If there’s one thing both casual readers and devoted bookworms can agree on, it’s that reading on holiday feels a little bit magical. Far from the demands of daily life, distractions melt away. Time seems to stretch.
Books feel richer, more immersive, more effortlessly page-turning. Long novels no longer feel intimidating; short ones are joyfully devoured in single sittings. Paperbacks may get waterlogged by the pool or collect grains of sand in the spine, but those worn-in books are the ones we treasure because they are steeped in happy reading memories.
And then we come home. Books return to being a background activity – wedged between errands, emails and endless scrolling. Reading becomes something we only get around to attempting at the end of the day, in a tug-of-war battle with our tired eyes.
Or we pick up a book with good intentions, only to set it down minutes later, pulled back into the noise of daily life. The pace is different. The atmosphere is different. And the joy of getting lost in a story starts to feel like a luxury that we cannot quite afford.
But with a little intention and a few simple shifts, it is possible to read like you’re on holiday – even when you are far from it. From carving out a holiday-inspired reading nook to focusing on pleasure, you can bring back that slow, indulgent, escapist vibe anytime, anywhere. Here is how to keep the magic of holiday reading alive, even long after you’ve unpacked…
Stay in the habit and keep up the rituals
Whether it’s morning pages by the pool or an hour in the hammock after lunch, one of the reasons why holiday reading feels so pleasurable is because it gives us space to build reading rituals. And it doesn’t take a behavioural psychologist to understand that such rituals help us to form a habit – all you need to do when you get home is keep it up.
“Holiday reading reminds us how good it feels to be utterly absorbed in a book – so keep that momentum going by carving out a mini ‘reading siesta’ every day,” says Lucy Pearson, a bibliotherapist who runs reading retreats and The Literary Edit newsletter on Substack. You might not have the time for an hour-long hammock session (Pearson suggests setting a timer for just 20 minutes), but any semblance of a daily reading ritual will help. The more you’re in the habit of something, the easier it becomes.
Curate your reading list with the same level of care
“I spend more time planning my holiday reading than my wardrobe,” says Carly Penderis, a bookseller at The Wee Bookshop in Dollar, Clackmannanshire. It is something that many readers can relate to: after all, there is nothing worse than being stuck with a bad book on holiday, or a pile of titles that you realise – a little too late – are far too samey.
Most of us think carefully about what to pack, making sure the books come with trusted recommendations, or that there is a healthy balance of light and serious, mysteries and romances. So why not bring that same energy to your home reading life?
“I always choose a book I’m truly excited about and set a day to begin that feels most appropriate,” says Penderis. “I’ve been saving John Boyne’s The Elements series, for example, to binge on my next break – because the right book at the right time can feel like a holiday in itself.”
Focus on pleasure
While you are at it, don’t feel pressured to read certain types of books post-holiday. Beach reads are known as such because they tend to be fun and easy to devour – and there is nothing wrong with continuing to read them even when you are miles away from the coast. “Keep that easy-breezy energy alive by choosing what feels good, not what you feel you should read,” advises Pearson.
“Allow yourself to be a ‘lazy’ reader – and by that I mean you don’t need to read serious books,” agrees Daisy Buchanan, the author of the non-fiction guide Read Yourself Happy and the novel Pity Party, which has just come out in paperback. “Let yourself read for fun. Let’s be honest, once you’re back to work, you’re going to need even more moments of fun than usual.”`
Don’t be afraid to put books down, either. “If a book was boring you on holiday, you probably wouldn’t waste your precious time off trying to get to the end for the sake of finishing,” says Buchanan. “The same should apply for when you’re home. You don’t have to finish a book you don’t like just because you’re not on holiday anymore.”
Try destination reading
If you are longing for the feeling of escape, let the books transport you. “Pick titles that whisk you away – whether to a sweltering summer in Italy, the craggy cliffs of Croatia, or the shadowed streets of Paris,” says Pearson. “Try Family and Borghesia by Natalia Ginzburg, Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje, or James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room.”
Buchanan adds: “Some of the books I love the most are the ones that make me feel like I’m still away. They really help to ease the post-vacation blues. I loved Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter – it’s set on the coast of Italy in the 1960s and took me to another place and time. Or try The Layover by Beth Reekles – it’s so sweet, so fun, and literally set in an airport.”
Or take inspiration from where you’ve just been. “If you’ve just returned from a trip, keep the feeling going with books set there,” says Christy Matthews, of Ink@84 Books in Highbury, north London.
“You don’t have to stop being curious about a place once you’ve left. Ask your local bookseller for recommendations. If you were reading Orhan Pamuk in Istanbul, for instance, try Tell Them of Battles, Kings and Elephants by Mathias Énard and explore another layer of Turkish history.”
Read while out and about
Half of the joy of holiday reading is, of course, the setting itself. “It would be nice if we could do all our reading on a beach or by a pool,” says Buchanan. “But you can absolutely evoke that holiday feeling by reading outdoors.
“Go to the park in your lunch-hour and bring a cool drink – iced tea always takes me straight back to that relaxed, ‘on vacation’ mindset.”
Kat Harrison, from Truman Books in Farsley, Leeds, agrees, saying: “I think nothing of reading in a bar while on holiday. But at home, reading often gets pushed aside because of housework, life admin and TV.
“So every now and then, I head to a bar, café or beer garden with comfy seats, and settle in with my drink of choice and my latest read. It’s a little change of scenery that brings that holiday ease back into my day.”
Create a mini reading retreat at home
“Light a candle, pour yourself a drink – whether it is an iced coffee or Aperol spritz, no judgment here – and declare one chair in your home a no-screen reading zone,” says Pearson.
Carolynn Bain, of Afrori Books in Brighton, says: “This is something I practise often. Make it a night of self-care – cook your favourite meal, put on a holiday playlist, dim the lights and snuggle up with your book.”
Go off grid
At home, we can while away entire evenings binge-watching mindless television or scrolling through our phones – often at the same time – in a way that we would never dream of doing while on holiday. “Choose one night a week to be screen-free,” suggests Bain. “I do Mondays – it’s a great way to start the week.”
If you need a nudge, check your phone’s screen time statistics, says Ross Denby of Pages N’ Pixels, a comic book shop in Halifax, West Yorkshire. “Take 10 or 20 per cent of last week’s screen time and dedicate it to reading instead. You will be amazed at how quickly you get through books – and how much more rested you feel.”
Make it social
It can often feel easier to read while on holiday simply because more often than not, you are surrounded by other people who are also reading. “Some of my favourite holidays have been the group ones, where we are all ‘alone together’,” says Buchanan. “We are quietly reading our books, sharing snacks, sometimes gasping, or laughing out loud.
“Even though reading is a lovely thing to do alone, I like to recreate the holiday magic by inviting a friend or two to come over for a ‘reading afternoon’ – especially as this usually results in lots of great bookish conversations.”
