Question: Do You Read More While On Vacation?

Posted August 14, 2014 by Jessica in Question / 108 Comments

WeeklyQuestion

Julie (YMaKAC) has been on vacation for the last couple of weeks, so it’s easy to see where her inspiration for this week’s question came from. *winks*

I am, however, in a less common circumstance, and that circumstance is that I don’t have a regular 9 – 5 job, or even an irregular, but 40(ish) hours a week job. When I work, I work from home, but, for now anyway, I’m fortunate enough to be left to my own devices.

This means that, NO, I do notΒ  read more on vacation. Vacations are usually the most structured part of my life (LOL), and if I tried to spend any significant amount of time reading while on vacay, my husband and/or my family would have my head. Same goes for blogging to a lesser extent.

I don’t resent them for that, b/c they also neglect their preferred social media platforms.

That being said, I do come from a family of readers, so if the vacation involves my side of the family, my sisters and I will find the occasional moment to spend reading with no threat of repercussions, and we fully take advantage of those moments. BUT all of those moments combined, definitely do not add up to more time than I usually spend reading. In fact, it’s not uncommon for me to totally crash out for a few days, and do nothing but read when I get home from a vacation.

I KNOW. I’m fully aware of how lucky I am. Please don’t hate me.

But what about you?

Do You Read More While On Vacation?

Jessica Signature

My name is Jessica and I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’m trying my hand at writing, but mostly I read. My favorite genres are Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, and the YA versions of those genres, but if there is a book of a different color getting lots of buzz, I’ll read it too, just to be informed. If I’m not reading or writing, I’m probably on Goodreads or Pinterest or baking blueberry pies because I love them.

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108 responses to “Question: Do You Read More While On Vacation?”

    • Jessica  

      How lovely. I bet there are TONS of people who would love to a vacation in which they could read a book a day. Probably one of the only kinds of vacations you don’t need a vacation from πŸ˜‰

  3. Tanja  

    Well I don’t hate you, but I’m afraid that you’ll hate me when I tell you that I’m on my vacation for a month and a half and I have a month and a half left. So yeah! That’s what you get when you are a nerd and have really good grades that you don’t have to retake any exam and with all that no summer jobs. It’s sucks at times as I wish to earn some money, but well I have got plenty time to read. So yeah. Anyhow great post πŸ˜‰
    Tanja recently posted…Blog Tour: Storms of Lazarus by Karen Kincy

    • Jessica  

      Pfft. I would never begrudge someone their reading time. I hope you take full advantage of it, to be blissfully happy and ready to take on whatever school throws at you when you go back πŸ˜‰

  10. Stephanie Faris  

    Since part of a writer’s job is to read…would reading on vacation count as work?! I would love to just sit on the beach and read for a week, but I would feel guilty. When I’m on vacation, I feel like I should be out seeing the sights.

    • Jessica  

      See, I think a vacation should be whatever you want it to be. If I was traveling across Europe, then reading would take a backseat b/c I’d rather be sightseeing, but if reading was what I most wanted to do while on vacation, I would do it, and feeling guilty about it would never even occur to me.

  11. Chanzie from Mean Who You  

    You are one lucky lady!! I actually tend to read less on summer vacation because I am out and about at the beach or snorkeling or something hopefully fun. I still read.. it’s an addiction I cannot go too long without. I can also just spend an entire day reading on the couch – I will always have a book close by that is for sure. Thank goodness for the kindle app for android *tee hee*

    Great question!!
    Chanzie recently posted…Book review: Angel Astrology 101 by Doreen Virtue & Yasmin Boland

    • Jessica  

      Thanks, Chanzie! Regardless of what I’m doing–relaxing at home for the day, running errands, handing out by the pool–it doesn’t matter, I always have a book nearby πŸ˜‰ Thanks goodness for kindle indeed.

