favorite reading on a cruise

[virginiacruisin]

On my last cruise I saw a similar thread and someone said their favorite easy reading on a cruise was Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum series. I bought one and have now ready every one in the series. Easy reading and quite fun. Anyone have other suggestions? What do you like to read on a cruise?

[suse]

Philip Craig, RIP, has a great series. Lots of fun, very light, and great for a cruise!

[cb at sea]

I always bring books, but never seem to read them...I'm busy "people-watching" and talking to my "neighbors" at the pool! Once in awhile, I'll finish a chapter, but it's not often that happens! I don't bring anything that requires too much concentration, because I KNOW that I'll be doing other things!!! (Talking--did I mention that???)

[MrsPete]

This isn't cruise-specific, but my current favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gab-something. It's historical fiction with some romance thrown in. VERY addictive! Currently there are six in the series, and a seventh comes out this fall.

 

A related question: I hope-hope-hope to get an Amazon Kindle for my upcoming birthday. I've sure hinted enough! I've heard that they don't work in some remote spots out west. Will they work onboard the ship?

[nparmelee]

If hitting Venice, the Donna Leon series with Comissario Brunetti. Very light and easy reads with lots of Venice locales.

[BoPippy]

I am in the middle of a Stephen King novel...science fiction:eek:

[Arwenmark]

I don't read on board, I LISTEN to books while watching the Sea. What depends on what is out at the time usually or sometimes old favorites.

[Padraic]

What do you like to read on a cruise?

 

I read the same on a cruise that I do anywhere else - history - especially Anglo-Saxon Britain history. I have never been one to read 'light' fiction. My wife on the other hand she devours the light fiction on a cruise.

 

Padraic

[paul929207]

I go to the library on the ship and just wander around until I find some books that appeal to me.

[lady_cruiser]

Try books by Mary Daheim. She has a series of books called the "bed and breakfast" series about an inn keeper who, along with her cousins, solve different types of mystery. Which just happen to happen while they are on the scene. It seems that death and murder seem to follow them every where they go. Her book titled Dead Man Docking would be the perfect book to bring on a cruise.

[endosunshine]

One of the very best books I have EVER read is "Shantaram" by David Gregory Roberts. It is based on a true story of his escape from prison in Australia and his life in India thereafter. It is FABULOUS. I read almost 300 pages the first day! It is quite long (700 or 800 pages) but truly enjoyable. It is not what I refer to as "light" reading, which is how I refer to the novels that run in a series, but nor is it heavy, overly serious or boring. I simply could not put it down.

Another excellent book (altho about 15 years old) is "Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy, another one that I could not put down. If you saw the movie - the book is WAY better. I would read until 2am, knowing I had to get up for work, thinking "just one more chapter".

 

Regarding the Kindle - once you have downloaded the books on to the device, it will work any where. The only problem is that in an area where you can not get the appropriate cell phone signal, then you are not able to download. So if you download before leaving, you should be fine.

 

It is my understanding that older books are very inexpensive to download and some are even free.

[ottergal]

This isn't cruise-specific, but my current favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gab-something. It's historical fiction with some romance thrown in. VERY addictive! Currently there are six in the series, and a seventh comes out this fall.

 

A related question: I hope-hope-hope to get an Amazon Kindle for my upcoming birthday. I've sure hinted enough! I've heard that they don't work in some remote spots out west. Will they work onboard the ship?

 

You may not be able to download new books while you are at sea or if you're not in the Whispernet (Sprint service) coverage area. But you can download them to your computer if you wanted (and then transfer them to your Kindle) and the Kindle itself doesn't need any sort of wireless connection while you're reading.

 

So can you read anything that's already on your device? Absolutely! Just load up before you go and you'll be set!

[babydoll]

This isn't cruise-specific, but my current favorite is the Outlander series by Diana Gab-something. It's historical fiction with some romance thrown in. VERY addictive! Currently there are six in the series, and a seventh comes out this fall.

 

A related question: I hope-hope-hope to get an Amazon Kindle for my upcoming birthday. I've sure hinted enough! I've heard that they don't work in some remote spots out west. Will they work onboard the ship?

 

 

I just finished Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and am reading the second. Great story. Your right it is addictive.

