What do you like to read on board?

When the topic of favorite activity on board comes up, or what do you most look forward to, it sure seems like a lot of cruisers want to relax on their own balcony or a quiet spot with a cool drink and a book. Wondering what kind of books are popular?

For myself, I take both my tablet and a print book or two. I've enjoyed reading Patrick O'Brian's sea stories featuring Jack Aubrey. Ok, I am not on a man-o-war, but I can get into the descriptions of the sea, the storms, coming into port, sighting far away islands. I also like books about the ports or regions we're visiting. Last year we cruised out of Charleston. Several of the tour guides and locals recommended The Invention of Wings, so I downloaded it right then. I'm also happy with an easy going story that if I doze off or lose it in a port, I don't fret.

Any tips or recommendations for good cruise reading?

I like mysteries. Mostly I get books for my Kindle from Bookbub.com. They are free and to some extent I get what I pay for them. I guess about half of them I delete after reading a few pages. Some of the others are good some not as good. Before we leave, I will load up as many as I can from our library. These are returned automatically when my time with them is up. So no late fees. I expect to also have a hundred or so of the bookbub choices.

We like to read the ship's daily news letters of activities to find enjoyable things to do. We're retired and have ample opportunity to read books at home so look forward to being entertained on ships. :D

LuLu

I generally just continue reading whatever book I happen to be on before leaving home. I have about 200 books on my iPad presently, with probably 10-15 that I haven't read yet. I just recently began reading some books by James Rollins, a Northern Calif author.

I like to read the dinner menus.

I like to read the dinner menus.

Like!:D

I couldn't put it down...

Jonathan

I judge how successful my cruise vacation is by the number of books that I read. On our last cruise (thirteen nights) I made it through five novels. Although me darling wife loves her Kindle, I want a real book that I can take anywhere with me and not worry about losing it. I tend to enjoy mindless books such as Tom Clancy action or mysteries. I picked up two books from the "Number One Ladies Detective Series" which has a setting in Botswana. I have become hooked on the series and have read twelve more of the fifteen published since returning.

There is nothing more satisfying than sitting on the balcony and reading while the sea goes by or going up to the aft facing lounge or the lounge on the top deck to read if the sun is too hot.

I am a frequent user of our local library. I have been disappointed that many ship libraries are no longer as well stocked as in the past.:( I guess we can thank the tablets and e-readers for that! I often go to the local book swap at home to get free books for our cruise and then after reading, leave them on the ship for others to enjoy. I joke with my wife that it leaves more space in the suitcase to pack bric-a-brac for the return home.;)

I usually read light fiction or mysteries on cruises. I don't want to get my head into anything that heavy or thought provoking. I want to be cheery and happy and not so somber. :)

I have always read my books holding them in hand but recently got a Microsoft Surface. It's a combination computer and the screen separates to be a tablet. I have never used a tablet before and am starting a learning curve with it. I downloaded three books but am not sure if I have left them in the 'cloud' or they transferred over to my tablet. :eek:

So far, I'm enjoying this new device as my old Acer I used for travel became a dinosaur and was so slow etc

Before we leave, I will load up as many as I can from our library. These are returned automatically when my time with them is up. So no late fees. .

I get the downloadable books from our library as well. The price is right! We leave in two weeks (yippee!) so in a week I'll download a bunch to last me through the cruise.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Forums mobile app

I'm a late, but very enthusiastic, convert to the Kindle. My suitcase is much, much lighter now! On my last cruise (18 days), I would have needed to carry 22 books with me -- I read very fast. Some authors aren't available as ebooks via the library and some are favourites that I want to have in print, but for the most part, the Kindle has been such a boon for travel reading.

To answer the question asked: Some of my favourite authors I save especially for cruising and these are in the mysteries/thriller genre. Although I do read other things, of course, but no cruise would be complete without these authors coming along:

Deborah Crombie

Nelson DeMille

Martha Grimes

C.J. Sansom

Stuart Woods

I am another fan of mysteries especially "cozies". I still like a real book in my hands so before a cruise I stock up at the local used book store and/or abebooks.com. Once read, I pass them on to people onboard or leave at a book exchange if the ship has one.

