The wonderful holiday book dilemma

Do you know that feeling when you've just booked your holiday? You know where you're going, where you're going to stay, what you'll be doing. I love that pre-holiday anticipation. And – after all the other big details are planned - one of my favourite things about it is planning my holiday reading. What books should I choose to take up precious space in my suitcase?

When you get the right holiday book(s), it's something special. It's like being able to go on holiday twice, a double-whammy. Not only are you physically on holiday, away from the world, but then you get to send your imagination on holiday too. No ripping yourself away to go to school or work.

A few years back (or maybe more), the first five Harry Potter books helped make a couple of weeks in the woods of Finland even more magical. Twilight helped make the long hours of a transatlantic flight - well – fly by. Unfortunately I just raced through all three of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. They would have been perfect holiday reading. So the search continues...

Luckily, I think I may have found some inspiration. Munich's own International Youth Library will be hosting the first White Ravens Festival for international youth literature from 20 to 25 July. Authors like John Green (see the July issue of Spot on, page 33), Michael Gerard Bauer, Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and many others will be there reading from their novels and answering readers' questions. I think one of my questions will be, "What are your favourite holiday books?" You see, I'm always looking for recommendations. :-)