This blog post features two readers who loved our first book·cation so much they decided to come back for our second one! Since our second retreat, we’ve opened registration for 2 others and both have repeat attendees coming 🙈 My dream for book·cation is that it will foster community + relaxation to give readers the perfect weekend of ‘me time’ and connection – it’s so cool to see this coming coming to fruition!
Kim and Emily both attended our April book·cation solo and were excited to see each other again in October. They were looking for time for themselves, but also potential connections with fellow book lovers and I think they found just that 🥰
What is your favorite genre?
KIM: My favorite genre is thrillers, but I also read historical fiction.
EMILY: It’s a mix between romance (but not smut), thriller/horror, and a little bit of historical fiction.
What was your favorite book of 2025?
KIM: The best book I read in 2025 was by far ‘Project Hail Mary‘ by Andy Weir. That was SO GOOD, but a close second was ‘The Nightingale‘ by Kristin Hannah, it was very heart wrenching!
EMILY: It was hard to pick one (every book as I looked back seemed like my favorite), but I’m going to pick two. ‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo‘ by Taylor Jenkins Reid- I know it’s not new, but it got me out of a reading slump which was fantastic! I read it so fast. The other one is ‘Passion Project‘ by London Sperry. It was such a good book- a feel good, happy romance!
Why did you come to book·cation the first time?
KIM: I came because I always wanted to create something like you created and then I saw an ad for it on IG and I thought, “Is this real?” I looked into it more and was a little scared to go because I didn’t know anyone and I’d be going alone, but I’m SO glad I went. It was the best ever. I met the coolest people who like reading just as much as me and I was like, “there’s more of you out there!”
EMILY: I was looking for something to do after my busy season (I’m an accountant) and I always want something to look forward to and I’ve always wanted to have a community of women who also love reading. I’ve never been a part of a book club so I thought, ‘I’m going to go and meet some new people and potentially create some new friends and find some women who love books as much as I do!‘
Why did you come to book·cation the SECOND time?
KIM: I attended again in October because I enjoyed the first one so much. And I was also excited to see the ladies I met last time. It was fun to see them again and meet new people and I had a blast!
EMILY: Deciding to go again was a pretty easy decision. It wasn’t necessarily the best timing since I had a big deadline a week after, but I thought, ‘you know what, I’m going to get away- I need to get away.’ And I was also excited to potentially see some of the people I met at the first book·cation. I had such a good time in April; it was so relaxing and low-key and all the conversations I had were so fun. I was looking forward to having those connections again and meeting new people as well.
What is your favorite book·cation memory?
KIM: When Mallory raffled off the books for the (local author) giveaway and Taylor won a bunch of them and she hadn’t arrived yet*, but when Mallory told everyone that she was on her way she walked in at that exact moment and she walked in so surprised because you were introducing her and she had no idea what had just happened. It was kind of a ‘you had to be there’ memory!
*Taylor arrived after dinner started so I had her permission to put her raffle tickets into the giveaway and I had just finished explaining to the group that she had just won even though she wasn’t there and then she walked in!
EMILY: I would say the dinners-any of them honestly- but specifically the second night of the October retreat. We just laughed so hard and everything was so funny and I got to reconnect with someone I met at the first retreat and then I met Taylor. She was so fantastic and to sit next to her and to just laugh our butts off was just so fun. So I guess my favorite memory is one that encapsulates all the laughter and conversation I got to have at the dinners.
Describe book·cation in 5 words:
KIM: Fun, relaxing, blissful, engaging, cozy
EMILY: Thoughtful, relaxing, books, friendship, laughter
What’s your unpopular book opinion?
KIM: I enjoy a good romance novel, but I find the overly spicy/smut romance kind of silly. I know they’re really big right now. I’ve read some, but that’s unpopular because they’re so popular.
EMILY: This is tough, I would say that pretty much any time I start a book, I’m going to finish it. I never DNF books because if I picked up the book, there was a reason I wanted to read it. Once you start, you should finish it because you put the time in, just finish it!
If you’re looking for new bookish friends, book·cation might be a great idea for you in 2026 🙌 Make sure to check out our future retreat dates so you can have a weekend away to put yourself – and your TBR- first! And if you’re curious what a retreat looks like, take a peek at this blog post. I think you’ll find that it’s the perfect combination of relaxation and connection.
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