Reading at Camp

 This is what everyone was reading on the beach. I would take a picture of them and then tell them whether I had read their book or not, which was super fun for everyone and not obnoxious at all.

Rachel with The Lord of the Rings, which I have not read. Here she is vexed that she finally got through the Appendix and found...another Appendix.

Also Rachel: Fahrenheit 451, which I have read, and had brought the same book with me. Eve found it as a used book at the cute little bookstore down the street from her house at school, and asked me if she should read it. Out of that one, Brave New World and 1984 she liked Fahrenheit 451 the best - it had the least casual racism.

Vivian: The Secret History. I have read it, and didn't really like it, but I didn't mention that until after she said that she wasn't really liking it either. I liked The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt's next book, much better. Both books seem to be pretty polarizing, so if you're thinking I'm nuts for either of those opinions you're not alone. You're wrong, but not alone (hee hee).

Logan: Something by Brandon Sanderson, which I have not read. I have a vague memory of Brandon Sanderson being a dick online at some point, but only vague.

Melanie: John Dies at the End, which I have read and loved, but it is extremely bizarre and I have never met anyone else reading it that I didn't recommend it too, so I may have squealed a little. 

Ben: Gardens of the Moon, which I have not read. Apparently it has high magic, which doesn't really interest me, and an unusual plot structure, which does.

Janet: The Wall of ...what? Does that say Winnipeg? It does. The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. Obviously I haven't read it. What does that title even mean? Oh, the Wall of Winnipeg is a football player. Okay then.

Dave: The Reluctant Barbarian, which he picked up because it's by a local author. I have not read it.

Caitlin: The God of Endings, which I have read, and recently, and I found it randomly by circuitous means, so I was a little freaked out when I saw it on the picnic table. I loved it, and Caitlin is liking it as well.

Eve: Brackenbeast, the second in a trilogy by Kate Alice Marshall that I loved and gave to her because it involves palindromes, and Eve is my favourite palindrome. It is for young readers but is not simplistic or shallow. She's going to take the third with her to save for an October read.

What did I read at camp? Nothing, basically. It's a little weird - many people take a vacation to read, and I seem to take a vacation from reading, except not really because I love reading, and at home I read for at the very least an hour a day. Maybe it's the ADHD - when there are people around I can't focus enough. I read a few pages of a library ebook in the tent one night on my ipad, but I have terrible carpal tunnel and it hurts my hands to hold it up. I read a few pages of the first story in The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Fourteen edited by Ellen Datlow. I read a few pages of Fahrenheit 451. But mostly on the beach I talked to people or went in the water or watched the water, and around the campfire I talked to people and stared at the fire. 

The campfire readers:

I've read eight books since we got home, so... at least I remember how? 

Comments

Sarah said…
LOVE this post-- people with their books-- so perfect. And thanks for some great recs!
Nicole said…
I love seeing everyone with their books!
StephLove said…
That's kind of fun.

Yesterday we were all reading on the porch. It's a weekly family activity North has instigated. North was probably reading a YA gay or lesbian romance as that's what they usually read for fun, though I didn't actually check, Noah was reading a Game of Thrones book, I don't know what Beth was reading (she was using tablet) and I was reading Robinson Crusoe, which I found in a little free library and thought I should read because I never have. I told Beth, "it's not as interesting as you'd think" as I usually go into classics thinking there's probably a good reason it's a classic. But she said, "it's probably exactly as interesting as I'd expect" because she doesn't have the same predisposition. Actually the most interesting thing about it is the awful racial subtext and I know-- 18th century-- but still...
Ernie said…
I'm not into fantasy or whatever Lord of the Rings is considered, but if it has a second appendix - well, I'm extra glad that it doesn't interest me.

This is a fun post. I love the facial expressions. What a relief that you didn't forget how to read.
NGS said…
This is such a fun blog post! What a delightful idea!

I did not read the appendix to any Tolkien book. I am not into it nearly enough. I can barely get through the so-called story.

Sanderson is a Mormon who holds some terrible homophobic views. That being said, he's also a really widely read fantasy author and his writing is accessible and I can see why he's so popular.
Tudor Robins said…
This post is so interesting to me because of all the print books. Did EVERYBODY have print books? I stopped reading print books several years ago and now, when I get one as a gift, I go and find the ebook at the library, otherwise I know I'll never read it.
I'm also surprised to see all the print books! I exclusively read on my kindle these days. I am in the young kid years and it's just so much easier to read on my kindle. I am reading a physical copy of Bleak House and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn so I am getting a bit of print book reading in this summer which I'm enjoying as a sort of treat!
Hks said…
I have the same problem with my iPad being too heavy to hold up for reading. I found one of these pillowpads at a discount store recently and it's very helpful! You probably wouldn't want to take it camping but it's nice for using at home. https://www.amazon.com/Ontel-Pillow-Ultra-Multi-Angle-Tablet/dp/B091T4TKJS/ref=asc_df_B091T4TKJS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=507831081029&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18054443295254826599&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9017267&hvtargid=pla-1241052963058&psc=1
Anna aka Beachmama said…
Love seeing all the reading, and books, actual paper books!!
This post gives me HOPE FOR THE WORLD, seeing all those people reading all those books while on vacation. An excellent post. Now I want to read the book with the palindromes.

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