Packing for a trip, even one that just means being away from home a couple days, is never easy for me. Deciding on what clothes to bring is only half the problem. The other half is deciding what books to bring.
What if I don’t like a book I have packed? Then what will I read?
What if I finish a book faster than anticipated? What will I read then?
What if I have more time to read than anticipated? (A good problem to have, as far as I’m concerned.) Will I have enough to read?
For me, these are bigger questions than deciding how many changes of clothes to bring with me. The good news is that generally we travel in our car, so I have room for a stockpile of reading material.
My most recent book decision dilemma was our weekend in Door County.
Books I Brought With Me
After hemming and hawing, I selected 4 books for this three day vacation (Two of the three days were mainly in the car.) I had just read two serious literary fiction books, Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange and A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power (see April 18 post.) and I knew I needed something lighter.
An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor. I have read others in this charming series and know I will read others in the future. This one focuses on the “love life” of physician Fingel O”Reilly, as he courts Kitty. He has mourned the death of his wife for a long time, and Kitty is sensitive to his hesitancy about a new relationship in his life. In the meantime his associate has been fluffed off by a woman he thought was “the one,” and now he wonders if life as a village GP is enough for him. He ponders a decision.
In these short months he’d certainly had a fair sampling of the medical side of general practice, but he hasn’t been prepared for the village. Gradually, he’s come to learn it wasn’t simply a collection of houses, shops, a pub, and a couple of churches. It was an entity, and as an animal was the whole of its parts, so too was the village a many faceted, living organism. p. 287.
I’m grateful the author includes a glossary of Irish words and terms in the book. This time my favorite word is “harpled,” walking awkwardly, favoring a sore leg or back.
A Match Made for Heaven #7 in the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw. Much of this book is set in Tucson, AZ, rather than Canada and for a very good reason. I don’t want to say why for those you of you who have not gotten this far in the series yet. This was perfect vacation reading. I will soon start reading #8.
One Woman Show by Christine Coulson. This was my “just in case” book. Just in case I finished both of the other books. This is a short, new novel, meant to be read in one sitting. The book documents much of the life of Kitty (1911-1998), but it is the structure that is most interesting. Her life is described as a series of art works, with an entry on each page.
BRIDE, AGED 19, 1926 Mrs. William Wallingford III (known as Kitty) Collection of William Wallingford III (known as Bucky) Ex-Collection of Martha and Harrison Whitaker
Considered the apex of early twentieth-century production. Kitty is thoroughly polished, bound in white silk, and decorated with a clutch of pristine lily of the valley. The rest of her garniture joins her, but with deliberately less polish and packaging. The great and the good gather to see the exhibition and rave about the elegant lines and immaculate condition. Kitty glistens in the light of her new pedestal and foolishly considers herself now unbreakable.
Clever and thought-provoking.
The Eloquence of Silence, Surprising Wisdom in Tales of Emptiness by Thomas Moore. This books is one of my current devotion companions. Good food for reflection.
A Surprise Book Store
I selected my vacation book companions well–finished the Patrick Taylor, which I had started at home, and read in its entirety the Iona Whishaw mystery and read a couple chapters each day in Thomas Moore’s book. I saved One Woman Show and read it when we got home.
So well-done, Nancy. But then we discovered a bookstore new to us in Sturgeon Bay, which is at the entrance of the main part of the Door County Peninsula, and the book bag bulged. What a lovely and well-curated bookstore with a knowledgeable storeowner/bookseller, and you can bet we will stop there each trip we make to Door County.
Here are my selections:
The Mystery Writer by Solari Gentil. I read and enjoyed her earlier book, The Woman in the Library and so am eager to read this one. I also discovered that she has written a mystery series set in WWII, the Rowland Sinclair series. When I have completed all 11 of the Iona Whishaw books, I am sure I will investigate these.
An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Taylor. This follows the one I just read, An Irish Country Courtship. The covers of these books, by the way, are so lovely.
Wild Atlantic Women, Walking Ireland’s West Coast by Grainne Lyons. To continue the Irish theme!
House Lessons, Renovating a Life by Erica Bauermeister. Bauermeister is the author of several novels as well, which I have not yet read, but this memoir is so beautifully written that I may add her other titles to my TBR. When I go to an independent bookstore I like to buy a WILD CARD book, meaning a book I have not heard of before, but for whatever reason it appeals. This was true for this book and the Wild Atlantic Women book, as well. Both my husband and I have now read House Lessons and loved it. Bauermeister and her husband live in Seattle, but decide to buy a ramshackle house in Port Townsend, WA. This is the story of that renovation, but also the life lessons learned along the way–the ways one’s life is a kind of ongoing renovation.
