There is no task I take quite so seriously as selecting a book to take with me on holiday. There are a number of criteria it must fit and it is only the rare book that traverses them all (see State of Wonder by Ann Patchett as the perfect example). The book must be highly readable and must take me into a completely different world. It should have some depth (I can't abide chick lit any more). There must be likeable characters as I want to take a vacation with people I enjoy. An odd but also important point relates to size; the book should be compact and lightweight, particularly if I'm flying (obviously this criteria will diminish in importance as I rely more on my e-reader). It is with some embarrassment that I must admit a critical error that I once made was choosing a book only by its size. While My Name is Mary Sutter is a perfectly adequate book, it was not engaging to the point of not wanting to put it down. It was a bit of a slog and a mistake that I've learned from. My next big holiday read and one that I hope will stand up is The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
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