Question of the Week: 5 Books for 10 Days
by Jenners • 03/29/2010 • Book Talk • 21 Comments
Time once again for the Question of the Week. This week’s question comes from Caitie at Pub Writes who asks:
If you could only take five books with you on a ten day trip, what would they be?
Funny you should ask this, Caitie, as I’m preparing for an upcoming vacation and the FIRST thing I think about when packing for a vacation is “What books should I take with me to read?” (Not practical things like “What is the weather like where I’ll be going and what kinds of clothes should I pack?”)
In thinking about this question, it occurred to me that there is an equation for packing books for vacation in which:
- Div = Diversity. You don’t want to read all the same type of books or authors. I suspect the optimal ratio is F3:NF1 (3 fiction to 1 non-fiction), with the NF being more humorous than too heavy. (Who wants heavy serious non-fiction on a trip? Not me.) I would mix up mysteries with a thriller with flat-out humor with a little bit of historical fiction (so you look smart to your fellow travelers).
- Ch = Chunkster. If one of your books ends up being a dud, a chunkster will act like two books and make up for the dud. Depending on the size of your luggage, you need a minimum of one chunkster but optimally two. The advent of e-book readers helps to make the bringing of chunksters on vacation less problematic than it used to be.
- PQ = Proven Quantity. Although you don’t want to spend your vacation rereading books, you do want an author you KNOW will not disappoint. This is the time to bring along the latest book by your favorite author. Think of it as vacationing with a friend!
- H1 v. L3 = Heavy vs. Light. You want to ensure your books aren’t too heavy (not in weight; in tone) as who wants to be sobbing their eyes out on a beach? This doesn’t mean “happy happy joy joy” type of books but ones that aren’t going to hollow you out on the inside and cause you to throw yourself off the Tower of Pisa (on the off-chance you happen to be vacationing where the Tower of Pisa is located).
So the equation ends up looking something like this:
After I ran the equation, here are the five books I’d read on my trip … and the bloggers I can “blame” for making me want to read them … and the sections of the equation they satisfy.
- Fingersmith by Sarah Waters – Everyone just loves this book. Here is the review by Connie at Constance Reader’s Guide to Throwing Books with Great Force that first made me want to try it out. (CH F L)
- Stone’s Fall by Iain Pears – Jackie over at Farm Lane Books Blog pretty much forced me to read this with her rapturous review. (CH, F, H)
- Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk – If Jill from Fizzy Thoughts doesn’t shut up about how awesome this book is, I’m going to have to slap some duct tape on her typing fingers. There was a few weeks there where I think she mentioned this book in every single post (I might be exaggerating a teeny tiny bit … but not really). This review by Rebecca at The Book Lady’s Blog didn’t help either. (F, L)
- How To Get Things Really Flat by Andrew Martin – I blame Alyce over at At Home With Books for this one. I’m expecting to laugh and get some housekeeping tips at the same time so how could I go wrong. Find out why Alyce made me want this book here. (NF, L)
- Bite Me by Christopher Moore – Hmmmm…the latest book by my favorite author that was just released? How could I possibly have this when I have a book buying ban for 2010? How about an unrelenting campaign by me against Mr. Jenners for an Easter present!? (Note: We’ve never exchanged Easter presents ever … but this year we did thanks to my browbeating him into buying this for me so I could read it. I just cannot WAIT for it until 2011, can I? No … of course not. That would be cruel.) (PQ, F, L)
So now I just need someone to pay for a 10-day trip for me. Anyone? Anyone at all? Warren Buffet, do you read my blog? How about you?
So how about you? What 5 books would YOU take on a 10-day vacation? Let me know in the comments.
I love the equation! Such a clever way of putting things. I was questioning the whole chunkster part until you reminded me you have an e-reader. That does make it easier. Love Mr. Jenners bought you the new Christopher Moore book. What a guy!
should I admit that I never read when I travel? I usually take a book if I will be on a plane…and then I fall asleep.
And on vacation, I always seem busy and little time for reading. I do however always buy books to bring home….
This is a great formula and I think it really works for me as I look at my most recent trip – although I took 5 books for a 2.5 week vacation so my reading rate is obviously slower than yours. Here is what I brought on my trip to India:
I like to read books from the region/part of the world I am traveling in so I took
1. The White Tiger
2. The Age of Shiva
I also worked in some non-fiction with:
3. Three Cups of Tea
It was over the holidays so I brought a book that celebrated the season
4. Wishin and Hopin by Wally Lamb
Something lighter to work in between the more serious novels
5. Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
I have some shorter trips coming up later in the year – I will have to apply a modified version of the equation and see what I get. Great post!
