Reading the wrong book on a holiday

[PeacockSpringy]

Has anyone else accidentally spoilt a holiday by reading the ‘wrong book’ whist away. I mean like spoiling the mood of a holiday by reading something too sad or intense or dark. I’ve done it a few times now. Worst was last summer on a lovely cruise around Scandinavia and I was reading Miranda July’s All Fours! Completely the wrong vibe for a holiday like that! 🤣 going to be more careful from now on!! Just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. I enjoyed that book but wish I’d read it at another time because it just took over my mood whilst I was away!

Oh gosh this!

I remember exclaiming “she just died!” at a packed pool next to our apartment in the Cote D’Azur

The Lovely Bones ruined about four days of my French gite holiday. I couldn’t stop reading it and felt so sad.

I do this too!

like the OP I ruined a nice holiday by reading A fine balance. The most depressing book I’ve ever read.

DH doesn’t understand it at all, how you bass be so affected by a book but he was reading Alec Ferguson biography or something.

My tip is to take something lighthearted like a PG Wodehouse alongside.

You don’t need a Kindle - just get another Kobo! I have a Kindle but Kobos are great. Don’t risk finding yourself overseas with a dozen paperbacks only to find none of them seem to ‘work’. The prospect is too awful to contemplate.

Heaven forbid people should just enjoy reading popular fiction they enjoy, on their own holiday.

Honestly, judging other people’s book choices isn’t a good look.

Yes. I was about 11 and voraciously reading Jean Plaidy historical fiction. My parents just let me get on with it, which was generally fine, but I found the burnings and torture descriptions in ‘The sixth wife’ a bit too much. They weren’t graphic but I do remember needing some different reading afterwards.

we go in UK so i tend to take a selection such as a chic lit, thriller, crime, biography of someone not usually famous more someone has done something worth while, nice animal story ie rescued pet etc, then something like a book written by someone ie about an ambulance paramedic etc their story, nice selection

I use a kindle and make sure I’ve got a whole selection downloaded before I go. A kindle is a game change for holidays.

Although some of the worst books I’ve read has been when I’ve looked on kindle unlimited for murder mysteries set in the place I’m going to.

I once had to do some reading for work and without really looking took the next on the list with me to Germany when meeting my best friend’s family. It turned out to be great detail about the crimes against humanity committed during the Holocaust. Felt a bit pointed to be reading that during a cosy evening in.

One summer I took The Nickel Boys and Shuggie Bain!

I dare say most of the women who read it would have responded the same!

I read Kevin on a holiday too!

I distinctly remember reading The Go Between on a beach in Rhode Island and gasping very loudly but it didn't ruin the day, just made me sad.

I , however, STRONGLY advise against taking David Peace's Munichs on a holiday where a plane is involved. Brilliant book. Not for a plane.

Before the advent of kindles, I used to use nearly all my luggage allowance for books. The dismay when I realised half of them were unreadable was intense. I ran out of reading material in Vietnam once and a lovely American lady gave me 3 paperbacks, all of which were graphic sex stories disguised as true romance 😱😱😱

It's a very powerful book, and so sad.

The film is also very very good.

I read 'Room' on what should have been a relaxing holiday in Greece and was unable to think about anything else apart from the story. Even dreamt about it.

Don't cruise ships have libraries?

I don't know about all cruise lines, but Cunard ones certainly do.

Yep they do. But the book I was reading was good and I didn’t want to not read it. I just didn’t realise how much it was affecting my mood :)

I usually bring magazines on trips, and then can toss them along the way. Or else an older book where I know what I'm getting into.

I read Florence Knapp's book The Names on holiday and there were parts that were really not cheery. It also made me contemplate life a little bit too much, when I could have done with a bit more escapism!

Loving this thread! Also starting to think about my holiday reading for my holiday in September but they will all be on Kindle so I will have options. I am quite fickle these days and keep stopping and starting all sorts - clearly not the same concentration I used to have. In my heart I feel that life is too short and there are too many brilliant books out there, to plod on with a book you’re not enjoying but I do also feel dissatisfaction/disappointment with myself when I don’t finish a book.

Surely you'd need to bring a hell of a lot of magazines to last you an entire holiday, though?!

Yes, sobbing for days in Turkey. It was a book about Biafra and female mutilation. Possibly Tiny Sunbirds, but I've read a few similar.

Then I read JoJo Moyes, Me before you. At least I only cried at the end, not all the way through.

Was going on a cruise. DH told me there was a Book Club and suggested I download it as he knew I would enjoy going and talking books. The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden. It was horrible. I hated it. To add insult to injury I was the only person who went to the book club.

I spoiled a holiday reading ‘Apple Tree Yard’ I found it so disturbing and made me really anxious around men on the resort.