Book Presents
This weekend away was to celebrate my birthday and, no surprise, my favorite present is a new book. My husband is always nervous about buying me a book, anticipating I may have already read what he selects, but he did well. Now on my TBR bookshelf are these three–two mysteries and a nonfiction title.
Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (Notice a similarity in title and cover to Julia Child’s masterpiece?)
Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald. I loved H is For Hawk, but have not yet read this one.
Soon we will go on a road trip to visit our son and daughter-in-love in Cleveland and then spend a few days in Michigan, so the dilemma of what books to bring will resurface once again. Such a problem!
An Invitation
Do you take books on vacation? How do you decide what to bring with you? I would love to know.
NOTE:
I will post my April Book Report Summary on May 2.
Last week my husband and I roamed, and you know what that means–checking out bookstores and libraries. Our destination was Spooner and Hayward in Wisconsin’s lake country. For many years my parents owned a lake home on Teal Lake outside of Hayward, so when our children were young we made that trip many, many times–most every weekend in the summer. Lots of wonderful memories.
Going to the lake always included packing books. What might we want to read on the deck or the beach or the pontoon or in front of the fireplace? There was no time for reading on this recent day trip, but we did buy books to take back home with us.
Our first stop was Northwind Book and Fiber, and it almost could have been our last stop, for I kept finding books I just had to have. Only my husband tempting me with a donut from the bakery a couple doors away speeded up my selection process. This store carries a terrific selection of backlist titles, and I quickly decided not to buy any brand-new titles, but to look for some older ones on my TBR list. I did well! This bookstore is now one of my personal favorites.
I was especially pleased to find The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. I have had this on my “hold” list at the library for a LONG time, but someone keeps renewing or not returning the two copies. This book, by the way, is the last one I have left to read on my fiction 2022 TBR list. A bonus: the store owner said it is one of her all-time favorite books, and she always has a copy on the shelf. I suspect she has already placed an order for a replacement copy.
My WILD CARD selection is West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. I know this has been recommended to me, but I had not added it to my TBR list–who knows why. Well, seeing it, reading the first couple pages, I knew I needed to add this to my stack.
I am embarrassed to say I have not read Emily St John Mandel’s acclaimed Sea of Tranquility. Not sure why, especially since I loved Station Eleven. My granddaughter is a big fan of Mandel’s and that’s reason enough to read more of Mandel’s work.
I’m a little concerned I have already read The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, for I have enjoyed other books by her. I don’t own it, however, and it is just one of those books that feels good to hold–chunky and inviting. It has occurred to me to read not only all of her books, but those by her mother, Hilma Wolitzer. Another enticing book project.
The other three books, Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson, The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali, and The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams have all been recommended to me by more than one source. Yum!
And what did my husband buy?
Open Season by C.J. Box
A Double Death on the Block and A Small Death in the Great Glenn both by A.D. Scott
The Language of Trees, A Rewinding of Literature and Landscape by Katie Holton.
From Spooner we continued to Hayward, which was so packed with tourists, we decided not to linger, but instead drove further to a small little town called Cable. We remembered taking our kids to the charming little library there, and I was thrilled to see it was still there. Jammed with books–such a cozy place to browse and read.
Part of the library at one time was a small natural history museum with scenes of flora and fauna. Now there is a big new natural history museum where I chatted briefly with my totem animal, canis lupus.
Cable also has a small independent bookstore, Redbery Books. Bruce bought Spider Lake, A Northern Lakes Mystery by a Wisconsin writer, Jeff Nania, but I was more restrained. For once.
Outside the library, by the way, is this sweet carving. The book the bear is reading is Where the Wild Things Are.
Not only do we use our plat map books when we roam, preferring back roads to the main ones suggested by Google maps, but we also consult the Midwest Indie BookStore Road Map. We wouldn’t want to miss any independent bookstore on our route!
Oh, and one more fun book treat. A friend who is a retired University of Minnesota librarian sent me this new version of Monopoly. How fun is this. I have printed the image for my book journal, and we’ll see how well I play in the coming months.
One last thing–I promise. What am I reading now? I have finally started reading The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. I am surprised to say it is taking me some time to get into it, but maybe that is good or otherwise I wouldn’t be doing anything else. I will keep you informed about my progress.
An Invitation
Do you have any book related treats to report? I would love to know.
