Book it! Olympic Holidays’ shout-out for its customers to share their favourite holiday reads certainly demonstrates that many love a good book to ‘get into’ while on holiday –recommendations have been flooding in.

Mandy Baggot and Mary Renault are popular choices but the overall favourite novel, by a long shot, is Victoria Hislop’s The Island.

Victoria was delighted to hear the news from Olympic Holidays and said: “I was thrilled to find out that The Island was so popular among readers! I wrote it 15 years ago and my attachment to Greece has grown almost by the day.

“Since publication of The Island, I have bought a house in Crete, learned the language and even become an Honorary Citizen of the closest town to Spinalonga, Agios Nikolaos.
“I spend a few months a year in Greece (on the mainland as well as in Crete) and I absolutely love it there.
“My new novel, Those Who Are Loved, which covers the period from the Second World War to the present is largely set in Athens and needed many months of research – but I was more than happy to be there.
“I always encourage anyone who is going to visit the islands to spend some time in the capital city – it is a really fascinating place and steeped not just in ancient history but modern, too.
“If someone made me choose between mainland and islands I would be torn! I love them both.”