Nora and I love to spend time at home though she seems to achieve that a little more consistently than I do these days. She’s at her desk writing (next year’s hardcover — no title yet) while I’m heading out on a tour of the Mid-Atlantic states that will go from New Jersey to Virginia over the next week.
Guess where I’d rather be?
It’s taken a while but I’ve learned the beauty of driving to an audiobook soundtrack. And instead of the usual 10 books (you know, 2 to read, 8 just in case) in my extra bag I’ve now got a kindle loaded up for reading when I get to the next stop. (This time I’m driving, but when I fly I do carry at least one take off and landing book)
What are your tricks for keeping up with your favorite authors while you travel? And who do you plan to read this summer? ~Laura
I am going to be reading your new book Whiskey Beach, also will be reading kristin Hannah, her new one, have a great summer.
I am going to Ireland this summer. A long time goal and the dream of a life time. Partially inspired by heritage and partially by Nora Roberts Irish books. I love them and hope to see some of the places she has been. I plan on having lots of Nora Roberts books on my Kobo. It will take up much less space that actual books do, but I still buy the real books for my library.
I love Nora Roberts novels and have been reading those for years. I love the trilogy’s best. I plan to stop in Boonsboro on the way to the Outer Banks this summer. I did not like the GD word in the beginning of WB and was disappointed she chose to use this word.
I totally agree. I feel that as a very talented writer, Nora Roberts should be able to express herself without the use of vulgarities…
Your summer reading program is wonderful BUT I have already read all the books you have stacked up!!! I read about 2 books a week, and although you are my favorite author, Nora. I have to read others to keep up my passion. I wish you could write more books a year but I know how exhausting and time consuming it must be to complete a whole novel. Keep it up please!!! I love all your characters but I must say Eve Dallas is my favorite, I love the futuristic feel of the novels. Your most avid fan!!!
Karen Martin, Red House, WV
I will be rereading the majority of Nora’s older books, mainly ones which are set in other countries – I’m going to be in classes all this summer, and travelling through literature is the best way for me to survive!
Summer is a re-read time for me… I want the comfort of the known, the safety of known characters… so I always take the ones I want to be with me.
I also enjoy – if I travel abroad – to buy a Nora Roberts’ book in the language of the Country I’m visiting. If not possible I’ll have an English one but that I can brag to have been bought in…
I haven’t surrendered to digital books, yet… I love to arrive to the hotel or the house I’ll be staying for the next days, or weeks, and put Nora books where I can see them; for me that’s what makes that place a (temporary) home. I never “read” an audiobook. Can you believe it?! I’d like to try some of Nora – the Garden trilogy comes to mind, right now.
Enjoy your Tour, Laura. Nice writing, Nora 🙂
It depends on whats out there, but I try to get new books for when I’m on vacation. Dan Brown’s Inferno is the top on my list to read this summer. Thanks to the nook I don’t have to worry about fitting 5 books in my carry on. I have all my books with me in just one place.
When I’m traveling by plane I have to have a take-off and landing paper book too. I am too impatient to turn off my kindle twice in one flight lol. I don’t read much on my kindle anyway though and anything I enjoy on there I have to have in paper form too.
I love traveling with books and stacking up my reads on my temporary nightstand or dresser. Makes me feel less away from home. I bring them all in my carry-on so they don’t get squished or bent in my suitcase. It can be heavy to carry them around and they take up a lot of room but it’s my “must-have” when traveling so I just do it anyway and then I’m always thankful to have so many with me.
This summer I plan to read a lot of Nora/JD Robb and I want to try some new authors since I’ll have more time to do so. I love trying new authors when I have time to really sit and see if I like their writing style or not.
I have always said I would never cave and go digital when it comes to reading books. However, (sigh) I should have ‘never said never’ because I saw a book I have wanted to read and it was really cheap, so I downloaded it to my IPad, just to give it a try, and I have to say it is great! Being able to enlarge the font and adjust the brightness, etc., is wonderful for me who needs strong reading glasses. That being said, I do have all of Nora/JD’s books in soft cover, and will continue to read and reread all her books that way, as they have given me so much enjoyment and pleasure over the years. Love Nora’s writing. She is the best!!
