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Anytime I’m traveling for more than a week, I have an overwhelming urge to bring at least half a dozen books. Yes, I have an ereader, and I have used it in Lisbon and on the beach in Colombia, and many places in-between.
No, I do not tend to read half a dozen books on vacation. Ideally, I’m too busy vacationing!
Yet despite these truths, I still have the urge to bring half a dozen books. And honestly, it can be hard to narrow it down to sixish. How do I know what mood I’ll be in? What if I don’t like the books I bring? What if a stranger walks up to me while I’m reading on the street and snatches a book right out of my hand? And then runs off with it? I need multiple books to prepare for these obvious inevitabilities!
So I got to thinking. What if instead of talking myself down from the two dozen books I actually want to bring, I talked myself up and brought dozens of books! What if I decided to bring an entire suitcase full of books? What if I brought an entire trunk full of books!
If you’ve ever wanted to do the same, here are some great bookish suitcases for those who are half committed to the cause, and library trunks for those of us who want to go all-out.
Bookish Suitcases
Right out of the gate, we’ve got a suitcase that is very ready to go on vacation. It’s even wearing a hat! Though, of course, I’m going to assume that the hat doesn’t come with it, it does make me want to adorn all my luggage in hats. This is a carry-on size suitcase, so it’s perfect for a trip of a week or two in which you only need a dozen or so tomes. $180
This one’s called Books Galore, and that seems an apt description. I will say, I wish they’d used a photo that was in better focus, or is that in the quality of the printing? All I know is that I can only read three titles and I’d like to read more of the titles. This is another carry-on that should help you handle a dozen or so books. $189
Technically, the listing for this Peter Rabbit suitcase refers to it as a “kids toy” or “nursery decoration” but I say you can fill it up with books and carefully take it on vacation with you. It is smaller than the rest, but if you’re taking a suitcase full of comic books or other media that takes up less room, it could be perfect. $42
Library Trunks
I know, I know, this Louis Vuitton book trunk is amazing! If you want to bring a bunch of books, I have to tell you, library trunks are the way to go. This one, unfortunately, is no longer manufactured. Not that it matters, as it would likely cost tens of thousands of dollars. At that point, I’d just buy all new books on vacation!
This Qitoya Library Trunk comes with four removable book trays (bookshelves, if you’re not fancy) and can hold dozens of books. I can’t give you a price because you have to “send enquiry” to find out. I’m guessing that means it’s out of most of our budgets.
You’ve got your Goyard, a French brand that makes many very fancy, unpriced items like the travel trunk you see above. You’ve got your Assouline, a company that specializes in making books that are more pretty than interesting. Together, they created the Goyard Library Trunk. It comes pre-filled with copies of Assouline books.
If you love music as much as you love your books, then this vinyl trunk from Au Depart is your dream come true! While not built specifically for books, you could certainly fit a few in with your vinyl. $57,340 (LOL)
This Arthur Conan Doyle Goyard Desk Trunk is once again not made specifically for books but certainly that would be a large chunk of what you’d store in those drawers. Not only is this lovely, but all I have to do to afford one is sell my house. $133,400
The bookish suitcases of today are made for a jet-setting lifestyle — all carry-on, all the time. The library trunks of yesteryear were made for people who had plenty of staff to carry their enormous trunks around. Which is better? I think I’m going back to my ereader after all.
