I made the rule that everyone is only allowed to bring two books for a seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise and I'm wondering if it would be cheating to add another couple hidden in a suitcase. How can I be sure how I will feel that day. Maybe I should just let everyone take what they want--to heck with the clothing, shoes, hats, underwear------we will all have plenty to read and that would suit me just fine.  Oh the trials of being the voice of reason without a strong will to control!! We are leaving Friday and I keep changing my suitcase around.

        Kathy

Kathy, you sound like you are having the same problem I always do when we leave for a vacation!  If I only take 1 or 2 books, I may not be in the mood to read them!  I am so used to having several on my TBR shelf, I need to have several with me on vacation.  I definitely think you should hide some in your suitcase!  Have a great vacation!

Sheri

This is why I love my Palm Pilot.  Since I can never decide how many books to bring, again moods change for reading material, I have them in e-book format.  I can "carry" around 20-30 books in something that fits in my purse.  I know that may not be an option for this trip but for the future...:D

I'm all for hiding a couple.  Plus there may be a store you can visit that sells books (never been on a cruise so not sure what all's on a cruise ship).

~Terri

Kathy, Seeing as I am the only one who reads in my family AND I pack for our vacation,  I get to choose what I bring.  ;o)    I say pack a couple more books and see if anyone even notices who brought them.....

I would pack a couple extras! Do audio books count?

Only two for a week's vacation?  How is that possible?

I just went on vacation for a week and took 8 books with me - and bought 2 more in airports on the way :-)  I did't read all 10 books - only 4 - but it was really nice to have some choice.

My advice:  Take small, light books - no hardbacks.  They take up less room, you can pack more, and it's easier to "hide" them.   I also like to take damaged books on vacation if possible, then I feel like I can easily leave them behind after finishing them and not pack them to bring home.

Kathy, I think packing extras just might qualify as cheating on the 2-book rule---but I'd do it! Change the rule. I'd have 2 books read on the plane flight to get there!

I liked PP's suggestion of taking damaged books to leave behind with you--I do that.

Cruise ships often have gift shops that sell novels. I think you should buy a bunch of new ones and post them on paperbackswap.  teehee.

My rule for traveling is to first pack all the books I think I'll need, and then see if there's any room for clothes....  One must have one's priorities, after all! 

When I traveled to Guatemala for several weeks with a boyfriend, we discovered that if we brought books that we both might enjoy, we could each carry half as many, and share.  That, of course, meant that I couldn't pack any cozy mysteries or chick lit, but I could bring a Nevada Barr mystery (she writes about a National Parks ranger and each book is set in a different park) and a travel memoir, and some general fiction.  On that trip, I turned him on to Barbara Kingsolver with "Animal Dreams", and he turned me on to Anita Shreve with "The Pilot's Wife". 

I got the Sony reader, so my new book purchases tend to be digital now.  I think I can carry something like 160 books on the reader itself, and hundreds more on removable memory sticks.  Bliss...

heh.  i'm trying to figure out how many to take on my 10-day trip to Maui in less than 3 weeks.  for a 7 day trip there, i'd take 10 books, and probably start the last one on the plane on the way home.  i like to read by the pool or at the beach at least some afternoons, and i still do my normal reading at night.  just the days we're flying are a good 7+ hours of reading each - 2 hours in the airport, 5 on the plane.

DH will still probably only bring 2 books, so i'm trying to make sure he brings books i'll want to read.  :)  though one of those two i already know - and i'll be reading it first.  i don't know how i can fit much more than 10 books in to my suitcase.   maybe i'll try for longer books instead of more books?  (always only paperbacks - HBs are too heavy for this.)

this is the only case where i think i'd like one of those digital readers!  i could bring as many books as i'd want, and DH couldn't complain at all.

I have a cross country move coming up this summer. We'll be driving cross-country for probably a week or so. Depending on how much we stop-probabl  a lot with a dog and a kid.  Plus when we get there we'll probably have a week or so in a hotel while we wait for our stuff to catch up with us. I'm already trying to think of which books I'll bring with me.  I'll have to bring a variety.  Hopefully we'll have room in the car for a good selection.

Rule should be that you carry what you pack!!

I alwaysbring paperbacks that I am willing to leave behind.  So when I finish a book I leave it at the Hotel ( some have bookcases in lobby just for this) or In the room.  I would think on a cruise ship they have a "leave a book,take a book area"  So you maybe safe bring 2 along.

The cruise ship will probably have a library.  There might be some interesting books!

Depending on how long the books are and how far I am into the first one.  I will just carry one or two books.  Most of the time I will finish reading one and start on the second one.  I don't get to read a lot on vacation because I am constantly doing stuff with the family. 

What I usually do is take a long a few really thick books that I might normally be able to plough through in a few days of lots of reading, but I know vacation stuff also takes up time. Usually they're mass market paperbacks, so they're smaller and easier to carry around. I'm already saving some books on my TBR for my travels this summer-probably London by Edward Rutherford and Gone With the Wind. I was also thinking I might as well drag along some of the other huge books I have sitting around-perhaps The Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte Cristo. Etc. Also series are probably a good idea, they could keep you occupied for a while without you having issues about deciding what book you want to read next. If you're into fantasy, I've heard the Wheel of TIme series is awesome (I haven't personally read it, but my dad raves on about it) and there are about 20 books. That should keep you busy for a while!

Try the books by Conrad Allen--Murder on the (Insert name of a historical ship)    The books are set in the early 1900's and feature 2 male and female detectives, George and Geneieve.    Light reading that is well writtten.  

I always stock up on "disposable" books before a big trip.  I take about 8 on average.  As I finished them, I leave them where I am for the next person to enjoy. 

I get such a feeling of glee knowing I have hours of entertainment in my suitcase.  Also, the extra room in my suitcase left by the "left behind" books give me room for stuff I might buy on the vacation.

Kathy, I have found that I overpack clothes/shoes and underpack books! 

i like the idea of packing damaged books. then i can leave them behind for someone else. ill have to remember that for our next vacation