Adventures in Reading

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

                                                                                                                             --Ray Bradbury

Welcome to Summer 2012. My hometown library is offering readers of all ages a summer of reading adventures. Suggested adventures for adults include attending an author's lecture, writing a book review for the library's blog, and checking out an audiobook/e-book. Meaning: try something different this year. 

If you are in a reading rut, this is your chance to climb out. Do you always browse in the same reading section in a library or book store? Last year, I realized I had never read a western and decided to start with Louis L'Amour's "The Quick and the Dead." Okay, I am still not a huge fan of the genre, but I did enjoy trying a different author and writing style.

This summer I want to read books I have overlooked or never even considered. Win or lose, I'll have some new adventures in reading.

Books on my summer reading list (so far):

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer; Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey; Arcadia by Lauren Groff; Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky and Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles or a collection of his short stories, including The Playground.

Books/Authors for reading adventures

Science Fiction:

Frank Herbert (Dune); Philip Dick (Man in High Castle); Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game); David Brin (Earth - Uplift series); William Gibson (Necromancer); Neal Stephenson, Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury.

Fantasy:

George R.R. Martin (Games of Thrones); J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings triology); Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles).

Western:

Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage); Louis L'Amour (The Quick and the Dead); Wallace Stegner (Angle of Repose and Big Rock Candy Mountain).

Non-fiction: 

United States of Arugula - Karp, David.

Free For All - Borchert, Don.

What Now? - Patchett, Ann.

Reading the OED - Shea, Ammon.

Things I've Learned from Women Who Dumped Me - Karlin, Ben.

How the States Got Their Shapes - Stein, Mark.

Immortal Milk: Adventures in Cheese - LeMay, Eric.

Every Silence Has An End - Betancourt, Ingrid.

All Facts Considered - Kee, Malesky.

365 Thank Yous - Kralik, John.

Uncommon Courtesy - Wood, Jennifer

Orchid Thief - Orlean, Susan

At Home - Bryson, Bill

Freakonomics - Levitt, Steven & Dubner, Stephen

Widow Cliquot - Mazzeo, Tilar

Eight Men Out - Asinof, Eliot

Fiction:

Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt - Preston, Caroline.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Stevenson, Robert Louis.

Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children - Riggs, Ransom.

Revenge of the Radioactive Lady - Stuckey-French, Elizabeth.

Fiction Class - Breen, Susan.

Shanghai Girls - See, Lisa.

How I Became a Famous Novelist - Hely, Steve.

Whiter Than Snow - Dallas, Sandra.

Weird Sisters - Brown, Eleanor.

Stiltsville - Daniel, Susanna.

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Ford, Jamie.

Homer and Langley - Doctorow, E.L.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows, Annie.

Try (very short) fiction with a twist:

Hint Fiction anthology - edited by Swartwood, Robert

Micro Fiction - edited by Stern, Jerome.

**Thanks to Gary, Maribel, Emily, and Pam for their suggestions.**

Dedicated to the memory of Ray Bradbury

1920-2012  

  

Pink Mountain



"We wander for distraction, but travel for fulfillment."

                                                               --Hilare Belloc

Years ago, my husband and I decided to move to Alaska. Our newlywed life together started out in Florida, but the Alaskan adventure that beckoned was too romantic and exciting to decline. We bought a used Chevy truck, loaded it with all of our earthly possessions and headed northwest to the Alaska Highway.

Maybe it was our youthfulness or obvious naivete that made the truck driver warn us about the perils of Pink Mountain.

There we were - seated in metal chairs in front of our motel room somewhere in British Columbia, Canada, when a man walked up and asked about our next destination. According to him, one thing stood between us and our future happiness - Pink Mountain. We kept nodding at the stranger and asked a few questions about the success rate of much larger trucks crossing over the mountain. I remember that our would-be guardian was tall and thin, and spoke in a deeply serious voice, giving each word a heavy importance. After giving us a bug screen for the truck and a final dire warning about crossing the mountain, he departed, and we returned to making dinner plans.

