HOUSTON – Book clubs are booming, and Houston readers have one more reason to pack a tote: Read with Jenna has installed two custom “Book Nooks” aboard MSC Seascape, the cruise ship that sails from Galveston. The branded installations serve as both free libraries and cozy reading retreats for passengers on the ship’s seven-day Caribbean itineraries.
NBC’s Jenna Bush Hager joins Houston Life to chat about setting sail with Read With Jenna.
A new way to read on vacation
The idea grew from Read with Jenna’s mission of building community around books. Jenna Bush Hager and her team designed the nooks to make it easy for vacationers — from longtime book-club members to families on spring break — to discover picks, swap titles and settle into uninterrupted reading time. The activation marks Read with Jenna’s first on-the-seas installation and celebrates MSC’s first Galveston-based ship.
Two nooks — one for adults, one for kids
Two nooks were built aboard MSC Seascape: an adult nook stocked with past Read with Jenna selections and a children’s nook with titles for elementary through high-school readers. The adult space features a curated collection of Read with Jenna favorites (18 past picks, per the program’s list), while the kids’ nook offers age-appropriate titles and a comfy spot for young readers to browse.
Community at sea
Read with Jenna also surprised a deserving club group — the Book Club with a Purpose — with a free cruise and a book-club meet-up in the nook onboard. Seeing readers unpack paperbacks and talk through a shared chapter in that setting brought the show’s community-first mission full circle.
For Houstonians, Galveston remains an easy gateway to a bookish escape: MSC Seascape’s weeklong cruises make stops in Mexico, Nicaragua and Ocean Cay, offering time to explore ashore and unwind with a good story at sea.
Whether you’re a leisurely reader who brings a stack of vacation books or someone rediscovering the joy of group reads, the Book Nook is a low-key reminder that reading and connection still thrive — even above deck.
Find this month’s Read with Jenna pick and the full library at Today.com/ReadWithJenna.