Lifestyle | Travel
By Chonx Tibajia
Sep 04, 2025
Cover Take the guilt out of your getaway with these books to read on vacation that challenge hustle culture and celebrate the art of rest. (Photo: Freepik)
Take the guilt out of your getaway with these books to read on vacation that challenge hustle culture and celebrate the art of rest. (Photo: Freepik)
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The best books to read on vacation aren’t escapist—they question productivity myths and validate your break
Taking time off should feel restorative, but many of us struggle with unease the moment we step away from our inboxes. Whether on a beach in Bali or a villa in Tuscany, that guilty voice insists you’re wasting time. If you can’t silence it, you may as well confront it. These carefully chosen books to read on vacation won’t scold you for wanting to be useful. Instead, they reframe leisure as essential, challenge cultural myths about overwork and examine why productivity has become the ultimate currency. This list of books to read on vacation might just help you reclaim your holiday without apology.
Read more: 6 apps that help you curb doomscrolling and reclaim your time
1. ‘How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy’ by Jenny Odell
Above ‘How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy’ by Jenny Odell (Photo: Melville House Publishing)
‘How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy’ by Jenny Odell (Photo: Melville House Publishing)
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In this book, Jenny Odell critiques the way digital platforms monetise our focus and how we’ve internalised constant responsiveness as a form of worth. She draws on philosophy, art and ecology to argue for intentional disengagement—turning your gaze away from screens and towards your actual surroundings. On holiday, her words are an invitation to look up from your phone and relearn the value of presence.
2. ‘The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America’ by George Saunders
Above ‘The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America’ by George Saunders (Photo: Vintage Digital)
‘The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America’ by George Saunders (Photo: Vintage Digital)
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In this ambitious narrative, Saunders traces how political and economic shifts have reshaped the everyday lives of Americans, weaving together personal stories with broader cultural commentary. It’s absorbing but also sobering, reminding you that systemic pressures—not your personal downtime—shape much of the world’s unrest. Although it may be on the heavier side, reading it on vacation can shift perspective: your rest isn’t indulgent, it’s a small act of preservation.
3. ‘Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play when No One Has the Time’ by Brigid Schulte
Above ‘Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play when No One Has the Time’ by Brigid Schulte (Photo: Bloomsbury Publishing)
‘Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play when No One Has the Time’ by Brigid Schulte (Photo: Bloomsbury Publishing)
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Brigid Schulte blends investigative journalism with candid reflection, examining why time feels perpetually scarce. From workplace policies to ingrained gender roles, she exposes structures that keep us tethered to stress. She also explores cultures that approach time differently, offering glimpses of alternatives. If your guilt stems from feeling you should be doing more, this book gives both context and relief.
4. ‘Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less’ by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
Above ‘Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less’ by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (Photo: Penguin Life)
‘Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less’ by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (Photo: Penguin Life)
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Pang challenges the binary of work versus leisure, showing through science and case studies how deliberate rest fuels creativity and productivity. He references the habits of renowned thinkers and artists to illustrate that downtime isn’t the opposite of work, but part of its engine. It's one of the best books to read on vacation because it offers the kind of reassurance that makes you close the laptop with less hesitation—backed by science.
5. ‘Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There’ by Tara Schuster
Above ‘Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There’ by Tara Schuster (Photo: Headline Home)
‘Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There’ by Tara Schuster (Photo: Headline Home)
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Schuster’s memoir-meets-guidebook shares how she pulled herself out of chaos through rituals of self-care, from journaling to creating small daily joys. With honesty and wit, she shows how self-nurture is neither frivolous nor selfish but survival. If guilt lingers during your time off, her story makes the case that rest is a foundation for resilience, not a distraction from it.
6. ‘Nap Ministry's Rest Deck: 50 Practices to Resist Grind Culture’ by Tricia Hersey
Above ‘Nap Ministry's Rest Deck: 50 Practices to Resist Grind Culture’ by Tricia Hersey (Photo: Chronicle Books LLC)
‘Nap Ministry's Rest Deck: 50 Practices to Resist Grind Culture’ by Tricia Hersey (Photo: Chronicle Books LLC)
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Hersey, founder of the Nap Ministry, reframes rest as resistance against exploitative systems. This deck of practices goes beyond slogans, offering tangible ways to slow down, from restorative breathing to intentional napping. The format makes it easy to engage with while travelling—each card feels like permission to pause, making it perfect for guilt-ridden holiday moments.
7. ‘In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed’ by Carl Honoré
Above ‘In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed’ by Carl Honoré (Photo: Orion)
‘In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed’ by Carl Honoré (Photo: Orion)
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In this classic, Carl Honoré dissects how speed infiltrates every part of life, from fast food to accelerated work schedules. He introduces the “slow movement,” which advocates for depth over haste, and shows how embracing slowness can improve health, relationships and even pleasure. Reading it while on holiday underscores why resisting the rush is not laziness but wisdom.
When you’re choosing books to read on vacation, these titles turn guilt into a subject worth examining. They remind us that rest is neither selfish nor wasteful. A holiday isn’t a lapse in productivity but a chance to rethink what productivity should mean. The real indulgence isn’t the time off, but the belief that you don’t deserve it.
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Topics
Travel Vacation Books Self-Help Wellness Wellbeing
