Reading on the Road
September 12, 2016
One of the most-asked questions (of me, anyway) about our decision to go nomad was, "What will you do about books?" (The other was, "Can your marriage survive so much togetherness in such close quarters?" So, far, yes. After 37 years, you do learn a thing or two about getting along.)
I love books. I used to own a lot of books. I never counted them, but we had two floor-to-ceiling bookcases in my study, another in the living room, two more in the basement, four bookcases half that size in the family room, and another in the basement. That's not counting the children's book packed in boxes or the employee copies in my office at Tyndale.
I spent over a year and a half culling and reculling the herd. I gave books away; I sold books at Half-Price Books; I donated books to church; I left books in our pastor's office when he was on vacation and couldn't fight back; I forced books on people, possibly against their will. ("This book on the history of physical education at Calvin College? You really ought to have it.")
I even [forgive me, bibliophile purists] altered books to make journals and keepsakes out of them.
Downsizing from 3000 to 300 square feet requires drastic measures.
We kept some.
We did take some books along with us—some inside the coach proper in the bedside racks, and some (okay, two rather enormous plastic storage tubs) in the "basement" compartments below.We have e-books.
Around 1,800 at last count. Most of these are freebies we got via Book Bub because they sounded interesting; some are good, some turn out not to be.We use libraries.
Alas, as far as I know, there is no such thing as a national library card that will allow us to check books out of public libraries, but there are Little Free Libraries (I'm still hunting for one that looks like the T.A.R.D.I.S. I bet it's bigger on--well, you know). I borrowed some very good books from this one outside the church we've been attending in Bailey's Harbor.
And many RV parks have a few shelves of books free for the reading, donated, I assume, by travelers who are done with them. The library in the park where we're staying happens to be in the laundry room—perfect for whiling away the time spent waiting for clothes to get clean. (Although, thank goodness, we have a washer and drying in our RV, so I can do my laundry at home and my reading anywhere.)
My top picks this month
I've been pleasantly surprised by the choices these two libraries offer. These are my top three of the books I've borrowed:
Every Day by David Levithan
(Bible-reading friends: Did you first read his name as Leviathan?)
If you liked The Time-Traveler's Wife (not the movie, which I disliked, but the book, which I read twice), you'll probably like Every Day. (Ditto the inverse.) The main character, a sixteen-year-old identified only as A, wakes up every morning in a different body and a different person's life, sometimes male, sometimes female. A is resigned to having no permanent family, no continuity of friendships—until he mets Rhiannon and discovers that he is not willing to move on.
Cool premise, right? And as you can imagine, it lends itself wonderfully to addressing issues of identity, body image, sexuality, addiction, even mental health while still maintaining a compelling story line. Ultimately, A may be a little too noble to be true, but in a feel-good, I-hope-the-human-spirit-really-is-like-this kind of way. As a former youth leader, I'm pretty sure there are teenagers with A's depth of character.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
This memoir ought to be depressing: the author was editor-in-chief of Elle France when a stroke left him with "Locked-in Syndrome": his mind and personality were intact, but he was basically trapped in his own body, paralyzed except for his left eyelid. He dictated this book letter by letter, by blinking. I was amazed by the lyrical writing, even in translation (the book is originally in French), and believe it or not, this is the one book I read this month that made me laugh out loud.
Apparently it was made into a movie, which I'm sure will be disappointing (how could it not be?), but which I think I'll watch anyway (assuming I can access the bandwidth to stream it).
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
This novel weaves together the experiences of three women during World War II: Frankie Bard, an American radio broadcaster in London; Iris James, postmistress in Franklin, MA; and Emma Fitch, newly married to Franklin's doctor, who (the doctor) has left Franklin to volunteer his services to the victims of the London Blitz.
I didn't love the book (although it's a bestseller, so clearly a lot of people did) but it kept my interest, and I particularly enjoyed the historical details, including real-life broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow as one of the minor characters. Blake wrote the novel shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack, and the parallels to the fear and uncertainty of that time as well as today are striking.
Recommendations, Anyone?
I'm open to suggestions of titles I should look for next. What do you recommend?
5 comments
I love mystery/thrillers, and I just devoured the Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. I was lamenting to Gary that the next one doesn't come out until October, and he goes, "Oh, good, so we might actually see you for a few weeks."
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you're still finding ways to read on the road! I'm picturing a Little Free Library shaped like an RV outside your place when you set up camp. :-)
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the best stuff Tyndale ever published is the Lamb among the Stars series by Chris Walley. It starts very slow, but once it gains traction it never lets up. It's profound and adventurous, entertaining and challenging. The physical books are OP (they are tomes!) but the e-books are still available. --Timothy Olson
ReplyDeleteJane - There is a Tardis little free library right here in Lisle :) Ann Vandermeer
ReplyDeleteJane, I read 2015 novel The Homecoming of Samuel Lake after Beth Moore recommended it and it's one of my all-time faves. Also highly recommend Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. And one more: The Light Between Oceans. The film currently out is pretty good but the novel is incredible.
ReplyDelete