"Buy a book" is great advice and I do, lots. However I am a voracious and very fast reader, and if I'm away from home for a couple of weeks I can easily get through ten books, which is a lot to lug in a suitcase. I find my Kindle great for travelling. I take it, and a real book long enough to get me through a transatlantic flight so that I can read at the airport and don't have to think about recharging. I leave that one behind and buy another for the return flight. I also download onto it any travel guides I want for wherever I'm going. It displays maps and drawings very well.