Summer is fast approaching, and we can’t wait to pull out our passports and check into the airport lounge. No doubt we are all picking up those suitcase essentials, from caps to flip-flops and suntan lotion, but did you know that a staggering amount of us are reserving a spot in our cases for a book (or two?!) In fact, our annual holiday marks the point of the year when we all turn into bookworms for a fortnight, but why is this?
Focusing the mind
When it comes to picking a holiday read, you can count on your local bookstore to offer specific recommendations. Perhaps you’ll want to liven up the tranquillity of your lounger overlooking the pool with a thrilling crime fiction novel, or maybe you want to boost your relaxation by getting clued up on all things mindfulness. Our imagination can run wild when our minds are invested in a good book, and it can feel like an escape of sorts. Many 9-5 jobs now involve hefty shifts spent set upon the glare of a computer screen with a steady flow of coffee to keep us focused, thinking only about what dinner that evening will be. In fact, a holiday spent reading can refocus our minds, so we return to work refreshed. Further to this, there are ongoing studies into whether brain-stimulating activities like reading or puzzle solving could help prevent the early stages of Alzheimer’s. While we savour our annual dose of warmer climes, we are also guilty of returning to our hotel rooms to enjoy our poolside reads in peace and quiet, escaping the intense heat.
The return of reading
Although reading should be just a standard activity, readers are becoming quite competitive when it comes to opening a book abroad. Holidaymakers are eager to share pictures of their pile of beach reads, almost as if they are trying to out-do each other. While we all intend to limit time spent on social media, enjoying a phone-detox in the sun isn’t as simple as it used to be. People are picking the phone up purely to let others back at home know what pages they are turning, and in some cases a book placed carefully on the end of a sun lounger is purely for decoration! There was even a sentiment felt by holidaymakers that clutching the cover of a certain title was impressive, and popularity compilations never neglect to include a Sophie Kinsella novel, or a classic such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
In for the long-run
If a story is good enough, chances are we will become hooked — this is something that has been ingrained in us as a society from school years. Up to 75% of parents wish that their children would read more for fun, and so books are an encouraged item when it comes to packing for adults as well as children. Our lives are busier than ever, so making time for reading may seem difficult; yet despite this, surveys found that 51% of UK adults read at least one book in 2018, and on average shoppers bought 9 physical books in this time. Therefore, reading is still high on many people’s agendas, despite the modern culture of work-life domination.
Flicking through the pages
There’s no experience quite like flicking through the pages of a paperback. The emergence of e-books and hand-held electronic devices has revolutionised our traditional perception of reading, as a less bulky, convenient way to read. With the ability to download and store books, the kindle became a library, and often the titles are cheaper to purchase in their digital format. They are a genuine holiday essential with a whole host of travel savvy options available, but the print industry has not wavered in spite of this.
This article was brought to you by Where The Trade Buys, UK book printing specialists. Whether you choose to pack a couple of our favourite paperbacks or slip a sleek electronic book into your hand luggage, don’t forget to enjoy good read beneath a warmer sun.