I have now read all four of Mary Lawson’s wonderful novels, and I hope she is writing, writing, writing! The Other Side of the Bridge (2006) is her second novel (Crow Lake is her first) and is set in a small Canadian town, shifting between two time periods, WWII and the 1960’s. The main character Ian, the son of the town’s physician, is often called upon to help his father, but as a teenager he prefers working on the farm owned by Arthur and his wife Laura. The story of Arthur and his brother Jake is a major part of the story, as is the story of Pete, a Native American friend of Ian’s. Many subplots, but they weave together beautifully.
Lawson’s 3rd book is Road Ends (2013). Warning: Dysfunctional family alert! The mother just wants to have babies and then ignores them when they have grown out of babyhood. Tom is the oldest of seven boys and Megan is the only daughter. She escapes to London and the father, who is a banker, escapes to his study. A heart-breaking story, but oh, Lawson can write. I reviewed her most recent book, A Town Called Solace in my March Round-Up. https://wordpress.com/post/livingonlifeslabyrinth.com/650
I am now fully immersed in a mystery series by a husband-wife duo whose pseudonym is Nicci French. I read the first in the series, Blue Monday (2011) in April, and we listened to the second, Tuesday’s Gone (2012) on our road trip to Portland, OR, and this week I read the third, Waiting for Wednesday. I guarantee I will complete the remaining days of the week this month. Set in London, the main character is the highly intuitive psychotherapist, Frieda Klein, who could use some therapy herself. She develops an informal, but key relationship with the police department. A small boy is kidnapped and this re-opens a case from years before. Get ready for a major twist at the end. I recommend reading these books in order, by the way, for some of the characters and plots continue from book to book.
I have already reviewed two favorite nonfiction books read in April, Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jauoud https://wordpress.com/post/livingonlifeslabyrinth.com/673 and On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed, https://wordpress.com/post/livingonlifeslabyrinth.com/695 but I will mention two others. First, Susan, Linda, Nina and Cokie, The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli. (2021) As an NPR junkie, I throughly enjoyed reading about their key roles in the early years of NPR, and as I write this, I can hear each of their distinctive voices. My only complaint about the book is that it lacks pictures, but it is radio after all!
I have not yet moved the other book, The Divine Dance, The Trinity and Your Transformation (2016) by Richard Rohr and Mike Morrell from my basket of morning meditation materials to my bookshelf, for I keep re-reading sections, in order to reflect and absorb the words even more. Despite the deep topic, the writing style is conversational, and invites inner conversation. The words “flow and “relationship” are key to the discussion. No doubt I will refer to this book again in future blog posts.
The Powell’s Report
First, I should mention that one night of our road trip to Portland, OR, we stayed in Missoula, MT, which has a charming downtown and a good independent bookstore, Fact and Fiction. Even though I knew I would make a big haul at Powell’s, I can’t pass up supporting independent bookstores wherever I find them. I bought two novels on my TBR list: Beneficence (2020) by Meredith Hall, which I read on the trip and loved and will write about in more detail in a later post, and A Ghost in the Throat (2020) by Doireann Ni Ghriofa. I listened to an interview with the Irish author on NPR recently and am intrigued.
I also bought a book at the Crazy Horse Memorial; a book I have been meaning to read for a long time, and I am so happy to have bought it at the memorial location: Black Elk Speaks, The Complete Edition by John G. Neihardt.
Then Powell’s. Armed with my TBR list on my phone and a store map, which is definitely needed, I took a deep breath and realized I needed a plan. I decided to focus on two sections–mystery and literature, both on the same floor and close to the coffee shop. At Powell’s used and new books are shelved together, and I decided to only buy books that had not been published recently, instead of current books easy to find in most bookstores. I made one exception, Great Circle (2021) by Maggie Shipstead. By the time I made the decision to narrow my purchases, I already had this in my basket and couldn’t force myself to eliminate it.
These are the used books I found that are on my TBR list:
Solar Storms by Linda Hogan (1995)
The Gown by Jennifer Robson (2019)
Jubilee by Margaret Walker (1966)
The Expats (2012) and The Paris Diversion (2019) by Chris Pavone
I also decided to get a couple books I loved and want to re-read: The Stone Diaries (1994) by Carol Shields and The Shell Seekers (1987) by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Finally, a surprise find, a book I had not heard about, The Pleasure of Their Company (2000) by Doris Grumbach. This slim hardcover memoir written near her 80th birthday was on the shelf next to her novels. It caught my eye and for $6.95 used I could not resist.
I’m thrilled with my pile and the whole Powell’s experience. Now I know what our granddaughter meant when she said we would need to set a timer for ourselves or we would still be wandering the aisles when the store closed for the day.
An Invitation
What were your favorite April books and what is waiting on your shelves for the right time? I would love to know.
Living on Life's Labyrinth 