Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Books I Read On Vacation (bonus points if you tell us where you were!) (Submitted by Me!)

Hello Readers! I hope you’re settling into October and finding time to read. We’re finally enjoying some cooler weather here in Texas, which has me ready for all things fall-ish. I was so excited to see my Top Ten Tuesday suggestion had been chosen for this week! It seemed even more fortuitous since I’d recently returned from a vacation. 😉

For me, reading and travel go hand in hand. Sometimes choosing a book to read while I travel is just as hard as choosing the destination! We love to travel, and we don’t do much for entertainment throughout the year, saving our extra spending for trips instead. As I’ve mentioned before, my husband is a mountain biker (just a hobby, not a profession!), so we often plan our trips around his next biking destination. I’m happy to see somewhere with a nice view and read while he does his thing. 😃 He also travels some for work (except for during the height of the pandemic), and sometimes I tag along. It may be work for him, but it’s a vacation for me, right?!

Let’s see what books I’ve read on vacation!

(Link to Goodreads synopsis through book title.)

1

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
Moab, Utah

If you saw my September Wrap-up post, I shared about our recent trip to Moab, Utah. While my husband was out mountain bike riding, I picked up Elle Kennedy’s Bad Girl Reputation, only intending to read a few chapters. I was quickly lulled in by the nice weather, spectacular view, and spicy story, reading until the end!
My Review

2

Happiness For Beginners by Katherine Center
Bentonville, Arkansas

In June, we visited Bentonville, Arkansas and I so enjoyed reading Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center while surrounded by the quiet woods.

3

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Durango, Colorado

I’ve mentioned this a few times on the blog, but back in December while we took a short trip with extended family to Durango, Colorado, I reread Christina Lauren’s In a Holidaze. It was a memorable experience with snow on the ground and family gathered around, much like in the book.
My Review

4

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Galveston, Texas

Last year we took a quick trip to the beach in Galveston, Texas with extended family. I read The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. It’s a shorter classic with a seaside setting, so it worked well on my short beach holiday.

5

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess
Bentonville, Arkansas

Back in 2019, we took our first trip to Bentonville, Arkansas along with extended family, and I enjoyed reading The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess while poolside. This one is set during the summer of 1987 in Cape Cod.

6

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea
Somewhere in the Southwest

In 2018, we took a long road trip with our kids driving from Texas to Flagstaff, Arizona. As we drove through the Southwest, I read The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, the harrowing true story of 26 men who attempted to cross the Mexican border through the Arizona desert, leaving 14 dead.

7

The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker
The Grand Canyon, Arizona

During the same trip, I also read The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker, a sweet story about stepping out of your comfort zone, which is fitting for this shot in Grand Canyon because I’m afraid of heights. 😉

8

Confess by Colleen Hoover
Taos, New Mexico

In 2017, we took our first trip to Taos, New Mexico and fell in love. I had no idea how much I would feel at home in the desert. I remember reading Confess by Colleen Hoover while enjoying the warm sunshine and vast view.

9

The Ruins by Scott Smith
South Padre Island, Texas

In 2017, we also took a quick trip to South Padre Island, Texas with extended family and I had so much fun reading The Ruins by Scott Smith, a creepy horror book set in the jungles of Mexico, while beachside.

10

Wanderlost by Jen Malone
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

In 2016, we took an epic road trip with both sets of grandparents to beautiful Yellowstone National Park. I read several books on that trip, but most memorable was the road trip book, Wanderlost by Jen Malone.

Bonus

Summer Days and Summer Nights
Somewhere between Texas and Seattle, Washington

And because I couldn’t narrow it down to just ten, you get a bonus! Because of that fear of heights I mentioned earlier, I’m a nervous flier, but I always have a book in hand to make the trip pass more quickly. When we took a trip to Seattle, Washington, I read the anthology, Summer Days and Summer Nights, which included a story by one of my favorite fantasy authors at the time, Cassandra Clare. I have to admit, there’s nothing quite like reading among the clouds!

Have you visited any of these locations or read any of the books? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!