It’s going to be a holiday of tomes! Since we’re going to be spending 85% of this holiday reading, we decided that the physical books we took had to be over 400 pages, and preferably a book we both haven’t read (there are two exceptions, though!) I mean, isn’t that the best thing about going on holiday when your sister has the exact same bookish taste as you? Sharing books!

A lot of these books have been on our shelves unread for a seriously long time, and what better time to read them than practically stranding yourself on a desert island with them? Okay, so maybe substitute ‘stranding yourself’ with ‘going willingly’ and desert island with ‘really nice hotel.’

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Bee: This was my individual pick. We both have e-editions of The Sky is Everywhere from that time it was free to download, so this is the holiday where I’ll read Jandy Nelson. I’ve heard nothing but good things – admittedly quite a while ago because the hype for this author has more than died down, but maybe if we like these books enough we’ll be able to inject some life back into the excitement surrounding this author!

Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

Bee: I read 50 pages of Inkheart from by secondary school library almost ten years ago(!) and I’ve been meaning to pick it up again ever since! Now, Inkspell is for Maddie who has re-read Inkheart more times than I can count, but has never made it to picking up the sequel. Hopefully, I can persuade her to not put it off any longer!

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Maddie: It’s finally time! This book really excites me at the moment because Bee and I are working on a joint project and doing a lot of prep for July Camp Nanowrimo, so reading about a girl that’s having her NaNo novel published is all the inspiration I need. The format of the two stories, the one Darcy wrote and the one she’s living, also sounds like it’ll keep me interested the whole way through. I wonder if I’ll like one more than the other…

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Maddie: This is the tome-iest of tomes that I’m taking with me, and one that screams summer, along with sci-fi utopia and love triangle. I absolutely love the film and I’m so pumped to read it in novel form, and see how the sister-like relationship between Melanie and Wanda develops, and whether it’ll play a bigger role in the books.

Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson

Maddie: Last summer, Bee and I went around collecting every Jacqueline Wilson book we could find, from a charity shop, a library or a supermarket – they were all in our hands. Opal Plumstead is one of the more recent releases, with a slightly YA feel as it focuses on a teenage girl who works at a sweet factory as she becomes more involved in the suffragette movement in the early 20th century. I really want to get into some more historical fiction as well, so…

All the Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls

Bee: This is another suffragette book, but with the addition of an F/F romance! We heard about this at the Anderson Press YA Book Bunch and the buzz was permeable! While one of us reading Opal, the other can dive into this to keep the girl power vibe going.

The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

Maddie: It’s always good to have a shorter book on hard (much shorter at under 300 pages!) for when we’re in the airport and don’t feel like doing any heavy lifting. To spice up this TBR, let’s read about a very drawn out break up in the vein of Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith!

So, that’s all of the physical books that will be making their way into our suitcases and touching Bavarian soil! We’ve also got a whole bunch on our Kindles to look forward to, so hopefully, this holiday reading schedule will be a complete success!