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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Andrew Young

Brits' favourite books to read on staycation - with Sally Rooney topping the list

Brits have voted for the best holiday reads – with Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You topping the list.

The literary fiction novel, which was only released last year, beat the Harry Potter series and Fifty Shades of Grey to the top spot for what to read on a UK staycation.

And classic stories Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, completed the top five, according to a poll of 2,000 British adults.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, came sixth, followed by Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Other popular reads that completed the top ten were My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult, and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

The research, commissioned by national holiday cottage company Original Cottages, also found travellers will get through five books during a typical getaway.

The Harry Potter books came second on the list, beaten only by Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You (Minh Le/Getty Images)

And 60 per cent will read more on a week’s holiday than in an average working week.

Nearly six in ten (58 per cent) prefer to read while away as they can relax and unwind – with 59 per cent believing that buying new books is a key part of the travel prep.

It also emerged romance was considered the top genre to read on a staycation, while others enjoy mystery, historical, and literary fiction.

But rather than trying something new, two in five (39 per cent) stick to a genre they know they love and read all the time at home.

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) think reading is a great way to escape and switch off – however, over a third (37 per cent) find it difficult to find the right book to buy when on holiday in the UK.

Sonia Holman, from Original Cottages, said: “Holidays are all about escapism, and there’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book to help you disconnect from work and unwind.

“We hope that our summer holiday reading list will help Brits to feel inspired when it comes to packing a book for their next UK trip.”

The study also found 60% of adults still prefer to read a physical copy of a book when they’re away, rather than on a tablet or Kindle.

On a typical staycation, holidaymakers do most of their reading in the garden (23 per cent), on the beach (16 per cent), and in bed (16 per cent).

And beyond the clothing essentials, books (59 per cent) were the top ranked things travellers pack for a UK staycation – beating other things such as magazines (30%), board games (29%), and sports equipment (26 per cent).

And nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) believe reading is an integral part of the holiday experience.

Sonia Holman, from Original Cottages, added: “For the 54% of Brits who would feel frustrated if they forgot to bring something to read, our local team of experts are on hand to provide tips and advice on where to find the best novels locally.”

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER HOLIDAY READING LIST:

  1. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
  2. Harry Potter collection by J.K. Rowling
  3. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
  4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  6. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
  7. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
  8. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank
  9. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
  10. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  11. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
  12. Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child
  13. The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson
  14. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
  15. A Life On Our Planet by David Attenborough
  16. Murder Before Evensong by Richard Coles
  17. Over My Dead Body by Jeffrey Archer
  18. The Murder Book by Mark Billingham
  19. Normal People by Sally Rooney
  20. Becoming Molly-Mae by Molly-Mae Hague
  21. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson
  22. Cat and Mouse by M.J. Arlidge
  23. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
  24. Lion by Conn Iggulden
  25. Billy Summers by Stephen King

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