  12. Jenny from Supernatural Snark  

    I’m like you Jessica, I work from home so I’m lucky enough to have a more flexible schedule when it comes to reading and blogging. As a result, I don’t do as much reading on vacation either. Most of that though is because I’m the type of person that has to write the review for one book before I can start another, and I don’t want to write reviews on vacation:)

    • Jessica  

      SERIOUSLY. If I don’t immediately write a review the likelihood that I will EVER write that review drastically decreases, and while I do love reading, writing the review is not nearly as fun. I’ll wait until I get home πŸ˜‰

  15. DannyBookworm  

    OOOoooooOO I read so much when on vacation! Usually, when we go on vacation I tempt fly far away (means lots of reading) and then we often go to beachy places where I spend my time sunbathing, swimming and .. guess what, reading!
    Once a year when my husband and I go on vacation with my parents, it’s heaven as my mom and I read all day and the men go out and “play” :))

  17. Candace  

    My first reaction was to say no, but when I thought about it, it could go either way. If I’m going to visit my family than yes, I read more. My family doesn’t have television and so we read. Not that we sit and read ALL the time, we do visit and stuff. And we go DO things, but when it’s down time we read. I also usually take Amtrak out and so I read on the way and the way home. Last time I went I read two books just on the way.
    If I’m going on a vacation to the beach or up to Seattle, then no, I usually read less. We’re just too busy going the whole time.
    Candace recently posted…Book Review: Neurotica by Eliza Gordon

  18. Berls from Fantasy is More  

    I’m in a very similar situation to you – I’m a graduate student at the work-from-home stage. But I hope that will change very soon – I’ve been applying to jobs a lot… I wonder how my life will change when I have an 8-5 or something. But for now, reading time is pretty much when I make it. I also haven’t had a vacation in 4 years… I need one, badly.
    Berls recently posted…Γ’Β€ΒœSassenachҀ S1:E1|Outlander Thoughts

  19. Cristina  

    Being left to your own devices is always a plus in my book! *evil laugh*

    If it’s a staycation, I read a ton because that means I’m off from work but enjoying the comforts of home and my kindle. But if I’m going out on a full blown vacation like I am next year…then no because I will be sightseeing and whatnot. I guess I can squeeze it in while I’m in flight or at night before I fall asleep. πŸ™‚

    So it truly depend on what kind of vacation I’m taking… β™₯

  20. Heidi

    Nope… my vacations aren’t really vacations because I still have a five and three year old and they need constant attention. My reading time is right before bed, and if I can I read while on vacation but lots of times we are staying up late and doing other things so the reading time goes out the window. My dream is to one day go to the beach and sit quietly by the shore and watch the waves and read…. it will happen one day…
    Heidi recently posted…Review: The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

  21. Sunny  

    My first reaction was, “of course, I read more on vacation!” but then I realized, I really don’t. I spend my evening reading and writing reviews when I’m not on vacation and when I am I spend a the same amount of hours during the day and not reading at night. However, reading by daylight instead of lamplight…now that’s a novelty.

  22. Mogsy from BiblioSanctum  

    I think I do, but only if we go away for vacation, and then it’s mostly at night. Obviously I’m not doing much reading during the day when the family and I are out and about sightseeing or having fun or doing whatever it is we do while on vacay, but at nights when we’re in the hotel room with nothing to do but watch tv, I read. There are much less distractions – at home, I have my PC and the games on it, my dogs, chores to do and errands to run, all of which would demand my time in the evenings. Being away from all that means I just get to settle back with my book and enjoy πŸ™‚
    Mogsy recently posted…Tough Traveling: Saving the World!

    • Jessica  

      Darn that life for getting in the way of reading, LOL. I get you though, so many things that constantly need to get done at home. I procrastinate entirely to much in favor of reading on that front πŸ˜‰

  23. Julie S.  

    Hmm interesting question. Well, no, not really. If my vacation requires a lot of travel (like flying) then that is when I read. But usually my vacations are visiting family that I don’t get to see very much (since my parents live in California, Hubby’s parents live in Georgia, and here we are in Texas), I spend my free vacation time with people heh.
    Julie S. recently posted…That’s what HE said Thursday- August 14, 2014

  24. Lupdilup  

    It depends on the vacation, if it’s a beach vacation, yes I listen and read a lot more. I love seating under my umbrella with a couple cocktails and a few good books. Now if it’s vacation like Disney or any kind of site seeing, then I don’t. Another of my favorite things to do is getting on rides, sometimes those are book rides and sometimes are roller coasters..LOL
    Lupdilup recently posted…Those Who Wish Me Dead Audiobook Review

  26. julie from m5monkeys  

    Actually I did read more during my vacation and enjoyed reading just because ..I didn’t think about reviews that might need to be written. I found a book and just read it off my kindle and a couple other books. Yes I do read more …but i only read at night time.
    julie recently posted…I want it that way

