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Once you've remembered to stock up on sunscreen and grabbed your toothbrush, it's time to think about which holiday read to pack. Here are a few suggestions to compliment the stunning coastlines and fascinating history of the Spanish Canary Islands.

First up: 'Lanzarote'(Vintage, 2004), a rather raunchy offering from Michel Houellebecq, the controversial author of 'Atomised'. A dark compelling read, this novel begins as a simple record of a single Frenchman's beach holiday, but soon descends into a sinister, uncompromisingly sexual exploration of the hero's hedonistic, nihilistic psyche. At 87 pages, 'Lanzarote' is a thrilling short read and provides the perfect exhilarating contrast to a sunny trip to the largest of the Canary Islands.

A sunnier read for the fainter hearted can be found in Chris Stuarts 'Driving Over Lemons'. This autobiographical piece tells the tale of Chris Stuart (former drummer in Phil Collin's Genesis) and his family's relocation to an idyllic farm, in El Valero, Andalucia, with no access to roads, electricity or water supply. The book warmly chronicles grand adventures, near disasters and unlikely friendships, whilst lovingly describing the beautiful landscape and covetable lifestyle of southern Spain. Light in tone and delightfully comic, 'Driving Over Lemons' is a great holiday read and deserved bestseller.

For lovers of Romance, Joanna Trollope's 'A Spanish Lover' provides a dreamy holiday diversion. The rich, dramatic narrative describes the lives of two very different sisters, Lizzie and Frances. Lizzie is the settled confident mother of four, whilst Frances, the more enigmatic twin, has floated into her late thirties anchorless and unattached. But, everything changes for them both after Frances, in an uncharacteristically impulsive move, travels to Spain and falls in love with a wealthy Spaniard. Trollope's novel is instantly captivating and beautifully contextualised in Spanish culture and history.

Flights to Lanzarote, the setting behind Houbellebecq's novel, land at the Lanzarote ACE airport, to the west of Arrecife. Flights to Lanzarote with Thomas Cook fly from a variety of International airports across the UK including Mancester, Leeds, Bristol, Stansted and Gatwick.