When I left for New York City, I packed only one paperback plus my Kindle. I knew I'd buy a ton of books and other stuff and I wanted to keep my suitcase as empty as possible. But already after that first week, I had like a dozen books. A few more were added in New Orleans. At the airport, my suitcase was exactly the allowed 50 pounds. But I knew there'd be more books added in California (San Francisco, I shall one day write an Ode to your book stores). In the end, my sister and I both bought a carry-on each - to be filled with books. Only books. To the brim. Plus a few stuffed in elsewhere.
I always need something to read when I'm traveling, even if it's just a bus or train ride. I need to know that if I have to wait for something (and let's face it, airports mean loads of waiting) I can just pick up my book. I can make my own bubble of comfort and disappear into a story. I like to read at the beach, at a café, basically wherever. But that also means lugging around books all the time. Weight. Space taken up. And even though I love print books, the Kindle comes in damn handy at those times. The problem is just that the battery of my Kindle Fire only works for like 8 hours, even if I have the light turned way down. So I still need a paperback with me, too.
How do you handle this problem? Do you have a Kindle, and do you use it for travelling? Are you a print-books only kind of person? How many books do you take with you when you travel? Do you worry about damage to the books (I sure do)? Do you like to buy books abroad? What was your craziest or most embarrassing book-related traveling experience? Let me know in the comments :)
Travelling with books can be tricky - especially if you're going to be picking up MORE books on the trip! I always bring one paperback or two with me plus my e-reader. As much as I have good intentions about reading while travelling, I tend to get distracted easily and never end up making as much progress with my books as I'd originally hoped. I'm lucky that BEA is driving distance otherwise shipping those books would be killer O.O First time we drove out though coming back we were terrified that we'd get stopped at the border if they thought we'd actually bought all those books LOL
ReplyDeleteAnyways I definitely worry about damaging physical books when travelling so I don't bring anything too precious to me. xD
Haha I get the border thing! When I came back from the US with a whole suitcase of books, I also wondered what I should do at the airport: say I have nothing to declare, or do it? In the end I just walked past and nobody stopped me. Usually in incoming flights from the US, what they want you to declare is expensive designer clothes, and I didn't look very designer-ish :P
DeleteFor part of the US trip, I also didn't get on with the reading, but there were other times when it was nice for relaxing. I used to take a whole backpack of books on family holidays with me because we'd just lie down by the river or lake and read all day ^^
But isn't BEA really far from you? I mean can you drive there in a day? o.O
This is really hard because I have this whole complicated set of rules about which books I'm willing to buy for my Kindle and which books MUST be print copies. And when I travel, I want to read EXACTLY what I want to read at the time, not just whatever happens to be on my Kindle. So even though the Kindle would be super convenient, usually my carry-on and suitcase wind up stuffed with books. Makes my husband insane.
ReplyDelete"I have this whole complicated set of rules about which books I'm willing to buy for my Kindle and which books MUST be print copies" - me too!! :D
DeleteAnd I feel similarly about wanting to read a specific book at a time, but when I travel I often make myself pick one or two to take with me that I'd been meaning to read for forever but always put off.
Thanks for sharing :)
I don't have the battery problem. My iPad seems to be good for 2-3 days even with heavy use. But I still bring a couple of paperbacks to read in bright light. I try to bring books that I don't plan to keep after I finish, so that if they take a dunk in the pool, I don't get upset. Books I pick up for a cole of dollars from the used book fair are great for this! And as I finish, I put a Book Crossings sticker inside and leave them in the hotel lobby or a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteYes, the bright light is another drawback of the Kindle, though I usually manage. And it's really nice if you're staying in a hostel. You can read at night in the dark and turn it down low and not disturb anyone with the bedside lamp.
DeleteI've never managed to actually leave a book after I finish, but I also pick ones that don't make me want to cry when they look a bit scuffed afterwards.
Oh, and my first vampire book I've ever read was one that somebody left at the hotel my family was staying at ^^ You were supposed to bring the books back to the 'library' that had been set up there but after reading it twice, I couldn't bear to leave it, so I took it home *ahem*.
I've never heard about Book Crossings. I don't think it's a thing in on the European mainland, but I think it's a great idea!
Thanks for commenting :)
I have a Kindle that I always have with me but it's just the Paperwhite so its battery lasts a lot longer, which is a huge relief! When I'm traveling long distances and know I'll have a lot of waiting time, I bring several ARCs in case the first one doesn't work out, haha!
ReplyDeleteThat's another great thing about the kindle! If you're reading a book and not feeling it, you've got dozens of others to choose from.
DeleteYeah, the battery thing on my kindle sucks sometimes, but on the other hand I like that it's basically a mini-tablet and I can also check email, facebook, watch videos on Youtube etc.
Thanks for sharing :)
I love this post! This is exactly how I feel! Going to school, work or anywhere else I usually just take a paperback. Simply because its what I'm reading right then, and it's not as heavy as my ipad. If I go on longer trips, like weekends or vacations, I bring two books and sometimes my kindle depending on how much reading I'll be able to squish in. Anyways, AWESOME post!
ReplyDeleteLisa
www.turningpages94.blogspot.com
Me too! I prefer to take paperbacks because the hardcovers are so heavy. That's why I try not to buy big-formatted books, they just take up so much space in the bag.
DeleteBooks are essential to a vacation! Especially if it involves a beach. Otherwise, all that lying in the sun is just boring. But it depends on what you're doing on the trip.
I'm so glad you empathize with this post :) I just feel weirdly incomplete and like I've forgotten something important when I don't have a book with me when I go somewhere.