[CC Help Michell]

If a favorite author has a new book I will bring it along, but if not (or if I'm feeling cheap) I think cruises are a great time to bring along and re-read old favorites. Last week I took along some Richard Bach and Robert Heinlein, and didn't get too much of either read. :) I think for my June cruise I'm going to bring just Heinlein and re-immerse myself in my favorite author -- it's been several years since I re-read all of his books.

[michmike]

Can't go wrong with any book by any of the following authors. Give them a try if you haven't read them yet.

 

Wilbur Smith

Clive Cussler

Stuart Woods

Robert Parker

Daniel Silva

Stephen Frey

Robert Ludlum

David Baldacci

Vince Flynn

Michael Connelly

John D McDonald

Randy Wayne White

William Kent Krueger

John Sanford

Nelson DeMille

Charles Frazier

 

 

also try water for elephants by sara gruen

[HesitantCruiser]

#1 Ladies Detective Agency series - they are very fast reads though, so you might need a couple!

[MrsPete]

You may not be able to download new books while you are at sea or if you're not in the Whispernet (Sprint service) coverage area. But you can download them to your computer if you wanted (and then transfer them to your Kindle) and the Kindle itself doesn't need any sort of wireless connection while you're reading.

 

So can you read anything that's already on your device? Absolutely! Just load up before you go and you'll be set!

Thanks! As I said, I don't actually own a Kindle yet, but my birthday is only weeks away, and I've been hinting . . .

 

One of the main reasons I want it is because I like to bring so many books on vacation.

[dustyroad]

On my last cruise I saw a similar thread and someone said their favorite easy reading on a cruise was Janet Evonovich's Stephanie Plum series. I bought one and have now ready every one in the series. Easy reading and quite fun. Anyone have other suggestions? What do you like to read on a cruise?

 

the ship dailies so i know how i am going to spend the day :D

[virginiacruisin]

All of the suggestions are great. I like to have something light and fun so I don't get too engrossed - somehow that goes along with a vacation at sea.

[Wants2cruise]

I love mysteries, but nothing too gory, so Margaret Truman or Dick Francis are at the top of my list.

 

For my next cruise, I would love to read something set in the Caribbean or Florida for obvious reasons. Any suggestions?

[Putterdude]

Wibur Smith....I read him by the pound, at bit like Michener but more to the point.

[Azure Moon]

Try books by Mary Daheim. She has a series of books called the "bed and breakfast" series about an inn keeper who, along with her cousins, solve different types of mystery. Which just happen to happen while they are on the scene. It seems that death and murder seem to follow them every where they go. Her book titled Dead Man Docking would be the perfect book to bring on a cruise.

 

I, too, love Mary Daheim's Bed & Breakfast series. :)

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Hubby and I read, and liked, Dead Slow Ahead by author Stella Whitelaw. It is the second book in the author's Casey Jones cruise ship mystery series. The lead character is a entertainment director on a cruise ship and solves mysteries.

Local library is going to get the first book (I can't figure out why they got the second book before the first :confused:) and we'll be checking it out. The first book is called Second Sitting.

Currently reading Twilight, the first book in the Stephanie Meyer's (sp.?) series of young adult books about vampires. It's good.

If you like crime/mystery/thriller books, try author P.J. Tracy's books 1. Monkeewrench, 2. Live Bait, 3. Dead Run, 4. Snow Blind. They're about computer company associates who work with law enforcement agencies to solve crimes. The books are written by a mother/daughter team. I love the main characters in these books.

[michmike]

the randy Wayne White books I recommended in my earlier post are based on sanibel island w/ forays out into other parts of Florida. Very well done. A lot of folks also like Carl Hiassen whose books are based in Florida but I wasn't as enamored of him as some of the other authors I've listed.

 

For putterdude - Best thing my sister ever did for me was to introduce me to Wilbur Smith books.

[lady_cruiser]

I, too, love Mary Daheim's Bed & Breakfast series. :)

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Hubby and I read, and liked, Dead Slow Ahead by author Stella Whitelaw. It is the second book in the author's Casey Jones cruise ship mystery series. The lead character is a entertainment director on a cruise ship and solves mysteries. .....

 

Thanks. I never heard of this author. I think I'm going on line now to look for some of her books.

[TucsonRick]

Anything by Clive Cussler or Carl Hiaasen, especially "Skinny Dip". It is about a guy who tries to kill his wife by throwing her off of a cruise ship. Very funny!