The holiday poolside reading scene has apparently evolved in my absence.
Paperbacks and magazines have been replaced by kindles and mobile phones. Non-fiction/self-improvement reads are just as popular as fiction.
On holiday, I counted a mere eight actual books being read poolside. This was over a six-day period! There were so many guests lying on deckchairs. Where have all the paperbacks gone?
I spotted three kindles and I’m not being rude, but kindles have no spine. It’s a fact. So, I can’t report what they were reading.
Everyone else (and there was no upper or lower age limit) were tapping away on their mobile phones.
Seriously? On a deckchair, in the sun, under palm trees, by a lagoon like pool?
Call me crazy but I prefer to be ‘out of touch’ on holiday.
I brought two real books along to read: some light fiction which I never opened and The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
It’s a month-by-month account of everything she tried in the pursuit of finding and understanding how to be happier. Each month has a theme and a purpose. It’s funny, relatable and perfect for a relaxing holiday read plus she does great research.
Other books I spotted getting some sun were the latest novels from Liane Moriarty, Daniel Silva, Michael Robotham and Lauren Weisberger (of Devil Wears Prada fame).
Just as many people were reading non-fiction:
– Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
– The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson
– Why Mummy Drinks* by Gill Sims
* Thinking this was a self-help book, I was full of admiration for the woman reading it. It was only weeks later I discovered it was fiction - a hilarious read!
My 2019 ‘to read’ list just got a whole lot longer.