Hey fellow can’t-leave-home-without-my-reading-material junkies. Heading to Cleveland soon and putting together my packing list which always has reading fodder at the top.
My habit on each trip only varies due to mode of travel. If I’m going by car, I pack several nonfiction books on writing, art and spirituality. I also grab a few magazines bought in the past and lying dormant until vacation. (Confession: I rarely read more than a few articles in one of the magazines I carry, but regularly finish a nonfiction book that I’ve been pecking away at and highlighting for months. – I consider this pure luxury!)
However, when I take a flying vacay I take a different route:
First stop: a Barnes and Noble storefront, Nook or Amazon purchase of a book I’ve read about and want to focus on for a few nights while out of town. For this trip I went to my local Barnes and Noble bookstore and bought “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper” by Phaedra Patrick https://m.barnesandnoble.com/
A brand-new book makes at least one leg of my flight a breeze (does anybody ever score a direct flight anymore?). Usually on the first leg which always seems to be the shortest, I pore through the in-flight magazine. I still aspire to write for one of these someday. This opportunity always seemed like low-hanging fruit as I am almost always heading to a hub the magazine is seeking articles on and I have a great clip file as reference.
Admittedly, I spend most of my time working the sudoku and crossword puzzles.
Another flying-vacation literary habit I have is purchasing a magazine at an airport retailer like Hudson News. I know, I know: I’m paying more for this at an airport like everything else. But the collection they offer often reaches outside the offerings in the usual areas I hound in bookstores or cash register displays.
My favorite magazine of choice (when I don’t have a current subscription) is Garden & Gun. Before you go judging me, let me explain my attraction to this journal.
Years ago, I read in an article on nurturing creativity that suggested picking up a magazine completely outside of my normal subject areas of writing/food/fitness/art and I took the challenge by the horns. I picked up Guns & Ammo.
Before some of you start the discussion on gun control from either side, I have never fired a weapon in my life unless a cap gun is on the list. But I’m not here to debate ethics. I only mention this earlier event because I believe it was one of the subconscious reasons I picked Guns & Ammo. I couldn’t think of anything more diametrically-opposed to what I normally go for.
So, I picked Garden & Gun on an in-the-moment whim and now I realize what a brilliant choice it was. This journal is one of the most literary and well-rounded magazines I have ever read. The writers are well-educated, fresh and deeply ingrained in the subjects they cover.
There are a few articles on the hunting life, but for me they have redeeming qualities. One, they often involve a dog which is right up my alley. If not, the story can be saved for future reference on any crime/thriller/mystery novel I write in future.
I NEVER toss a G&G. I’ve written for a local magazine which seems to have modeled themselves after this national periodical. I’ve learned a lot from reading this magazine and always look forward to picking up a new one on my next flight.
One time, I picked up a nonfiction book by Joyce Meyer called, “Me and My Big Mouth” and finished it before my flights were over. That’s a story for another post!
Finally, if I have a chance I visit a local bookstore (preferably second-hand) and find an old favorite or something I’ve never seen before.
What are your travel reading habits? I would love suggestions and ideas to change up my routine a little!
