How to Plan a Reading Vacation
a literal and metaphorical escape
Hello, friends, and welcome new subscribers - this week we’re doing something a little bit different. I put out a survey last week looking for BookTok topics people needed explainers on (content about F1 romance, vampires, and cover art trends) but by far the most requested topic, and one I’ve been thinking about for a while, was reading retreats. A quick side note: for those who requested a Zodiac Academy explainer and a Why Choose explainer, here are links to earlier Romancing the Phone content. And the survey is still open if you’re looking to share your thoughts.
A few months ago, I took my annual (semi-annual?) trip to Cambria, California, a trip where one of the biggest highlights for me is sitting by a fire pit next to the ocean every morning and reading (the only reason I’m disclosing location here is because Cambria is hard enough to get to I don’t think it will become overrun with reading tourists). I plan out the books I’m loading onto my Kindle for this trip weeks in advance. When I need to escape from reality, I picture myself reading and listening to the crashing waves. It has become an essential part of my calendar, so much so that I find it hard to want to go anywhere else.
Meanwhile, the people of BookTok are planning much more elaborate reading retreats and hosting 24 hour read-a-thons, escaping to cabins and beach houses in matching pajamas with well structured reading and activities. So today, I’ll share a bit about my reading vacations and about BookTok reading retreats, including the expensive themed retreats with authors that are cropping up across the country.
My Reading Vacation
This is more personal than I usually get and I feel weird about it, but let’s see how this goes (not an influencer) (although wattpad recently sent me a very nice ice chest). I’ve been going to Cambria off and on since I was a kid, and in recent years more frequently. Located Just south of Big Sur and just north of San Luis Obispo, it’s a charming beach town with good food (important), not overrun with tourists, and just 40 minutes away from Central California wine country. Plus, it’s a place I’ve been many times, so I don’t need to do much research or planning before booking a trip. Those factors all play a part in making it an ideal destination for a reading vacation:
Obviously, the most important factor here is a destination where you can find a scenic and peaceful place to read. For me, this is a fire pit at my usual hotel with a view of the ocean. The rooms at this hotel also all have their own fireplaces. I find fireplaces very conducive to fancy reading experiences. Your chosen reading spot doesn’t have to be outside, but it should have a nice view. Maybe a window seat? Who amongst us hasn’t fantasized about a window seat. You want to be able to feel like you’re somewhere serene and different, even if all you’re doing is reading for most of the day
Good food: even if this is a reading vacation, you’re going to need to take a break to eat. Preferably pastries or pie. I have a beloved sandwich shop, a fancier dinner option, a bakery (the pie counter at Linn’s), and, my favorite place of all, a blue corn waffle truck. Pick a few places where you can grab snacks to nibble on while you read and a few places to have excellent meals and get out of the house for a little bit.
I think about this waffle all year long Scenic hikes: If you can tear yourself away from your book, it’s nice to stretch your legs a bit. I love a walk along the beach or a gentle hike through the forest, especially if it’s foggy (fog feels like the correct weather for reading vacations to me). A bonus if you bring your book and find a bench to read on. No one says your reading spot has to stay the same the whole trip! Clearly I’m not picturing a reading vacation in a big city. I feel like you need to be living out your small town romance, Murder She Wrote fantasies here.
A secondary activity (honestly optional): Wine tasting is another great activity that gets you to a different location, but you can still bring a book! What is better than wine and cheese and a paperback? I also recommend swimming or historic house museums.
All hikes are improved when you play “Liz on Top of the World” from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice soundtrack while looking at a stunning vista. Isn’t it already playing in your head, anyway?
BookTok Reading Retreats
Now that you’ve seen my reading vacation, a trip that needs very little planning because I have taken it many times, be prepared to be astonished by the spectrum of potential reading vacations as presented by BookTok:
Cozy cabin retreat with hot tub, 10/10:
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Low effort and probably relatively affordable depending on your location.
Here’s an even fancier cabin:
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Here is a very practical and compelling guide to planning and budgeting your own reading retreat, including hosting a “book fair”:
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Finally, there’s the 24 hour read-a-thon, a BookTok and BookTube phenomenon whereupon readers just read for 24 hours (for me, this was just the majority of my teenage experience):
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The Book Tourism Industry
One of the themes of this newsletter: the fact that romance novels have always been big business. The popularity of romance isn’t a new phenomenon. But thanks to the visibility of BookTok, the rise in younger readers, and the post-pandemic book boom, romance novels are suddenly serious business, and everyone wants to find a way to profit off of the community. We’ve already talked about the increase in romance fan conventions (welcome back, Book Con!), but what I was surprised by when I started researching this post was the number of companies cropping up around boutique reading trip planning:
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Ladies Who Lit hosts reading retreats in Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, England, and the Caribbean. All future dates appear to be sold out, so I can’t tell you how expensive they are, but let’s guess quite expensive. They do look very glamorous.
Here’s another trip planned by Boutique Book Retreats, including a special sit down dinner inside a romance bookstore (cute!). Temecula, however, is not as glamorous as Mykonos (trust me). Their upcoming events include a Swiftie-themed reading retreat in Kansas City ($849) and a holiday event in San Diego (sold out).
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Here’s a reading retreat hosted at a women’s summer camp in vintage campers for $1600:
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And Fabled Fantasy Events, the event company that also hosts Romantasy Book Con (in both Orlando and LA), has taken it one step further. Their Romantasy Retreats include special guest authors. An upcoming weekend in Savannah, Georgia features exclusive workshops and Q and As with Adalyn Grace and Kaylie Smith plus a ghost tour, tarot card readings, and more (with prices starting at $2,500 per person for a single-occupancy room). Musicians make most of their money touring - will authors be next? (probably not).
Still, I find all of these new ways of reading and interacting fascinating, and definitely something to keep an eye on. Readers are looking for opportunities to connect in person, to deepen their exploration of their hobby. And I don’t think we’ve seen even close to the max of what they are willing and excited to spend to achieve that, if people take them seriously. Or, you can plan your own retreat and save money. Or both!
Finally, I was going to share a list of books to take on vacation here, but I basically already did that, so if you’re looking for vacation reads, check out my Summer Reading Recommendations.
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And don’t forget, every vacation is also an opportunity to snoop on everyone else’s reading choices! It’s like watching the movie the person in front of you is watching on the plane.
Next week: Lights Out and the dark romantic comedy phenomenon.
xoxo
Oh I love this! As someone who reads on vacation all the time anyway, I've never thought about what makes one vacation better for reading vs another.
Two things I am now going to be thinking about year-round, thanks to this newsletter: (1) how to take a reading vacation of my own and (2) blue corn waffles.