I have currently been reading Cali MacKay on my kindle and Marie Force as I have finished all your current books. Will probably reread Whiskey Beach on my next vacation time if I am not traveling. I have all of your books and reread them frequently. Keep up the good work.
I have a Nook and enjoy reading with it. However, all of my Nora/JD books are either hard cover or paperbacks and on two special bookshelves. Before I would have my bag of books in the car and my two boys would always comment “Mom, those will get you out of the driveway. What else are you taking?” I can read in the car, thank goodness, so I could tune everything out. I’m forever thinking of things that happened in different books and then I have to get them out and read them again. I like to reread in the summer, too. Just because I feel like having “good friends” with me while I am relaxing on the beach.
I’m still living in the dark ages and refusing to give up my paper backs for ebooks. I’m still making my way through reading the In death series chronologically and will only pause my quest if I find another decent book to pick up. However I am rather close minded about new authors because I love my Nora Robb books so much!!! On a side note, we’re moving this summer and my husband is dreading moving my many books 🙂
Brandi, I have only recently begun reading the “In Death” series – I have always shied away from crime novels because I don’t like reading the crime scene descriptions. However, because I love Nora’s writing so much, I recently chose “Naked in Death” as my book club selection for March, and loved it so much that I am also making my way through the list chronologically. I have just started “Survivor in Death.” Good luck with your move!
I used to be that way til my sister decided to drag me into the 21st century two Christmases ago by getting me a Kindle. There are a couple things I like better about hard copies of books but not many. I have about 510 books on there that get carried around all at once with no hassles to any one. Plus I don’t have to figure out what I want to read.
1 of our neighbors wrote a book & we are reading it for book club-It’s been a long long time, Sharp Objects, Whiskey beach of course & catching up on JD Robb. So much reading & so little time.
Leslie – is that Marianne’s book – Its Been a Long, Long, Time? Don’tcha just LOVE it. Mar and I have been friends a long time and I totally enjoyed this book
I just finished re-reading the Chesapeake series and looking forward to re-reading The Villa while on vacation. I also caved — I bought a Nook and just bought Whiskey Beach. I’m saving that for vacation as well … if I can hold out for three more weeks! Love me some Nora!
If you make it, you are a much stronger person than I am. I don’t even bother to try saving them. What’s really bad about me is that I am a night person so I’m usually up late enough to get them in the middle of the night and then start reading.
Laura, I had to smile when you mentioned the beauty of traveling to audiobooks – I have been doing this for years, and not just on long trips, either. As you can probably guess, my favorites are Nora’s books – I own about a dozen of them on audio, and get others from my local library. Other favorites are the Harry Potter series, of course – the reader of those books is seriously gifted – the Georgette Heyer Regency romances, all of Jane Austen, and most recently, JD Robb. I haven’t listened to the radio in a long time, unless I am driving during a Baltimore Ravens football game!
Every summer, I have a craving to re-read the Chesapeake Bay Trilogy + Chesapeake Blue. I love the Quinns!
I don’t travel that much so it’s not an issue. I plan to reread some of my ebooks until the beginning of July. Then I’ll have 2 new to me Nora Roberts and the new Catherine Coulter FBI book to read the week before. I got it backwards. In September, it goes JD Robb first and then Catherine and JT Ellison.
I used to listen to audiobooks during my commute to work. The “In Death ” books are my all time favorites! Now that I’m newly retired, I am wallowing in books. I have a Kindle, so, I am building up a big collection of books and audiobooks. I still like to have all my Nora Roberts books in “real” form on an actual bookshelf. I’ve been trying to catch up on her early work since spring. I try other authors but always come back to Nora!
