I’m going to be away from home for four days. I’ve got a list of sundries like clothes and toiletries and such, but the really important question is: what books do I want to pick up for the time I’ll have traveling? Sitting in airports and on the plane, I know from experience, is rarely conducive to being creative. I’ve tried to write or draw in those situations over and over and I just can’t. I think it’s the whole situational awareness thing – if I’m creating, I’m not fully cognizant of what’s going on around me. And my brain won’t stop gibbering at me while I’m surrounded by strangers (which does have weird and notable exceptions). So rather than create, I ingest, preferring non-fiction or research material as it’s not as absorbing as fiction. Although I have fiction on tap already…
Maybe it’s just an excuse. I have books on my wishlist I’ve been wanting. Anyone have any recommendations? I’m currently debating these:
Madness and Memory: The Discovery of Prions by Pruisner
The Quest for Cosmic Justice by Sowell
Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall Down by Gordon
The Death of Common Sense by Howard
A Mind for Numbers by Oakley
I’ll probably pick two, at most three, of those. I’m still working on Oligarchs (which really is direct research for the WIP) and I just picked up A Troublesome Inheritance and Psychological Warfare.
I’ll have some time in the evenings in the hotel, not sure how much as I’ve been warned there will be a lot of extra-curricular reading (yay! LOL ok, ok, I’m not normal). Also, in the hotel room I can write, and will, and am looking forward to some time with no distractions at all, since I’ve no idea if I’ll have internet. So the reading is more for travel down-time. And after I’m back, lunches at work, which is where I’ve been reading Oligarchs recently.
And I will digress here to note that I love, love, passionately and madly fervently delight in the decadence that is ebooks. Most of the above books are tomes that would sprain a shoulder to lug in my Bag of Holding whilst traveling, not to mention some of the even weightier books I’ve got floating about already. But with the e-reader capability of my phone, and my tablet, and portable chargers in case I can’t find a wall outlet (never something I gamble on) and many planes sporting USB sockets for a small charge these days… I can pop my library in my purse and if I’m not in the mood for the book on hand, switch to another one. I could even, although I probably won’t, access the store from my phone via data and buy a new book to have it in my hot little hands a minute later. It’s the stuff of science fiction, along with the Tesla in Space… and just as real, albeit slightly less absurd. I love books, in all forms. I love beautiful books on my shelf, but away from home I love that electrons weigh nothing.
Also, if you’re more interested in my visual creative side than in my ‘stuff the brain until things fall out’ side, check out today’s Mad Genius post.
Comments
4 responses to “Prepping for Travel”
I have reached the point in life where I cannot handle large heavy books. Thank goodness for the Kindle. I have over 2000 books available to me. Everything from trashy fiction to biographies to existential philosophy. It just depends on my mood and need at the time. So go, travel, but take your reader only. Your hands and shoulders will thank you.
When my brother and sister and I spent the summer of 1976 doing the youth hostel and Britrail pass thing, all through England, Scotland and Wales, my go-to book in my backpack was a paperback of Mark Twain “The Innocents Abroad.” All the book that I needed, or could carry in my backpack.
I just finished a whole bunch of Linday Buroker’s books and enjoyed them. Now I’m reading a space military series by J.A. Sutherland — the MC is Alexis Carew, and it’s a rather amusing British Navy in Space series (not so much amusing as in humorous, although it is in places, but as in anachronistic). The author has taken some historical events and used them in the stories, which was interesting. Anyway, both authors have been enjoyable reads, if a bit gory at times.
Travels With Charley.
Okay, so I’m a sadist at heart. 😀