  28. Lexxie from (un)Conventional Bookviews  

    I actually read a lot more when I’m on vacation! Both because I really don’t have as much time to read when I have classes, and the kids also have school and activities, and because sometimes, traveling inspires me to read. Of course, I do other stuff on vacation, but reading is a big part of my pleasure!
    This past week, we were in Mallorca, and we didn’t have an internet connection. So the fact that I didn’t sit down to write reviews, or chat with blogger friends between books made it so that I had more reading time as well. I think I read 13 books :O Not all of them were full length novels, but still πŸ˜€
    Lexxie recently posted…Audio Review: Unholy Ghosts – Stacia Kane

  30. Bookworm Brandee  

    LOL I think I’m kinda in the same situation as you, Jessica, where I don’t have a normal 9-5 job. I work, but I work occasionally – like a few times a month – at a bookstore. *grins* And otherwise, I’m my kids’ chauffeur, maid, chef, etc. So I, too, give up some reading time when we go on vacation. (You just read about how my vacation reading went…huh?!?) I also give up blogging and social media for the most part. I figure it’s ‘family’ time. BUT hubs and I have done a few vacations by ourselves where it was just us, beach, drinks…and we both read a TON! I’m hoping to do that again next year for our anniversary. πŸ™‚

    • Jessica  

      I hope you get to do that for your anniversary too. My husband and I take a lot of vacations with our families, and unless we’re at the beach, I don’t get much reading done . . . EXCEPT when we go to my grandparents house. Then my grandmother and I stay inside and read, while the men go do crafty things in my grandfather’s work shop. Sometimes I even get a new bookcase out of the deal πŸ˜‰

  34. Danya  

    If I’m with my guy or my friends, then I don’t read as much. Vacationing with my family? All reading, all the time. I distinctly remember that when HP #6 was released it was right before my family and I went to our cottage. I read the book in two days and then spent the next two weeks mourning the death of a certain character. I put towels over my bedroom windows and listened to Evanescence on a loop. Clearly a cry for help. My family has understandably never let me forget it LOL.
    Danya recently posted…Tough Traveling: Saving the World

    • Jessica  

      Hahahaha!! Can’t. Stop. Laughing. That is awesome. I’m trying to think if I ever did anything like that, and the only thing I can come up with was when I thought Anne was going to marry Emily’s dad, and that Gilbert was dying. But even then . . . not nearly as dramatic, LOL.

  36. Karen  

    I’m the same. My work life is flexible and I can usually read a book per day but I’ve been on vacation for 2 weeks and have only read 3 books.

    Something is always planned on vacation or my husband is around so we’ve caught up on a lot of television/movies instead.

    I was sort of looking forward him going back to work so I could catch up on my reading lol

  37. roro  

    i plan to read a lot in SUMMER*olaf singing voice* or any other school vacation . Funny thing is i get distracted and binge watch tv shows. I could read a couple of books but instead only read on or two . tv has stories, so no problem right? lol

    ok i’m going to recommend some shows/anime YOU MUST watch . pretty please

    monthly girl nozaki kun_ ( gakken shoujo nozaki kun is a comedic high school slice of life anime . synopsis

    High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarō Nozaki, but when she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says that she always wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Chiyo discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shōjo manga artist named Sakiko Yumeno. She then agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga Let’s Fall in Love (ζ‹γ—γ‚ˆγ£ Koi Shiyo?, Let’s Have a Romance),[3][4] they encounter other schoolmates who assist them or serve as inspirations for characters in the stories.

    orphan black : A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her. . so much sci fy ey goodness

    IN the flesh: The show, set in the fictional village of Roarton, Lancashire, though filmed in Marsden, West Yorkshire,[6] depicts life after “The Rising”. During The Rising, deceased teenager Kieren Walker and thousands of other people who died in 2009 were re-animated as rabid zombies. The re-animated people were hunted down during “The Pale Wars” by armed militias. A medication was found to bring consciousness back to the undead, returning their minds to who they were before dying. The undead that were not killed by the militias were then rounded up and were given medication and rehabilitation by the government in a plan to reintroduce them to society.

    ok that’s al, Jessica

    if you are able to only watch one. WATCH NOZAKI KUN * uses mind powers to hook you *

    SUGOI ( probably used incorrectly haha)
    roro recently posted…BOOK TOUR: Playing By The BOOK by S. Chris. Shirley ( REVIEW)

  38. Paula M. from Her Book Thoughts!  

    Oh, I remember going on a vacation once with my family. It’s summer, we’re on a beach and the ocean is just in front of me, tempting me to swim. But I didn’t do any swimming though because I have a book with me. Then my mother threatened to throw all my books if I didn’t join them. I know she’s serious so, from that moment, I just decided to leave a book behind.