I prefer paper to kindle. I do light reading. Even though I bring some paperbacks with me, I usually check a couple books out of the ship library, sometimes non- fiction but usually light fiction like mysteries. Sometimes I bring a book on Oprah's list or I've seen recommended on CC.

On the plane I prefer my tablet but like books once on board.

I like to read different authors that do a follow up on what possibly happened to Elizabeth and her sisters as well as Mr Darcy after Pride and Prejudice. That fits into english literature I suppose.That is the time period I embrace.

When the original Kindle came out I thought it was something I would never want, then my DSIL gave DH and I each a Kindle for Christmas. I figured it was only fair to try it since it was a gift. Well I was wrong, I loved it.

DH and I both read a lot of the same books, a few different. We read mostly in the mystery genre. We have moved on from Kindle to iPad now.

We are always in the middle of a book when we board, and make sure to have a lot of books still to read on our iPads.

Some of the authors we read...

John Sanford

John Grisham

Lee Child

Michael Connelly

Jon Kellerman

Faye Kellerman

Vince Flynn

Harlan Coben

Robert Crais

Kathy Reich

DH is a more voracious reader then I am. On our last trip, South America, he read 40 books. We were gone for eight weeks.

To me there is nothing more peaceful than being out in the middle of an ocean with nothing as far as I can see but the sea and the sky. I think that is what hooked me on cruising.

We carry so much electronic gear that we really don't have room for books or a couple of kindles. We use the kindle app on our iPhones. I make the print a comfortable size and with the backlit screen, reading is easy. We have about 350 books that we have read/still need to read. We have a mixture of current books that we paid for and classics that are free.

I use a Kindle and read a large range of books.

Keith

I like to read the dinner menus.

Chalk one up for Yuba,

I love Louise Penney's Detective Gamache series. Read in order.

I love Louise Penney's Detective Gamache series. Read in order.

I'll try those, thank you!

I love mysteries with a specific setting so I can feel that I am right there. My latest 'discovery': Inspector Cao Chen novels, setting is Shanghai, author is Qiu Xiaolong. He lives in St. Louis and writes in English.

I also like travel books, right now I am into Paul Theroux's.

I read both paper and kindle. Preferably from my local library. When I take books on a ship, I leave them and hope somebody else has left an interesting book or two.

I read mysteries in paperback. I enjoy James Patterson and Sue Grafton. They are light, easy reads and no real concentration needed because I love to watch people and I get distracted.

I want to thank everyone who participated above and will comment after this. You have reminded me of some old favorites that I have forgotten over the years and given me some new names to check out.

Happy Cruising

I use a Kindle and read a large range of books.

 

Keith

Ditto.

The Kindle has made things so much easier for travel.

I love Louise Penney's Detective Gamache series. Read in order.

Yes, I read the first four of hers on my last cruise- started with a paperback before I left home, then downloaded others to take. I think 5&6 must be read in the right order, because there's too many references to 5 if you read 6 first, which I started doing. A good insight into the French area of Canada.

For easy reading, I have lots of books I enjoyed when growing up, such as the Little Women series, Heidi and all the Jane Austen.

I also download books about cruising...favourite being Milly Johnson's "Here Come the Girls"....I've just picked up a new cruising kindle book called Cruise Ship Life, by Tobias Biddick, which tells of his career going from a hotel manager on shore to working the same role on a ship....just started it, so don't know how it will pan out.

I just started the latest book, on my iPad, by Kim Stanley Robinson, "Aurora". So far it's keeping me interested. But personally I don't think anyone can go wrong with any of his books; that is assuming you like SF.

I'll try those, thank you!

 

I love mysteries with a specific setting so I can feel that I am right there. My latest 'discovery': Inspector Cao Chen novels, setting is Shanghai, author is Qiu Xiaolong. He lives in St. Louis and writes in English.

 

If you like specific settings (hers are set in a small village near Quebec City) and great recurring characters, I can assure you that you will love reading award winning Louise Penney's.