So Many Books, So Little Time

Capt. Mark and I are readers. Always have been. Always will be.

Having this mutual love of books is important when you’re away from friends and family for long periods of time. We have no meetings, no parties, no backyard barbecues, no events to attend…just long evenings in solitary places.

We’ve been in this boat for five months. Many nights we were at anchor in remote spots without cell phone service. We have a TV on board with an antenna, but it only picks up channels when in a metropolitan area. And it has to be plugged in, so we have to be in a marina.

That leaves lots of time for reading.

We keep about two dozen books on board and many more loaded on our Kindles. Capt. Mark likes to re-read books, but I prefer new ones.

Marinas recognize the importance of books to boaters. Laundry rooms, boaters’ lounges, even bathrooms have sections where people can leave books they’ve read, and pick up ones they’d like to read.

A new phenomena is what I call the birdhouse library. In Grand Haven, there’s a box on a stand with a door, resembling a birdhouse. Inside are books. The concept is the same…leave one, take one. I’ve heard that even in some rural areas, people are putting up these mini book-sharing boxes on roadways. Anything that promotes reading is good.

It’s hard to believe, but since January, I’ve read 52 books. I belong to a readers’ site called Goodreads that tracks my progress. I’m a writer, too, so I can read reviews of my own books on this site…sometimes good, sometimes a real comeuppance if you have an ego.

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of the year and to write two. It’s already September, so I’m a bit behind. Capt. Mark is ahead of me, but he’s not counting. I’m giving him extra points for finishing Capital, a lengthy, award-winning, immensely boring book.

So I’ll peruse the boxes, check out the offerings on Amazon, or choose a book on our shelf. We have two or three more days here, waiting for good weather for a passage down the coast.

Lots of time to read