Before / During / After the England trip #IMWAYR
The trip to England is getting close enough, now, that I’m starting to think in terms of what I can still get read before the trip, what will be fun to read while on the trip, and what will have to wait until I get home.
Before
The mysterious world under London
I’m currently reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and A Flower for the Queen by Caroline Vermalle and Ryan von Ruben. I hope to also read, in the next few weeks, The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd and The Secret Lives of the Codebreakers by Sinclair McKay. That’s probably as much as I can manage with a book club book in there somewhere and a lot of trip-planning still to do.
During
Life and love in an English village
We’ll see how the packing goes, but I think I’ll bring these three books in paperback for those times when e-books don’t work:
- Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
- Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
On the phone, of course, I can pack a lot more. I’m thinking of:
- Heartless by Gail Carriger
- Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
- Dark Destiny by M.J. Putney
- Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton
- A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
I just noticed that these are all fiction. Apparently, I think I’ll only read novels while traveling. I’m probably right about that. I have a list on scratch paper of classic novels to consider, but I think those may be too much of a reach. Travel demands comfort reading.
After
Magic in Oxford’s Bodleian Library
These are still left on the list, so I hope to read them later in the year:
- Faith and Treason by Antonia Fraser
- Standing Stones by Beth Camp
- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
- The Ariadne Objective by Wes Davis
What are you reading?
It’s Monday! What Are Your Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Be sure to check out her post today to see her selections and the list of links to all the other participating bloggers.
I’m reading “The Invisible Gorilla”, a book about illusions, it’s fascinating.
Stopped reading the Jim Butcher fantasy series, he has the “infertile character gets miracle cure and magic baby & becomes a Real Woman” trope I’m so sick of reading.
I loved Neverwhere, maybe it is even my favorite Gaiman novel (I can’t decide), I wasn’t crazy about A Discovery of Witches, but loved Doomsday book (I seem to really like plague books), and the Secret Lives of Codebreakers was good. I hope you really have a wonderful trip, be sure to have at least one high tea (Brown’s Hotel is my favorite) and if you get to Windsor, lunch at the Crooked House is fun (I’m sorry, I love London, it’s always been my second home and I could go on and on).
Thanks for the tips! I’m not turning down any advice, right now.
Great list! You should be good for UK.
I am reading Telegraph Avenue, by Michael Chabon. I am not going to SF but I like his novels. I just finished Suspicion by Joseph Finder. I enjoyed it and have another one of his novels ready. Just finished watching season 2 of House of Cards which somehow I think may have a UK version.
YOu have a good selection of books for and after your trip! Hope it will be a fun one!
Am reading “The First World War” by Michael Howard. A short, succint book laying out the reasons for the war rather than the individual battles.
Am going to the Library today to pick up “The Illustrated Longitude” You made it sound interesting. Hope it is readable. Was there with Andrew years ago. Got nothing from it, since I didn’t understand it and Andrew was not interested. Spent most of our time just waiting for the boat to take up back down the Thames.
You are so wise to do all of this research before going on the trip. It will make it ever so much more enjoyable.
I have to agree about comfort reading while traveling! I want books that I know I will enjoy and that will distract me (if needed) from the discomformts of long car rides or waits in a terminal. It looks like you have some good traveling reads to take with you. Enjoy your trip!
Major Pettigrew is a great read about England and the English. If you haven’t read The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, that would be another great one.
Hope you have a great trip. Wave at me, I’m in the next country!
Thanks! I’ll take a look at Harold Fry.
Neverwhere is my favorite Gaiman book. I always felt that I probably missed a few references though because I’ve never been to London. I also loved Pettigtew and A Discovery f Witches.
I took 3 print books with me on my weekend vacation and read all three. The Quiche of Death by MC Beaton, excellent.
Close your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian, didn’t appeal to me as an adult
Locked in: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller, looking forward to reading more of the series.
Three books seem about right now matter what length the trip. You never know when one might not appeal or you race through another, and the third is the only one left!
I loved Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Hope you have a great trip!
Neverwhere is such a fun choice to get you in the mood!