My Top 10 Books for Holiday reading

lorisolan
Jan 25, 2018
5 min read

When you are backpacking around different countries, there are a lot of days where it is go, go, go as you want to see and do as much as humanly possible to get the most out of whatever destination you are in and to create everlasting memories.

From hiking mountains and touring temples to boating through caves and exploring a cities endless streets, these are the kinds of activities that will take up an entire day and leave you exhausted at night. However there can be a few gem rest days where you get to sit on the beach, have absolutely nothing to do but welcome the downtime.

On these days, I love to have my kindle at hand and the below is a list of my favourite page turners. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

1. The Strike Series by Robert Galbraith (alias of J.K Rowling)

The Strike Series is probably one of my favourite holiday reads. The books are based on a war veteran Cormoran Strike who embarks on solving murderous crimes from a small, shabby office in London with the help of Robin Ellacott. These books keep you hooked and times like lunch and dinner can be trying as you don't want to have a moment away from them. J.K Rowling uses an alias to distinguish from her other writing, as you can imagine it would be difficult to associate her work with anything other than Harry Potter.

2. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

This book is written by Australian author Marcus Zusak and is based around the life of a girl called Liesel during the Nazi regime in Germany. Her youngest brother dies and she is taken into a foster home. Her foster parents Rosa and Hans Hubermann hide a Jewish man called Max in their basement and this story revolves around the friendship that Liesel and Max establish. Max teaches Liesel to read and this in turn wills Liesel to steal books that the Nazis are looking to destroy hence the name of the book - The Book Thief. A beautifully written novel showing that friendships can be created in the unlikeliest pf places.

3. First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung

I know a lot of peoples preference for holiday books are rom-coms, light-hearted novels or fictional stories which I do thoroughly enjoy however I get the most satisfaction from a book that is a true story and especially ones that teach you about the history of a particular country or era.

If you are like me and these books are for you then First They Killed My Father is one of my highest recommendations. The story has been written by Luong Ung who was one of seven children in a Cambodian family living in Phnom Penh in 1975. Her story recalls the horrific days of the Khmer Rouge and all that was endured by her, her family and millions of other Cambodians through this incredibly difficult time in history. Have a tissue handy for this one.

4. Millenium Series by Stieg Larsson

I do love a good crime novel and these oldies are goodies. Published posthumously in 2005 after the death of Stieg Larson in 2004, they are one of the most popular crime series novels. The main characters are Lisbeth Salander, a girl with an incredible photographic memory and Mikael Blomkvist an investigative journalist. Together they solve horrific crimes and their interesting, tumultuous relationship keeps you turning pages as quickly as possible.

5. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.

I was always intrigued by Martin Luther King Jr. I heard snippets of what an inspirational man he was and obviously always heard about his "I had a dream" speech but didn't know the full history. I came across his autobiography whilst browsing through the Amazon Kindle store and downloaded it. It was one of the greatest autobiographies I have ever read. To be guided through what the black people of America endured during that time by the greatest civil rights leader was touching and heart breaking and was a real eye opener on how far the world has come today. Not far enough in a lot of cases but there have been some amazing movements, none moreso than Martin Luther King Jr's.

6. An Autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Gandhi

Seeing the picture of the iconic Mahatma Gandhi on the cover of the Martin Luther King Jr. Autobiography inspired me to move on to Gandhi's book. This was a truly fascinating read learning about the begininng part of Gandhi's life, his upbringing, the traditions of India and all of his various experiences that eventually saw him become another great civil rights leader who led India to independence from British rule, inspiring freedom all across the world. I loved this book as he was a brilliant man and seeing the difference one person can make in the world is so inspiring. There I was sitting on a beach after finishing the book wondering what could I possibly do to help the world, it is that kind of a book.

7. Wonder by R.J Palacio

I was given this book by my best friend who told me that it was a book from her twelve year old daughters school curriculum for the previous year and that I HAD to read it. I was thinking why would I find a book that twelve year old's have read good and why are they studying it anyway. Little did I know just how moving it would be. I finished it in just under five hours and there were quite a few tears throughout.

Wonder was released by R.J Palacio in 2012 and is a heart wrenching tale of a young boy who was born with facial birth defects and the struggles and triumphs he endured while growing up with such a condition. I understood after reading it why it was put on the school curriculum as it is a perfect book to describe how children can be kind and cruel all at the same time. It is a lesson for people of all ages that looks really aren't everything and it costs nothing to be nice.

8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Another oldie, this book was published in 2003 and was the first one written by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. This story is based in Afghanistan and is about a boy called Amir and his best friend Hassan. The book brings you through the trying times in Afghanistan particularly the fall of the Afghanistan monarchy as a result of the Soviet military intervention and the rise of the Taliban regime. It is one of those books that you will never forget reading.

9. The Bronze Horseman Trilogy by Paullina Simons

If you are looking for the ultimate love story then look no further than the tale of Alexander Belov and Tatiana Metanov. He is a Red Army Officer and she, a seventeen year old impressionable girl. Book number one, The Bronze Horseman starts the day of the Russian entry into the Second World War. From there it follows both Alexander and Tatiana during their tumultuous time together to their struggles when they are apart. I have read The Bronze Horseman three times and I will definitely go back for a fourth. I won't go on to detail book two and three as there might be spoilers but pick up a copy of all three NOW.

10. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

What a feel good, fun read with a tiny tear here and there. This book is about the reincarnation over a dog over four different periods and his search to find a purpose in each one. W. Bruce Cameron does a great job of getting in the mind of a dog and expressing life through their eyes.