    Anyway, I discovered this magical thing called e-reader. Mwahaha. But to answer your question.. No πŸ™ I read more when I’m at home and pretend that nobody is existing but me =))

  39. Tabitha (Not Yet Read)  

    It depends on the type of vacation time I take. If it’s stay home vacation then yes I get to read more. If its a go somewhere vacation then no I only get to read during the ‘travel time’ either in the car or on the plane if I’m NOT the one driving. Which really isn’t much time at all really.

    Except years ago when I was on my honeymoon there was SO much travel time on plane, and on a bus that I got quite a bit read. But for the most part no suck luck as yours.

    Even if I ever do become a house wife instead of a normal 8 to 5 worker I would have kids to look after so I think it would be harder to read – but I hear audio books are a good option =)
    Tabitha (Not Yet Read) recently posted…Review: Shadows by E.C. Blake

  44. Lily  

    This is a hard ome because normally i’d say i don’t get any reading done during vacations but I just had a month long vacation and Europe where I got a lot of reading done. I read around 13 books which was weird since I wasn’t expecting to resd that much. That being said i got back a few weeks ago and haven’t read all that much. If anything I feel like i’m making myself read rather than just wanting too. I know i’m weird LOL. Isn’t it supposed to be the opposite?
    Lily recently posted…Some Boys: Review

    • Jessica  

      It sounds like you’re in a book funk. At least that’s what my book funks are like–forcing myself to read. You should maybe try binge-watching a TV show or something. NETFLIX is an excellent cure for a book funk πŸ˜‰

  46. Lola from Hit or Miss  

    Unlike you Jess, I go to school. :/ During the school year I mean. So, when summer comes, I’m super excited and only want to relax you know and, yea, READ. So yeah I read much much more. You figured, right? I now post review every day or two days and love it since my Goodreads challenge is to read 300 books and I’m ONLY 12 books behind schedule haha. πŸ˜›
    Lola recently posted…Review of A Safe Space (Somebody Else’s Fairytale #4) by E.M. Tippetts

  48. FranJessca {at} Book Lovin' Mamas  

    I’m a stay at home mom right now, so there is no such thing as vacation time for me. LOL I read more actually when my oldest daughter goes back to school (which happens to be really soon). Soon I will no longer be a stay at home mom because I’m going back to work. I graduated from college, so it’s time for me to go back in my job field. Thank goodness…I need to see more adults. LOL
    Audiobooks have been savior this past summer, especially with having the kids home for the summer.

  49. Angie from Angela's Anxious Life

    The funny thing for me is that I always think I am going to read more on vacation but never do. I used to drag a bunch of books and they sit unread. So now I only bring my ereader and just read whatever is on it. There are enough books on it that if I finish one there are plenty others to get to.
    Angie recently posted…Sunday Post

  50. Alexa  

    Idk I guess this could go either way for me. Most of the time when I go on vacation I’ll take books for the car ride or the plane ride. I’ll pretty much only read at the beginning of the trip and at the end of the trip.
    My last trip was to Europe and I live on the West Coast of America so the plane time was about 16 hrs one way. Which meant I was reading a lot because I had nothing else to do and I find it hard to sleep on a plane. So I read the whole way to Europe and all the way back. I was also able to find a small amount of time to read while on the cruise ship so I probably read more than normal with my last trip but that was only because it was so far away from home.
    Alexa recently posted…The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

  51. Lina  

    I just comeback from vacation and only managed to finish one book while trying my hardest to read in any empty moment. So no, I definitely don’t read more on vacation. I’m with you — my vacations are usually structured, leaving little reading time. (Plus I was camping — it’s really hard to read by the light of a lantern, haha.)
    Lina recently posted…I’m Going Off to College! + GIVEAWAY

  53. Jackie  

    I do tend to read more during vacation– especially if a plane ride is involved. Planes make me really nervous, so I have to distract myself. I also tend to read more if I’m visiting family because sometimes I just really, really need to escape from them.
    Jackie recently posted…Work in Progress