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Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: On Vacation
1:00 AM
I love Top Ten Tuesday, as you all well know, but some weeks I'm just not feeling the topic du jour. A case in point? This week's prompt: The Last Ten Books That Gave Me a Book Hangover. I don't have anything against the topic; it just feels like I'm constantly talking about my same favorite books over and over. So, I started brainstorming fresh subjects. Since President's Day was yesterday, I considered books about presidents, but politics is actually one of my least favorite things to read about. The Monday holiday means those of us in the U.S. got to enjoy a three-day weekend, which got me thinking about vacation. I've been on enough of them to know that things rarely go exactly as planned and sometimes go wholly, horribly, hilariously wrong. Perfect vacations are no fun to read about, but disastrous ones? Bring it on! I wracked my brain for ten books I've read about vacations gone awry and couldn't come up with that many, but I found a whole slew that I'd like to pick up.
Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun. If you're looking for a way to get involved in the book blogging community, find new blogs to enjoy, and add great-sounding titles to your TBR list, then this is the meme for you! Click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for a few instructions, then create your own post, and start checking out other people's lists. Easy cheesy.
Okay, here we go with the Top Ten Vacation-Gone-Awry Novels I Would Like to Read (in no particular order):
1. Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy—This suspenseful novel concerns two families who go on a cruise together. While at a stop in Central America, the kids go missing, prompting their parents to turn on each other in their fear and guilt. What happened to the children? Will they be found alive, dead, or not at all?
2. The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland—Annette Feldman wants to celebrate her 70th birthday with all her children and grandkids, who haven't spent significant time together in more than ten years. When she books them all on the same cruise, the forced family togetherness brings up family secrets, bitter rivalries, and plenty of teenage angst. Stuck with each other for the foreseeable future, the Feldmans will make waves, but will they sink as a family or swim? Sounds entertaining!
3. Tomorrow There Will Be Sun by Dana Reinhardt—This is another novel about a birthday celebration gone awry. This time, two families are in Puerto Villarta for a relaxing getaway/birthday bash. It doesn't take long, though, for tension to start creeping into paradise. Will their "perfect" vacation be the thing that tears both families apart forever?
4. The High Season by Judy Blundell—In order to afford their dream house by the sea, Ruthie and her ex-husband have to rent out their shared beachfront property during the summer. When a group of rich, intrusive vacationers descend on her beach house and into her life, Ruthie experiences an unforgettable summer that will change her life.
5. The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen—A vintage ocean liner is making its final voyage, giving her passengers a chance to experience the throwback glamour of a 1950's luxury cruise. It soon becomes apparent, however, that everything is not okay with the aging ship ...
6. One Little Secret by Cate Holahan—Susan needs some time away, so she invites her new neighbors on a beach getaway with her and her husband. As the couples get to know each other, secrets are shared and revealed. One person says too much. The next morning, one of them is found dead on the beach. Whodunit?
7. Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead—Gathered on an island to celebrate their daughter's wedding, the Van Meters are in for an eventful vacation ...
8. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan—This family drama features the Kellehers, who are gathering for their annual summer vacation at the beach. It doesn't take long for tempers to rise, secrets to out, and frustrations to surface, leading to an unforgettable holiday gone awry.
9. The River by Peter Heller—When two college buddies set out on a much-anticipated canoeing trip, their perfect vacation is threatened by an approaching wildfire. After hearing a couple arguing nearby, they set off to warn them about the danger—only to discover that no one is there. The next day, however, they spy a man paddling down the river alone. Is it the same man they heard the night before? If yes, where is his female companion? A wilderness survival/mystery novel? Yes, please!
10. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren—I've been seeing this vacation novel all around the book blogosphere. It features a man and woman brought together by a wedding where everyone but them gets food poisoning. With a free honeymoon holiday up for grabs, the sworn enemies embark on a trip to paradise. They can get along well enough to masquerade as newlyweds for ten days in Hawaii, right? Sounds like a fun contemporary romance.
There you have it, ten fictional vacations gone horribly wrong. Have you read any of these novels? Can you think of other titles that fit in the category that I need to read? Have you ever experienced a holiday gone awry? I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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Not all the TTT themes work for me either. Think I will be giving the next couple a miss.
ReplyDeleteRight? Sometimes I just can't think of anything to fit a topic. I either twist it to work for me or skip it altogether.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Marg!
The only one I red is The Unhoneymooners, but there are a few I want to add to my TBR, especially The River. Some good choices here.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I put a few of these on hold at my library so I will hopefully be getting to them in the next few weeks. I'll be going on vacation next week, so hopefully I'll only be reading about vacations gone awry not experiencing one!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!
These look like terrific vacation choices. I loved Maine and The River.
ReplyDeleteOh, good! I just put MAINE on hold at the library, so I'm hoping to get to it soon. I'm pretty sure I have an old e-ARC of THE RIVER on my Kindle. I need to find it ...
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
The cover for The Floating Feldmans is super cute!
ReplyDeleteIt is, isn't it? I especially love the lady who's rowing away - I've definitely felt like that on family vacations!
DeleteThanks for coming by!
I tried to read The River but DNF'ed it. It wasn't very enjoyable. I have always wanted to read The Floating Feldmans. This is a great post and all I can think about are those people stuck on cruise ships because of the coronavirus. Talk about vacations going wrong.
