Read any good books to take camping?

[Rick Sheerin]

Any Garrison Keillor book is good reading or just listening to Prairie Home Companion while driving or lying around.

[The Teardrop Nanny]

At the first IRG a bunch of us had brought books and put them in a free book box. It worked so well that we did the same at the second one...put out a stack of them and others pitched in theirs, so everyone got new reads and recycled the old ones.

When I was off sick last week I read some interesting ones....
**Dry, a memoir by Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors) His struggle with alcoholism as a young ad executive

**Persian Girls, a memoir by Nahid Rachlin about her life growing up ( a female in a paternalistic society) in an Iranian household

**Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (won a Pulitzer in 2000)

I read lots of true crime stories as well as courtroom dramas that week as well, and just recently had finished some books written by Vince Flynn which are about top secret missions run by the CIA/govt.

Joanie

[Alfred]

Just picked up the first Shelby Foote book on the Civil War...Looking forward to reading it...

AL in Asheville

[Oasis Maker]

Scott, how did you find Broken Open??

Cheers Dave

(I need to start marking my posts for notifications, sorry I never saw this question, but I'll briefly answer it now.)

If you meant, how did I find the book as in come by it... it was given to me by a girlfriend of mine after I overcame a major illness. If you meant how did I like it... I think Elizabeth Lesser is a very good writer in expressing how her own path came together... BUT, I have seen too many times in books with a spiritual quest and new age approach to be slightly annoying. Many principles are created and adopted out of convenience for a desired outcome.

One example is: EVERYTHING happens for a higher good. In this philosophy, I have heard everything from Hitler being justified, rapes being explained as almost gifts, and as in Elizabeths case, if leaving your husband hurts your kids, it is because they (the kids) came here to this earth to receive that lesson and evolve. These convenient philosophies just excuse too much too easily.

I certainly believe in a connective power with experiences in life, but I just can't imagine Hitler receiving 6 million thank you cards for his deeds.

Scott G.

[Mukilteo]

I thought I would revive this thread again.
Enough time has passed for folks to have new suggestions.

[legojenn]

I've been trying to read The Life of Pi by Yann Martel for a few years now. The problem is that by the time I am relaxed enough to read it, it's night and too dark.

[nevadatear]

The Help

Water for Elephants

[chorizon]

Just finished reading World Made By Hand, and The Witch of Hebron.

Both good books.

[Corwin C]

Pretty eclectic list ... these have been on my nightstand at some point in the last year or so.

For fun:

The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon, Brisingr, Eldest) - Christopher Paolini
Lord of the Rings/Hobbit/Simarillion - J.R.R. Tolkein
Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny
Ranger's Apprentice Series - John Flanagan
Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
The Undaunted - Gerald N. Lund

For education:

The Five Thousand Year Leap - W. Cleon Skousen
A Patriot's History of the United States - Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen
The Road to Serfdom - F.A. Hayek
The Federalist Papers - Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay

The Classics (collective works):

Edgar Allen Poe
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Mark Twain
Herman Melville
Jack London
John Steinbeck
Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra
Isaac Asimov
Arthur C. Clarke
etc. etc.

I always bring a book or two (or five) along when camping. I never know when the weather is going to be crappy or just can't sleep or ... or ...

[greekspeedoman]

"The boys of Everest"

Anything by Patrick McManus

"Saving Fish from Drowning" - Amy Tan

"The Oath" - Frank Peretti (creepy read at night!)

"Three" - Ted Dekker

[wagondude]

I have to agree with Nevadatear, Water for Elephants is a great read.

For the star gazers, First Man: The life of Neil A. Armstrong.

[caseydog]

I am a big fan of Sir Jeffery Archer. He does mysteries with a twist. The kind of book with an ending that comes out of left field.

His collections of short stories would be great for camping, because you start and finish one while relaxing in the afternoon.

I would personally avoid anything by Glenn Beck, as recommended earlier, unless you want to lose brain cells. There are better ways to kill brain cells, IMO. Certainly more fun ways.

CD

[Aaron Coffee]

I don't save a book to camp, if it is half way decent I usually devour it at home. Usually just pick up what I can find (and looks interesting)on the clearance rack. Someitmes i will throw a book I have already read in my camping stuff. To me nothing is more relaxing than sitting in the sun with a cup of coffee and a book.
For the last couple years I have been into anything by Clive Cussler, and any action/adventure/lost treasure type books.
I like the idea of a book exchange. I have a helmet box (aproximately 18"x"18"x18")full of books I have read in the past 4 years, not a big one to reread a book, can't bring myself to throw them away.

[caseydog]

Any Garrison Keillor book is good reading or just listening to Prairie Home Companion while driving or lying around.

Yeah, he is retiring in another year. His show is Fun and relaxing to listen to.

CD

[Wolffarmer]

Any thing by Patrick F. McManus!!!!!!
When I have taken my son camping we have tried to make it our thing to read some of one of his books.

If you never read any of his stuff I wish you would, i believe he is one of the most underappreciated writters in the US. Thats just my 8.2 cents worth!!!

Terry

McManus and I have the same Alma Mater, The University of Idaho and there are a few stories he wrote that I lived a few years after he did on the campus. It was kind of spooky to be reading a story and laughing and all of a sudden " oh crap "

Later my backpacking buddies forbid me to take his books backpacking as I would set there giggling like a loon or pounding the ground in an out right laughing fit.

As this is the year for Civil War study I would like to add one.

Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson.

A bit shorter than many but still a good read about the the causes and run up to the war and politics during. I know I learned a lot.

To add to the "On the Road" books there is

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persig.

Some day I will finish it. It is currently in the camper waiting.