can be read in short bits of time. It's a fast read and quite interesting.

2. The Secret Life of Bees: Emotional and uplifting, but doesn't take a bunch of brain power.

3. Horns by Joe Hill: I just really like Joe Hill and this was a wonderful book. It didn't go the direction I expected it to go and it wasn't as dark and scary as I expected.

4. Bellwether by Connie Willis: I love Connie Willis and this is one of her most fun novels. Nothing heavy, just a lot of fun and humor.

[Rita]

I'm like Ann as well, the violence didn't bother me too much. I live alone (with my kids) and I have a baseball bat under my bed, so I feel safe. :o)

But I don't do Stephen King. That genre freaks me out.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was amazing. I read it in two days and stayed up late to finish it.

[Melissa Wiebe]

I tend to pick books that are light and easy, but that depends on what my book club is reading and if I need to read it. It also depends on my mood, hence why I bring at least 4 or 5 books along, even if I am going away for a weekend. And for whatever reason, I sometimes coming home with more.

[Kat]

Excellent vacation reading:

Alfred and Guinevere by James Schulyer
The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break: A Novel by Steve Sherrill
True Confections: A Novel by Katharine Weber
Fat White Vampire Blues by Andrew Fox
Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker
Breakfast with Scot by Michael Downing
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Katherine by Anya Seton
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Starvation Lake: A Mystery by Brian Gruley