Holiday Reads – making the journey more exciting than the destination

It's June, it's raining, and that can only mean one thing ... British Summertime is almost upon us. For those outside of our little island, we hope you're equally looking forward to your summer vacation.

As a publishing house, it will be a surprise to nobody that the Velocisti love nothing more than to get stuck into a good book. So, let's think about what makes a 'good' holiday book. Over a casual conversation in the office, there was no clear author or even genre of preference. People want different things from a holiday read.

If you're looking for something to keep you occupied on journey where you're not behind the wheel (of course, we're not suggesting you read at the wheel... that'd be silly), perhaps you might want something to learn from such as DRIVEN, or you maybe a captivating story A Cat to Kill For. Comparatively, if you're a travelling snoozer -guilty!- you're looking for something at a slower pace, reflecting on the 'good old days' (why not take a look at Dairy Cows and Duck Races).

After some discussion, the Velocisti shared their latest holiday reads:

"I like to read a book set in my destination, such as A Room with a View when I visited Italy, or Captain Corelli's Mandolin when in Greece"

"The Coffin Path, a ghost story, something exciting to get lost in"

"I keep going back to a series of short stories by Richard Brautigan, starting with Revenge of the Lawn, every time I take a trip away."

For those of us who have taken a step into eBook territory, there are plenty of bargains to be had for a holiday read, and you can take as many books as you wish away with you – no worrying about baggage restrictions!

Of course, there's the confounded little boxes we keep in our pockets which are all well and good, until the network signal runs out, at which points they're rendered nothing more than an expensive paperweight. Remember the comedian who shouted into his mobile phone on the train? We acknowledge the frustration that is 'airplane mode' and that airport WiFi is patchy on a good day and extremely expensive on a bad one, and if there's no WiFi at your destination – quelle horreur!

In all seriousness, we often underestimate the effect that a good book has on the mind. Old books that smell and feel familiar, and new books that have never been opened before; they're soothing to the soul. It's great to take a book away with you because there's no rushing, no notifications, emails, pop-ups or other 'noise' and mental clutter. Books are restful and restorative.

And of course, if you don't have the time, patience or money to 'get away' this summer, what better reason to pick up a book, put the kettle on and transport your mind to far off lands for a fraction of the cost...