Hi Paula, this is Paula! LOL I’m also newly retired and boy, I wish there had been Kindles when I traveled for my job! The books I carried were sometimes a third the wait of the luggage. Now I have books everywhere and carry my Kindle when I’m off to an appointment or wherever. The In Death audiobooks are wonderful, I’ve listened to the entire set at least twice and bought an MP3 disc player when I retired so I could play them while crocheting or painting or whatever. Great stories.
I have every In-Death book on MP-3’s and listen to them in my car while driving. Nothing like Eve and Roarke and the rest of the gang keeping you company.
I haven’t listened to any audiobooks. I tend to travel with multiple books – the one I’m reading and at least two others. I have Kindle on my ipad so I can use that if need be, which definitely saves space, but I still like the feel of an actual book in my hands.
As for summer reading, I’m going to finish up the YA series my son’s fiancee turned me onto. I also have “Whiskey Beach” lined up, and I want to return to where I left off in the In Death novels. Because I have so many other books in my TBR pile, or rather piles, I do a “next five” list or a “lottery” type drawing to see what will come up next. It helps get older books that might’ve been sitting around here for years finally read.
just started Whiskey Beach ….. my 1 of 10 books for the summer! Love reading Nora Roberts books!
I’ve got a Nook (just bought it in Boston) and am now getting it summer-proof: lots of downloading of books! (and lots of flying to get through as well, this summer)
I have a very nice 10 day trip planned for this summer and at least four of those days will be blessedly ALONE – which for me is a BIG plus. I just recently purchased a Kindle and have started downloading all of JDR’s books and as many NR books as I can afford/find. That’s truly all I’ll need. I like my “friends” to be with me so I can re-read and not feel compelled to finish each book, since I already know the endings 🙂 Works for me!
I am on book 6, A Breath of Snow and Ashes in the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I am listening on audio and plan to do book 7 An Echo In The Bone next, also on audio. I have Snobs by Julian Fellows keyed up on my Kindle to read next. Also, book three in the Crossfire series by Syliva Day is being release on Tuesday (June 4). I will have plenty to keep my busy this summer! Once I finish Outlander I will begin the JD Robb books from book 1 on audio and re listen for maybe the 7th or 8th time. I have listened so many times I have lost track 🙂
My husband and daughter surprised me with a Kindle for Christmas (even though e-readers and Amazon were two of the contributing factors to the death of our own rural bookstore) so I have downloaded many free classics from Austin to Bronte to Thomas Hardy on it to enjoy when flying. But for my favorite authors, I still want a book to hold in my hand, pages to turn, margins to mark. I’ve already read Whiskey Beach (loved the characters and the history of the old, wonderful house!) so I plan to re-read The Circle Trilogy this summer as it is one of my very favorites of all of Nora’s works. Karen White has a new book out next week, The Time Between, and Wendy Wax’s new book While We Were Watching Downton Abbey is sitting by my chair now to begin tonight. David Baldacci, Michael Connelly and Dan Brown’s latest books are all on my “to read” list as well. There are literally dozens of authors I could list but the ones I did are my current favorites.
when I go on hoilday or get time of work i always go to the library first and get some books out and read.
I will be leaving on vacation Friday night or you could say very early Saturday morning as we leave at 2 AM. It gets us to the Jersey shore early. Then we need a breakfast at a Greek diner. Ten its off to shop for the week and I go to three stores.
I will not be reading or listening to books on CDs during the trip as my dh likes the silence while driving. I do however usually take a ton of books in paper but that was before I was introduced to audio CDs and that was because while at the hospitality room one summer while at the TTP weekend someone told me to try a couple of the CDs that were in the book exchange. I did and ever since I’ve been sold totally on audio CDs. I listen to books on CDs all the time. I listen while I am at the computer and I can do a book a day. I love it. But as backup I do have a nook and all year I download it with freebie books from B&N. I do read in the car on the nook. I won’t be taking any paper books but the library in town offers a selection of what they term “beach reads” in their lobby for anyone to take and leave any you have. I stock up there. Who can turn down a free book? So I’d say its gonna be eReader for me for three weeks in a row.
