Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
One of the classic discussion questions is what books would you want on a deserted island. I have a slightly different spin on this old question, what books do I keep on my Kindle paperwhite for backpacking trips.
I keep my entire library on my various iPads since Calibre and Calibre Companion/Marvin make it easy to search my library (around 3300 books and growing). On the other hand, I find that the paperwhite doesn't really do book organization well. So I have a list of about 200 or so books that I always keep on the paperwhite, organized in collections for individual series and types of books. For example, I have all my Tolkien books in a collection, all the biographies in another collection, history books in another, new books in a different collection and so on. The new books is the only collection that really changes much from trip to trip.
First, is the collection of first aid and backpacking tip books. (yes, I also carry a first aid kit that includes a paper first aid pamplet)
But on to the more interesting lists, my reading material for the evenings and early mornings.
- My Tolkien collection, which includes most of his books, because what screams hiking like LOTR and the Hobbit?
- The old classic fantasies i.e. pre LOTR. This includes Eddison's "The Worm Ouroboros", Morris's "The Well at the World's End" and Lord Dunsany's "The King of Elfland's Daughter" and "The Sword of Welleran" as well as later books such as Pratt and de Camp's The Incomplete Enchanter series
- assorted favorite authors such as Eddings, Kurtz, Weber and Pournelle
- History books, mostly ancient history but also some American Civil War books
- Biographies - Mostly Chernow, Isaacson and McCullough, though Freeman's books on Caesar and Alexander as well as Goldsworthy's books are also in there
All in all, I don't expect to be without interesting reading.
|
Perhaps a solar powered USB charger might be an important item to add to your desert island list -- all those books on your devices and no way to read them. Even on a backpacing trip where power sources may not be that easy to find, it can come in handy.