It might have been the soft, pretty name of the mountain that lulled us into feeling comfortable about the next day's journey. After all, isn't pink associated with flamingos and lemonade? Even the mountain's gentle name stems from its pink glow at sunrise, according to locals.

Or it may have been that a mere eight hours after leaving Orlando, an orange Chevy Vega had run into our truck, damaging the fender. When the police officer arrived and started interviewing the fidgety  young man who had hit us, it became obvious that the driver couldn't remember where he lived or exactly whose car he had been driving. We were given permission to leave; the young man was still being sternly questioned as we drove away. The next day, while crossing Missouri on I-70, with my husband dozing beside me, I was pulled over for speeding. When the state trooper asked me where I was in such a hurry to get to, and I answered "Alaska," things went downhill. I was given a hefty fine and a stern lecture about not thinking that Alaska was far enough away to avoid payment.

Our adventure wasn't over.

The truck broke down in Montana and for the first (and only) time in my life, I hitchhiked. A very nice couple, whose radio musical tastes leaned toward polka and other dance music, rescued us and drove us to the nearest gas station. The Chevy's problem was diagnosed as a faulty transmission -  a problem that had been "fixed" in Orlando. Our cash reserve, not much to begin with, was quickly dwindling.

Pink Mountain? Somehow the threatened peril of crossing that mountain seemed laughable after a wreck in Georgia, a transmission mishap in Montana, not to mention starting married life in an aging and cramped truck heading to Alaska.

Yes, we easily reached the other side of Pink Mountain and never looked back.

Much belated thanks to that modern-day cowboy who warned a young couple about the dangerous trail up ahead. Little did he know...


Some travel books to accompany you on your own journey or to enjoy from the comfort of your favorite chair:


On the Road - Kerouac, Jack (F). It's a novel. It's an autobiography. It's both of these. The idea for the book was born in 1947. A few years later, Kerouac started typing and didn't stop until "On The Road" was finished. The original scroll version was released in 2008.

Although, Of Course, You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace - Lipsky, David (NF). Lipsky had a plum assignment from Rolling Stone magazine - accompany DFW on the road for an epic interview. The men discussed writing, teaching and America's pop culture. Wallace, who wrote Pale King and Consider the Lobster, committed suicide in 2008. 

Travel As A Political Act - Steves, Rick (NF). Along with unusual food, outstanding museums and beautiful scenery, travel can broaden our understanding of the world's many cultures. Steves provides the lessons on getting more out of our travels.

Into Thin Air - Krakauer, Jon (NF). A must-read, especially in the hot summer weather. Krakauer brings us along to the summit of Mount Everest.

Travels with Charley: In Search of America - Steinbeck, John (NF). One of my favorite books written by my very favorite author. Join Steinbeck and his trusty sidekick, Charley, as they set out to discover America. 

Milepost  (NF) - Detailed account of the Alaska Highway. Includes advice on restaurants and camping, and offers updated information on road conditions.

A Field Guide For Immersion Writing: Memoir, Journalism and Travel - Hemley, Robin (NF). Perfect for anyone wanting to document their travel adventures.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America - Bryson, Bill (NF). Don't read either of these in a public place - you'll disturb people with your loud laughter and guffaws. If snarky observational humor while traveling is your idea of fun, Bryson is your newest favorite author. 

Travel guides: Fodor's; Frommer's; Off The Beaten Path; Lonely Planet; DK Eyewitness; Rick Steves' guides.

What I'm Reading:

Wild - Strayed, Cheryl (NF). The author decided to hike the 1100-mile Pacific Coast Trail after her life started falling apart. It is difficult to put the book down for even a minute.

Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West - Rarick, Ethan (NF). If you think your last family road trip was bad, read this book. All jokes aside, the Donner party was plagued with bloated egos, misguided leaders and extremely bad weather.  

Thanks to CS for sharing Alaska with us.