As for favorites I will download some more if I feel the urge but I’ll have to find a B&N or do it on the computer if the Internet which is spotty down the shore to say the least. I might do Whiskey Beach on nook or maybe in paper as I ordered it online from my library in audio and have not gotten my turn at it yet. So that might be my main goal this summer.
Nora is always a safe and good bet.
Janet Evanovich used to be a auto June buy/read with her Stephanie Plum novels but she’s changed that so I don’t have her to look forward to in June while we are on vacation. Boo Janet!
To me Travel = Book. It is the FIRST thing I put on my packing list. I am always so surprised in any kind of situation that requires waiting & see people just sitting & staring. How do they DO that? I might as well leave my suitcase!
I’m borrowing a Kindle, as I’m in quite a space pickle. Lost our home when hubby lost work, so we are living out of two bedrooms. Great living situation but very, very tight. My one concession, my bookshelf, is super full – – four out of the five shelves are Nora & JD Robb 🙂 Anyway, still not used to this E-book deal. Real pages are my comfort food!
Couple of the series I’ve read in the past are coming out with final installments in the next few weeks. We shall see how the Kindle handles then!
I’m currently reading the The Order of the Black Swan saga books..just started #4 on my Kindle. I will also be re-reading most of my Nora books over the summer-all in paperback. Not sure yet if I’ll be doing any traveling; but I always take along several books when I do.
Although winter has just started here (we had snow earlier this week) I am going on holiday tonight. I have just ensured that I have copies of the In Death Series, and Diana Gabaldon’s books in audio, electronic and paper versions with me so I can get through both sets again before the new books come out later in the year. I started with paper versions of Diana’s, then went to audio and now it’s electronic – but audio came first with Nora’s books and now I’m buying in either/both formats the books I can’t get on audio, and will gradually get all of them in hard copy – just have to find a place to store them all 🙂
I do buy some books on my Ipad but when it comes to NR books or any of the “In Death” series, I rather have the book in my hands than reading it, plus they look real nice on my bookshelves. Now as for summer reading I am dying to read the new Sophie Kinsella novel, which I will probably take on our trip to Hawaii and an ebook as well so I don’t have to carry that many books, which will probably be either Dan Brown’s latest or Beautiful Creatures. I do have two books for my school’s book club and I am currently reading Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and Karen Marie Moning’s last book on her Fever series.
So in case you were wondering, I do love to read jajaj. Nice summer everyone!
Oh yes, I do have two NR books on my to-read list, actually several. Whiskey Beach, The witness, and her last series.
I’ve had some trouble of late keeping up with favorites when I travel. Can’t seem to step fully into the digital age, just yet. Hoping to read a few this summer by JD Robb, Dan Brown and Philippa Gregory. We’ll see how that goes…
I plan to reread Whiskey Beach on my Kindle, and buy Loyalty in death, and probably get the newest JoAnna Carl, chocolate book…. I always try to load up with one or two nem ones before going on vacation, so I will probably get the latest indeath before going to Milan i October.
I absolutely love my kindle.
I used to take about 2 books or more along when I had to take the train for an hour, just in case…
On holidays about 20 books and after a week I’d mostly finished them all
And when you’ve got hayfever, reading a paperback that’s more than a year old is rather unpleasant when your eyes tear up and you’ve got to sneeze all the time.
So long live ereaders with their huge libraries, never dusty pages and wifi-access to new books!
Just finished re-reading Bride Quartet for 3rd time. Now, however, I am revisiting Harry Potter for 5th or 6th time…on Prisoner of Azkaban. Great books!
I also just finished reading the bride quartet for the 3rd time! One of my favorite sets of Nora’s books!
Summer reading tips– Keep my Kindle charged and my sunglasses bifocal glasses handy for my NR rereads while I’m sitting at the beach!!!