Holiday reading choices

at this time of year thiughts always turn to working out what reading to take on holiday. You either take a weighty tome that will fill the fortnight or a collection of books to pass away the hours (minutes if you have children) that you will get reading.

Then of course you have to consider the choice of book. If you go for something heavy then it might spoil the mood or something too superficial won't make you feel like you have done anything worth while.

My list hopefully combines some pleasure reads as well as some more demanding ones:

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie - might be too long for a holiday read but can get stuck into it. Never got round to reading the 'Booker of Bookers' so this is a good opportunity.

The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo - the fourth book in the Martin beck detective series this should fly by and is pure fun.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - meant to be his most voilent but one of his best so depending on how crazy the kids drive me his might be an appropriate form of release

Finally, The Swiss Family Robinson eluded me last year but as I am going to Switzerland again it seems destined to find some space in the suitcase.

I know other people might take more books and believe me i would like to but with two young children and no threat of school or pre-school to get them into a bedtime routine my chances of reading will be squeezed into just a few minutes each day.

Maybe the chance of a reading holiday will come when I've retired?