Blog Tour: After The Honeymoon by Janey Fraser - Favourite Holiday Reads/Essentials

Never knowingly under packed. Or at least, that’s what my newish husband says when he watches me struggling to get everything in my suitcase for a holiday. And it’s true.

But he’s not talking about clothes. He means the piles of books which line the bottom of my case which usually result in a surcharge at the EasyJet  desk. Yes, I know I could get them all on Kindle. But there’s something so satisfying about turning a proper page on a sun-lounger. And besides, I’d be bound to drop a screen into the pool. My still-slightly damp paperbacks are testament to that.

Holiday reading should be like holidays. Variety with a touch of spice and home comfort thrown in. That’s why I generally choose a wide selection. I need something light but with bite for the days when I feel like really chilling out. But I also like serious books to get my teeth in : the kind where it takes some time to read a chapter properly.

When I look back over past holidays, I often associate them with books which I read at the time. I discovered ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ by Mitch Albom on a dusty bookshelf in a hotel in the Grenadines – and it was as though a light had come on. At the time, I was going through a tough patch in my life and the wise, grounded advice in this wonderful book which had unexpectedly found its way into my hand, was unforgettable. As soon as I got home, I bought myself a copy.

I also love any novel by Lisa Jewell. She’s entertaining and somehow, both light and deep . Perfect. Last summer, I had a wonderful time with ‘Before I Met You’.

In fact, I’m planning my next summer book suitcase right now as I’m heading for Italy to help run a writing course called The Art of Writing. www.the-art-of-writing.com. I’m going to take Jane Fallon’s latest – ‘Skeletons’ – which sounds great. Lots of secrets and warm characters if her previous novels are anything to go by. There’ll be several more too but I’m still making up my mind.

Meanwhile, I’ll also pack far too many clothes because you never know what the weather is going to do nowadays. And my laptop of course because I always write very day, no matter where I am. Then there’s my eye mask – without which I can’t sleep a wink – and my charger so I can ring the kids.

Oh dear. You can see why I always end up tipping the scales at Check In. Mind you, the Italians understand these things. On my last trip, the girls asked me what I had inside my case. ‘Lots of books and too many shoes,’ I admitted shamefacedly.

Her eyes lit up. ‘Books and shoes? You can never have enough.’

And do you know, she let me through without making me pay a surcharge.....

After The Honeymoon by Janey Fraser will be published by Arrow on 22nd May 2014.

Three couples. One honeymoon destination. Enough secrets to end it all.....