Thursday, July 17, 2008

Holiday Reading...

I haven't packed a stitch of clothing yet for my two-week holiday starting on Saturday, but what I have been doing is deliberating far too long on what books to take. This is the pile as it currently stands (or topples)...



I can't tell you exactly how much agonising has gone into getting it even this small, but there will have to be further pruning and it will hurt. It always does. I notice my partner has been hiding his books in case some of them have to go so he can fit mine into his suitcase (it's happened before).

Although what exactly would happen if I went on holiday and didn't have a vast choice of what to read, I'm not sure. That's something that's never happened before, and it never will.

But this year as indeed with every year, I'm now more than half way through a book I'm really enjoying...



and because I'm not going to finish it before Saturday I will have to make a decision. Do I take it, knowing I'll probably finish it on the plane out there and then have to lug it around for the rest of the holiday? Or do I leave it behind to make more room for the books I haven't started?

Decisions, decisions. Who ever knew holidays were so stressful?

And this is a semi-answer to Nik's snappily titled post-a-photo-of-a-random-bookshelf-(or book pile)-almost-meme.

8 comments:

bob said...

Or you could just trade them all in for 'Edgar Sawtelle' (which will take a hefty spot in your luggage). Sigh. It's lovely.

Sarah Salway said...

I'm saving that up for when I go to Iowa, Bob. Is it even for sale here yet? Looks brilliant.

bob said...

Yeah, I picked it up in paperback from, wait for it ... , The Book Depository. Loving it.

Nik Perring said...

I don't think you can win when it comes to choosing which books to take away. At least I can't seem to! When we went away for a few days last month I took an extra bag (well, satchel) for books and only ended up reading one. And bits of another I bought there.

Fwiw, if it was me, I'd take my current read with me, I think.

And Good Book Pile pictures!

Nik

Sarah Salway said...

I'm ordering it now, Bob!

Yes, you're right, Nik. Often I only read less than half of what I've lugged around with me but I like to be able to choose. Perhaps it's too much clutter though.

jem said...

Thats a delicious looking stack, with quite a lot of books that are news to me. I'm not going away anywhere but I'm still planning my 'summer' reading which is going to include a personal challenge to embrace the form of the short story!

Alex Johnson said...

I think you need to have some rules. No hardbacks, nothing longer than 350 pages, nothing by Ms Keyes.

I wouldn't take a half-read book on holiday. No sirree.

Anonymous said...

Women Who Run With Wolves is powerful, interesting and it keeps well. I'd leave it home. I love the book so well, that I keep a copy by my bathtub for reading-again - the best place for a continuous read-and-think in the whole world. The one place nobody interrupts me unless the house is burning down. And so far, it hasn't.