Geeky Talks
My desert island has a Starbucks, a Thriftway, and not enough Anne Lamott
You know how people always ask you what book you’d take on a desert island? You know how there’s always some jackass that says, “I’d take how to survive on a desert island.” You know how you’ll never-ever-ever have this possibility so you say something like, “Charles Dickens!” or “Ralph Waldo Emerson!” and you know you never have to actually follow through? Well, I had to make that choice, sordda, and I chose wrong. Very. Very. Wrong.
We’re now living in our “temporary housing” which means it’s way too small, costs way too much and can’t hold crap. We’re in between homes. We’re living the summer o’fun! Renting a townhouse in a town we’d never afford in real life and enjoying every damn renter-dwelling minute.
Minus the part where we pay an additional 100 bucks a month (GASP, I know I know) in a storage unit. Our current home is about 400 square feet smaller than our previous one. This means we had to make choices. I had to decide what to keep out for our 6 month lease and what can be packed away in to the storage unit until we find out permant
trailer later. It was a tough call, really. Because if I would choose to save anything in a fire (ok, aside from LB and her photos and her blanket and monkey) it would be my books. I write in my books. I make notes. I dog-ear my pages. I love my books hard. I love my books very “Velveteen Rabbit” like. I do.
So it was a tough decision when we packed the book shelf. I had to pick out a few books to keep with me for the next six months. I chose books I wanted to read and only one or two old loves. The thing I didn’t realize is how much I refer back to my books when I’m thinking of something, or needing inspiration, or just wanting to cuddle up with characters I already know. I didn’t realize how often my library comes in to my life and my head and my writing. I’ve been looking for a specific passage from this book, or maybe that one. And I remember wanting to re-read this. Or that. And suddenly I have never wanted my books more than I do right now. And all I have here is a starbucks, a thriftway, and the “Nanny Diaries” which is lovely, but not exactly right.
Now I know the answer to the question. I would take the books I love the most, not the ones I have not read yet. What would you take?
Welcome!
17 guests here now.
Find Me
Popular Tags
Latest Tweets
-
I still chuckle every time I have to do curl_init(); #init #UK39 minutes ago
-
@daniellemartha funny or depressing. #tooReal4 hours, 19 minutes ago
-
A bit confused why everyone is going toward the window's phone layouts. I find those massively confusing. Oddly compelled to copy the trend.22 hours, 6 minutes ago
Conference and Speaking Gigs
Writing Conferences
Comments
First, I loathe the “moving limbo”. Your limbo is FOREVER though, ick. Six months? Dear heart, I’ll be thinking of you.
On a desert island, I would take my standby old favorite books rather than things I’ve not read yet.
Probably the most prized “possesions” I would want to have besides books to read, would be scrapbooks. If my house was burning down, after the kids of course, if I had time I’d grab my photos and scrapbooks.
Then again, my idea of the perfect desert island survival scenario involves a bartender!
Definitely all my hundreds of family photos. Even though I “do digital” I print the faves and put them in albums. I love the tactile feel of a photo album. I would have to have a Target and a cabana boy and a pool with a swim up bar. Oh, wait, that’s three things. I’m GREEDY like that.
Hmmm. I will have to think on this one. I went through a book purge when we moved four years ago and have never quite recovered. I know, I am insane! But, yet… it needed to be done.
I would probably end up taking some trash novels (I ain’t afraid to admit it) and perhaps Doctors by Erich Segal as that would keep the best speed reader reading for days, and even Love Story in case I needed to cry so that I could drink my tears or something.
I feel your pain! Our temporary house is about 2000 sqft smaller than our old house, so EVERYTHING is in storage. Until March! We basically just brought a few pieces of furniture (beds and a couch), some dishes and pots and pans, and clothes. I love to read too, but I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t bring any books. Abby and I spend a lot of time at the library these days.
“Operating Instructions” became one of my all-time favorites right after I had my daughter. How could she get it so right, all of the insecurity, the raw emotion, the sheer beauty, the twists and turns of a first-time (single) mother? She’s brilliant.
I haven’t read Traveling Mercies. Guess I need to check that one out, huh?
Ok, I am going to be the corney one here and say that the one book I would take on a desert island is the Bible. Now, hear me out….my theory is this: While I am a lifelong Catholic, I have never actually read the Bible. (shhhh….don’t tell anyone.) And since it’s pretty long and full of….stuff…., about the only way I’m ever going to get thru the entire thing is by being stranded on an island without anything else to read. See how this works? Plus, it is sure to have some stuff that will make me more hopeful (considering I’ll be stranded with no way out).
Thank God I didn’t say I wanted to take a bunch of porn or something to pass the time because then the Bible thing would make me feel like a freak.
But, for the sake of clarity, I’m taking scrapbooks of my CHILDREN, and no porn WHATSOEVER.
And I’ll just borrow Raybelle’s Bible while I’m there.
I’d take my ibook and satellite internet connection. Cause these days I read a lot more blogs than books and going for even a couple hours without pulling up my “dailies” list makes me feel a bit stranded.
Or is that cheating?
Ummmm….
I think my brain just withered.
Yeah…I really want to take my ipod with me…at least I"ll have 12 hours of music before the battery died.
And can the postman come every other month with my Relevant Magazine? Pictures of course. Donald Miller books and Walk On by Steve Stockman. oooo and maybe The Christian Culture Survival Guide because that is just some funny stuff. I need a bigger suitcase… 
Laura, that HAS to be cheating! Because OBVIOUSLY that’s what I’d take, too.
And if we were on the same island, we’d totally IM each other and send each other links to read. ‘Cause that’s what we’re like.
And Sonia.. HAHAHA. No porn. HAHA! But I know what you’re saying Raybelle. You crack me up. “Not to be too cheesy” heh. But when else are you going to have that much TIME.
And to the people wanting to read more Anne Lamott .. do it. Read Travling Mercies and then Plan B. I luff her so….
Probably Philip Roth’s American Trilogy: American Pastoral, The Human Stain and So I Married a Communist.. I get so much out of those books, and it seems like I’m in a different place each time I read them - so I get a different message every time.
But I love American Psycho too. I know.. I’m a freak.
This whole idea makes my insides shriek. Give up even one of my precious books? NO! Although I guess I’d have to bring Pride & Prejudice... but really my entire life is usually in limbo, being a college student and all. It’s constantly a pain when I’m at school and realize I REALLY want to read that book that’s at home on the second shelf, fourth from the right. It’s also a pain at the end of the year when my mother glares at me as we empty my room of books…again.
I loves me some books too, even though I don’t read them as much as I would like to. I guess that’s good for a future librarian. But I’m always shocked at how easily my mom and some of my friends have given away books to garage sales. I always look at mine and I can’t think of any I would get rid of.
I’d take books I haven’t read yet. I’m not much into rereading books other than poetry books.
The only books I’ve been reading lately are cookbooks. Sad, I know. But depending on the cookbook, they could come in really handy on a desert island.