I love you vacation books equation! I really hope you like How to Get Things Really Flat!
I would NOT take five books on a ten day vacation! Doesn't every husband fill each MINUTE of a vacation with visits to things like the Duct Tape Museum, the birthplace of Satchel Paige, the Civil War correspondence archive, or the tennis shoe factory? I barely have time to read ONE BOOK…
I am really bad at math.
I no longer feel any guilt for the mathematical question I left on your previous post.
An interesting equation… and great reviews in addition!
I have THE hardest time trying to decide what books to bring on a vacation or even for a weekend away. My Kindle has really saved the day for me there. I can bring a few books from home and know that whatever suits my fancy at the time (within reason) can be downloaded!
that was way too scientific a formula for me. lol Have fun on your trip and I hope you take some great books too.
Ha! As you know I just returned from vacation….can't afford to go on another one so soon (unless Warren pays for mine, too!).
Funny equations — I tend to avoid chunksters on vacation, though!
Of your books, I'm most interested in reading "Waiting for Columbus".
Definitely something really engaging for the flight, waiting in long lines, hanging out on the beach, etc. So probably something fantasy or YA.
Fingersmith is an excellent vacation book; I actually read it while on vacation in February. I love your equation for vacation books; mine's a bit different though. It's all about diversity: 1 Short to 2 Normal to 1 Chunkster; 3 Fiction for every 1 Nonfiction; 1 Old Author for every 2 New Authors; 2 Science Fiction-Fantasy for every 1 Non-SFF; 1 YAL for every 2 adult books; and I could keep going but it gets really involved and complicated and really no one but me would get it anyway.
Okay the truth is I have no pattern, no formula, I just stare at my shelves until one pops out at me. I usually bring the equivalent of a book a day for vacation.
Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome. Waiting for Columbus is awesome.
Hmmm, seems like that duct tape isn't working too well.
You mean there are actually people out there who think about the weather when they pack for a trip? What is wrong with them? I'm glad to see you have your priorities in the right place! I hope you have the time to read all of those books – I always take way more than I can possibly read.
That looks like a very good selection! I hope that you enjoy Stone's Fall as much as I did.
I don't read much non-fiction, so I would probably remove that from your equation if I was going away, but otherwise it looks good to me!
Hmmmm…. I need to think about this one. I think for sure book 2 in The Harry Potter Series because these are such comfort books to me and OI can get into them anytime, anywhere. Maybe Fablehaven because it has waited for me for so long, probably a good mystery…
way to get the creative juices flowing AND the comments going!
BTW – I have a very special award for you
http://anovelsource.blogspot.com/2010/03/awards-awards-awards.html
I, too, am planning a trip for later this year. I'll be flying to Brazil, so space and weight are factors. (Obviously I will not be carrying hardback editions of James Michener tomes.) My library has many books on Playaways. They are about the size of a very small ipod and each holds one book. I have to supply earbuds & enough batteries for the outbound trip —I can replenish them once I arrive. It is possible that the flights plus wait time between flights will take 17 to 26 hours one-way, so I need several looooong books for flights and down-time while at my destination. I will want books that I won't mind listening to twice if I run out, so I will choose at least 2 non-fiction, 3 good thrillers, and 1 classic novel, depending on what's available at the library a few days before I leave.
I'm kind of in the mood to do this now even though I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! But maybe I'll pretend Spring Break next week is a real vacation and read as much as I want! Too bad it will be raining. So, looking through my TBR pile, I would choose –
Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (the third Maisie Dobbs novel)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (a graphic novel version)
Fluke by Christopher Moore (just got this today at the used bookstore and it will be my first Moore!)
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber (a YA fantasy)
Ooh! Now I really want a vacation!
You definitely have books that have wowed bloggers. So far I am the only person in the universe not totally won over by Iain Pears (just finished it – review not up yet). I was slogging through until it finally picked up for me in maybe the last 50 pages. (a long time to wait!) :–) But I'm the only one – everyone else loved it, even comparing it to Fingersmith, so don't mind me!
So what about the vacation? If Warren comes through, where are you going?!!!