A Few Vacation Reads

Vacation reading is some of the best reading! Do you agree? 

Grace has been sharing on Instagram about her recent trip to the Washington D.C. area. If you love history and historical places, be sure to head over to Instagram to see what she has shared. She shared some great stuff on her Instagram stories and highlights. 

While my two daughters went to the East Coast, by husband, son, and I spent some time on the West Coast visiting my family. That is what happens when kids grow up. Family vacations become rare and harder to manage all at the same time.

While we were in Oregon, we spent a few days at the beach. The beach for us means eating seafood, early morning runs, lots of walking, reading, and browsing bookstores. Yes, we love to visit bookstores on vacation. 

Before I share what I read on vacation, I have to share about a couple of the bookstores we visited. 

I grew up about an hour from Cannon Beach, Oregon. There is the cutest used bookstore on one of the side streets of Cannon Beach called Jupiter Books.

It is one of my favorite places to visit at the beach. We always walk away with several books. If you ever visit that area be sure to stop by. 

There is also a great small bookstore called Cannon Beach Book Company. This bookstore has been there for years as well, and I have been to it many times. My husband and I actually went to this store two days in a row to just browse the books. Of course, we also bought a few things.

We love supporting small Independent bookstores while on vacation. I love the convenience and price of ordering books online, but as small business owners, we also love to support small businesses.

Visiting Independent bookstores and buying books on vacation and during our travels is a simple way to do that. Plus, books make great souvenirs to take back home. 

We might need to start taking an extra bag with us though because this is the stack we bought and brought back home…

One of the books I bought was a 700 page book…That probably wasn’t the best book to buy because I had to haul it back home, but I couldn’t resist it since it was a novel based on the logging industry in the area I grew up. It was also by an author from Oregon. It was worth hauling home. 

Now for what we actually read while at the beach and on vacation. 

Between the plane rides and the beach my husband read a couple of books. He read and loved The First Wave by Alex Kershaw. He said it was so good Grace and I need to read it too. 

I had not planned on reading this one on vacation, but I have been wanting to read a book by Elizabeth Goudge for awhile. When I saw the Scent of Water at Jupiter Books, I knew I had to get it.

I started it the same day that I bought it and could not put it down. I read it in one day. I will share a full review soon, but I really enjoyed the Scent of Water and can’t wait to read more by this author. 

These three Wendell Berry books came home with me after I found them used at Jupiter Books. I read Hannah Coulter in one day while on vacation.

I now know why so many people love Wendell Berry. The book was like reading a memoir, but it wasn’t a memoir it was fiction. The story and writing drew you in. I couldn’t put this one down.

I can’t wait to read the Jaber Crow and Andy Cartlett books that I picked up. They will make great summer reads. 

Now that I shared a few of my favorite vacation reads this year what have you been reading? I would love to hear about the books you have read or plan to read this summer!