I would be the first to admit that I’m not great at sitting still. I like to be doing things. Ideally, I like to be doing lots of different things, so that I can switch when I get bored. Generally, I’m happiest when I’m writing or walking. You do have a travel journal, right?
When I’m faced with a four-hour train journey or a ten-hour flight, I’m antsy. I don’t tend to take my laptop out when travelling, partly because it might get nicked, but mostly because the thought of anyone watching me write brings me out in a cold sweat.
So, I inevitably have a book or three along for the trip. I haven’t yet cracked and bought a Kindle, so the choice of what to take with me is tricky. There has been plenty of recommended travel reading featured here, but a few factors come into play when I make my final book selection:
Size of Book
Obviously, a hardback copy of War and Peace isn’t your best travelling companion. You want to go for books which can fit easily into your hand-luggage, or which you can slip into a jacket pocket. The size of book also depends on the size of font: some books are padded out with wide line spacing and large text, and you’ll finish them disappointingly quickly.
Related to size, don’t take a book which you’ve already almost finished. You’ll be lugging around a load of pages which you have no intention of reading.
Consequences of Losing Book
When debating whether or not to take a particular book travelling, ask yourself whether it’s your book. If it’s been borrowed from a friend, you might want to rethink. If it’s been borrowed from a library, leave it safe at home. If it’s a particularly pricy book, ditto.
It’s very easy to put a book down on a chair, or to tuck it into the seat pocket on the plane – and to forget all about it. Books are also vulnerable to being squished and mangled in bags, or soaked in spilt drinks.
Likelihood of Book to Cause Emotional Distress
If you are of a nervous disposition, and a book features a devastating crash/failure/trauma related to your mode of transit, I’d suggest leaving it at home. Don’t read Anna Karenina on a train. Don’t read Lord of the Flies if you’re flying.
Take your fellow passengers into consideration, too. Reading about anger management, for instance, may not reassure those sitting near you…
And, for obvious reasons, “Hijacking a Plane for Dummies” is probably best avoided.
Immersive Nature of Book
One of the great joys of reading is that it can block out your external surroundings. Your crowded coach or those squealing kids on the plane fade into the background, and what you’re reading absorbs your attention.
This means picking a book that’s engrossing. I find fiction tends to work best for this, but if you’re a non-fiction person, find something with voice and enthusiasm and interest. (The company’s latest report on widget sales probably isn’t going to do it for you.)
Complexity of Book
You want a book which will take some reading – rather than one which you can skim through in five minutes. However, attempting to read Ulysses is probably a mistake, as is trying to read anything with a very complex plot or a huge cast of characters (especially if they have Russian names).
You’re inevitably going to get interrupted and distracted multiple times while reading: when your flight boards, when the assistant brings a meal, when the cabin crew make an announcement over the tannoy and so on. There’ll probably be long gaps when you don’t read at all. Find a book which you can dip into and out of without struggling to remember what the heck was going on.
Willingness to Dispose of Book When Read
Some books, you want to keep forever – either to re-read because you loved them, or to display on your bookshelves to let people know how wonderfully erudite you are.
Other books, you can bring yourself to part with. You’ve finished them, and they don’t need to take up valuable backpack space any more. Let them go off on their own travels (try BookCrossing), and treat yourself to a new book for the journey home…
How do you choose what to read when you’re travelling?
Photo by James Wheare, ashleigh290
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I prefer a lighter book (plot, not size) when I’m traveling, rather than one that I’m engrossed in. That way I can put it down and pick it back up without feeling like I’ve lost momentum with the reading. I think that I want to pass the time (so I’m not bored), while still keeping my eyes and ears tuned into what’s going on around me.
All fabulous tips for what to read.
I always take a couple fiction books along, often of the “beach read” type of genre. Definitely nothing heavy or literary. Everything I take is worthy of leaving behind. Always. No exceptions.
Great tips and thoughts – I tend to stick with the motto that it must be tradeable like JoAnna
Other than that, size is pretty important. I read Shantaram while in India and while it was apt the book was HUGE, probably not the best choice since it was so heavy!
@Mary Jo – Good point about keeping eyes and ears tuned in: I once missed my train stop cos I was so engrossed in a book…
@JoAnne – Somehow, I often end up coming back from a trip with more books than I took! (Gifts, purchases, freebies…)
@Shannon OF – I took Samuel Richardson’s “Clarissa” on a trip to Rome once. (Was studying it in university.) It’s about a million words, and even in paperback and tiny print, just holding it up to read was an effort!
This is a fascinating conversation. Would you believe I rarely give a second thought to what book I throw in my case? Usually it’s just the next thing I wanted to read – something long enough to last if I’m going to be gone for awhile. And yes, size is sometimes a consideration (I rarely buy hardbacks.) Otherwise, I haven’t considered any of these topics.
*Gasp!* The very best bit of travelling for me is having time/excuse to sit and read! And a good book can get you through any number of delays.
When packing, I often end up taking out clothes to make more room for books…
I love to read and love to travel, but for some reason I almost never read while traveling. However, after seeing how much thought you have put into selecting the right kinds of book, I actually feel like taking a trip for the specific purpose of picking a book to read during it.