ReplyDeleteRight? How awful! I'm not a big boat person, so I'm not sure I could handle a cruise in the first place. Being stuck on one? No, thank you! *Shudders*
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Barb!
Great idea for a post! Here's another one I just read: A Breath of French Air.
ReplyDeleteThere also might be a subgenre of true stories of vacations gone wrong. To that I'd add A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush.
True stories definitely work as well. I haven't heard of either of the books you suggested. I'll definitely check them out.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
LOL. Vacations that are disasters are so fun to read about! I loved that CL book.
ReplyDeleteRight? Vacations that go perfectly are boring - at least in fiction :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
The Unhoneymooners is amazing. I really hope you enjoy it. One Little Secret has been on my TBR for awhile now, since it came out I think. Can't wait to get to it too. I like that you switched up the prompt, because these can repetitive with the same books.
ReplyDeleteFor sure! I always feel like I'm talking about the same books over and over. Sometimes I have to really twist the topic so I can talk about different titles.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
What a fun idea for a bookish list! I wouldn't mind reading some of these myself. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I started looking up vacation gone awry books, I was thinking more like rom coms and survival stories, but apparently there are a lot of mystery/thrillers that fit in the category, too. Who knew?
DeleteThanks, as always, for stopping by and commenting, Lark!
What a clever way to get to your prompt! I love it. I've also seen the Unhoneymooners around, I might have to give it a try! Great options for vaca books though!
ReplyDeleteTHE UNHONEYMOONERS has been getting lots of love lately. I need to read it so I can see if I agree :) I hope we both enjoy it!
DeleteThanks for coming by!
I like this topic! I love a good messed up vacation haha- as long as I'm reading about it! :) Do Not Become Alrmed, the LAst cruise and Maine all sound really good.
ReplyDeleteFor real. I like my IRL vacations to go smoothly. In fiction? No way! Bring on the disasters, wrong turns, dive hotels, flat tires, etc. Fun stuff to read about :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Greg!
I love this topic! I haven't read any of them but most are on my TBR. I think the only vacation gone awry book I've read is The Woman in Cabin 10 but I feel like there was a cozy mystery or two where they end up tripping over a body.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of a dead body could definitely put a cramp in someone's vacation!
DeleteTHE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 is a good vacation gone awry book. I enjoyed it, too.
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Katherine!
I skip weeks a lot! And I also feel like I talk about the same books all the time! ....then someone comments “I’ve never heard of that book” ���� I’ve been eagerly awaiting this week’s topic though! It was an easy one because I suffer often from hangovers! https://readingladies.com/2020/02/17/the-last-ten-books-that-gave-me-a-book-hangover/
ReplyDeleteI have a suggestion for your list today! Castle of Water by Duane Hucklebridge. The story begins with one couple boarding a flight for their honeymoon ....the flight crashes on a remote island and everyone is killed except the woman and another man. They hate each other at first but need each other to survive. I think you’d love the story...and it’s definitely a vacation gone wrong trope!
Oooohhh, CASTLE OF WATER sounds like a great read. I'm going to check and see if my library has it. Thanks for the suggestion!
DeleteP.S. The only book I’ve read from your list is The River. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteOh, good! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It sounds like one I'll like.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Love your topic you chose instead this week. I hope you get a chance to read some of these soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I put a few of them on hold at the library and I'm going to pick them up tomorrow, so I should be able to get to at least a couple of them soon.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
All new titles to me!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of the majority of them before I Googled "books about vacations gone wrong." LOL
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I had a ton of fun on Olive and Ethan's unhoneymoon. I want to read the Feldmans at some point. I love multi-generational stories, and it sounds hilarous
ReplyDeleteTHE UNHONEYMOONERS has a fun premise. I'm really looking forward to reading it, especially since so many people love it.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
The River is the only one I’ve read! So memorable!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I forgot I already commented! Oops! Too much blog hopping today!
ReplyDeleteI almost deleted these duplicate comments, but they made me laugh, so I didn't :) Also, I now feel better about myself because I've definitely double-commented on Top Ten Tuesday posts before. Glad I'm not the only one!
DeleteI like your alternative topic! It's a trope I haven't really thought of before. I haven't really heard of these, or maybe only in passing, but some of them sound really good, and I'll have to try them out. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a trope with a lot of potential for different kinds of stories - comedies, dramas, action/adventure, survival, romance, etc.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Oooh I do like story lines like these! I read one last year, and it's a bit of a mystery/thriller (which you might like by the looks of 'One Little Secret') and it was called 'Something in the Water' by Catherine Steadman!
ReplyDeleteSOMETHING IN THE WATER is a good one! I have the author's second book out from the library right now, but I haven't read it yet. It sounds intriguing, though.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
The Unhoneymooners sounds like a whole lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteIt does, doesn't it? I can't wait to read it.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
I love your thought process of how you got from Tuesday's topic to the one you actually did. Vacations that go wrong is a great topic an these books look like fun.
ReplyDeleteHa ha. My brain works in mysterious ways :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Helen!
As someone who has had some "interesting" vacation mishaps in the past (including driving onto a working runway at a rural Yorkshire airport during our first visit to England), some of these look like fun reading. Nice list.
ReplyDeleteOh, no! The good thing about vacation mishaps and disasters is that they make for good stories :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Sam!
Love your take on this weeks topic. I'm curious about The River, I do love a good mystery.
ReplyDelete- Lois @ My Midnight Musing