Some Words: Poolside Reading

This summer, our family opted to get a membership to a local hotel pool. Our kiddo adores being in the water and we thought it would be a lot of fun. We were right about that. What I was not expecting was how interested I would be in the poolside reading choices. Since this is a hotel, there are a ton of folks on vacation or simply spending some time away from "real life." When I'm not supervising our kiddo, I keep peeping the book covers. (Call it a professional hazard.)

First, I'm struck by how few e-readers are at the pool. It's possible people are worried about being splashed but given the amount of phones I see, I'm not entirely sure that's the case. I think there's just something about reading a physical book at the pool that feels leisurely. Plus, I've seen some folks set up Instagram shots with their chosen titles. A kindle is just not as photogenic.

I've also noticed that a lot of the books are hardcovers. That's surprising! Paperbacks are easier to travel with and not nearly as heavy. I always find it quite daring when people get into the pool with their book so they can cool off while they read. This pool always has splashing kids and it amazes me that these readers can keep their books dry.

Next, in terms of what titles I see, the vast majority of books - easily over 75% - are fiction. It's a lot of your typical beach reads, romance, and easy fiction. Weirdly, I have yet to see a YA book. How I've gone an entire summer without spotting Iron Flame​ is beyond me. I figured that would be all over the place.

Here are some of the books I have spotted:

• Tigerman by Nick Harkaway
• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
• One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
• Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Something by John Grisham (his name is always bigger than the title)
• Best Short Stories (the rest of the title was too small to see)
• One by One by Ruth Ware
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
• It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Of all the reading I've spotted, the one that tickled me most was when a heavily pregnant woman had her feet propped up with towels on a lounger and a snack on her belly as she read Bringing Up Bébé. 

What would you read at the pool?

*Bookshop.org affiliate links

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