In some ways, I consider this hobby of mine a sort of security blanket. Whatever kind of annoyance or radar blip occurs, just remembering that I can get back to that book (provided I am actually involved with a good read at the time) at the end of the day helps me relax. And, when getting out of town, having something on hand to get into gives me my own separate reality. The past few trips I've taken, whether for a week or a weekend, I have packed at least 3 books. And more often than not, one or maybe two get read. But I wholeheartedly mean this: knowing that they are there really provides some sort of comfort in a way that I haven't found with my other distractions (i.e. trashy tv...another habit I tend to overindulge). I think you can really claim a book as your own. Even if you're reading the latest Harry Potter and every person, adult or kid, on the street is carrying their own copy, your experience with the story feels personal.
And now that I think of it, I've been relying on the consistency of the printed word for a long time now. A few summers ago when I led trips in the woods for a week to 10 days at a time, cramming reading material into the old pack was always a must. Many a fellow guide would probably balk at my maximal habit, but on most trips, I would take at least one book (2 if I was halfway through a book to avoid the catastrophe of running out of something to read in the middle of nowhere), a journal, and a magazine. And I don't regret the extra weight one bit. I read many a book, good and bad, on those trips including Travels with Charley, some Kundera, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and the mighty Moby Dick (which I unwisely thought would be a great read for those long nights reading by flashlight in a tent).
Anyway, on my list for next week is (drumroll, please):
February is Black History Month, and it feels like every high schooler around is reading A Raisin in the Sun, Beloved, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Having never read ANY of these picks, I opted for Maya Angelou. I'm only about 50 pages in, but so far, so good. The autobiographical book tells of Angelou's childhood beginning with her move to Arkansas from California to live with her grandmother.
This book has haunted me for the past 3 years. I feel like everywhere I go it appears on book displays either at the airport or on popular nonfiction tables. And many a fellow reader has recommended it. It tells the stories of 2 men, an architect and a serial killer, whose lives intertwine at the World's Fair in Chicago at the end of the 19th century. What's not to like? Chicago, serial killers, and the turn of the century? I'll let you know how it is.
Just like my Maya Angelou choice, The Red Badge of Courage is a reflection of my insecurities as a new high school librarian. Students are required to do research papers on American or British "classics", and I'm beginning to see how few of these I have read. So here goes!
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
This is book 1 of a popular, new young adult series by Westerfield (the author of another popular YA series: The Uglies). I really don't know too much about it EXCEPT it is a new steampunk title, a genre with which I have very little experience. So let's dive in to this World War I imaginative tale!
BONUS! Watch this Leviathan "book trailer."
And there are really more, but I am traveling so I have limited space. Of course, of course, of course, I know I'll probably only get through 2 books, and that would be fine with me. I certainly don't believe in rushing through a book just to check it off some sort of list. Take as long as you need! Never rush a book or force yourself to read one you just aren't digging (ahem...Moby Dick). But knowing I have options no matter where I am? It helps me sleep at night.
*Images from BarnesandNoble.com.
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