This year I only packed three books with me for our trip – the book I was reading when we left, Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue and two back-ups just in case I didn’t find something else to read. That makes me laugh. I always seem to acquire quite a collection of books every summer. This year we designated one bag just for the books we knew we’d bring home!
Once we are on Nantucket I have a variety of sources for good reads. My in-laws’ house has quite a number of bookshelves filled with classics and contemporary novels alike. Family members will leave behind books finished and stacks and stacks are found by all of us at the dump. The dump!? Yes, the dump. Well, the politically correct name is the Nantucket Environmental Park. A small island, recycling is mandatory – paper, plastic, tin, glass, etc. The whole set-up is a sight to behold.
Items still in good shape (good is a relative term here) are taken to the Take It or Leave It shack. You can find books, clothing, toys, bicycles, kayaks, electronics, and anything else people no longer want or need.
My mother-in-law collects all her winter reading at the dump. Yes, I am serious. The best find this year was a first edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard which we think was signed by J.K. Rowling – well, it was exciting for the boys.
We also love to visit the Nantucket Atheneum to check out books. Of course we do have to return these books when we’re done reading them. One summer I was deep into an Anne Rivers Siddons novel when it was time for us to leave the island. I really wanted to finish the book (I’d invested over 200 pages already), so I brought the book home with me. When I was done I mailed it back to the Atheneum and included a few dollars for late fees.
During the first weekend in July the Atheneum sets up a huge tent in their lovely garden for a booksale. I always find a nice collection of titles. I’ve learned to not go overboard since more books will be purchased throughout the summer. I picked up two books for myself, one book for my sister-in-law, and two videos for my classroom (yes, we still have a VHS player).
I also love to spend time visiting my all time favorite bookstore Nantucket Bookworks. Their selection is small but great. You won’t find bargain books, but you will find a phenomenal selection. They also sell lots of lovely trinkets, journals, and bags by Bungalow 360. Over the course of my many visits I added seven books to my collection.
We went from Nantucket to Connecticut to visit my brother-in-law’s family. They are in the process of selling their house and insisted that my older son take home the entire Horatio Hornblower collection. Eleven books. Eleven books of which we already have multiple copies because they were my husband’s favorite books growing up. Eleven books I think we bought our nephews many years ago. Anyway, eleven books take up quite a bit of room.
Our final stop landed the boys and me at my parents’ house in New York. I completely inherited my bookishness from my mother. The only book my father ever read was The Godfather in 1969. What’s even better is that my mother and I share similar tastes in books AND she prefers to buy books rather than borrow them from the library. Normally I bring home a number of her books to read. But I was quickly running out of room in the red bag thanks to my son’s acquisition and a visit to Borders. This year I only borrowed one book and typed up a list of suggestions – about 25 titles. Five more books added to the bag.
Twenty-five pounds of books are pretty heavy. Believe it or not, this pile did not include all of the books my husband collected or the books I bought for the boys at Borders. Oh! And I bought the Harry Potter Film Wizardry book at the Harry Potter Exhibition in NYC.
So I am sending a big, huge, THANK YOU to the lady who checked in our luggage at La Guardia. She designated my bag of books as excess baggage rather than charge us another $20 for a small (but heavy) bag.
I love the sign at the dump and laughed when I read “No Tag Team.” I almost always acquire a few books when we travel, but nothing like that!
They had to put up rules a few years ago. The people were like vultures – grabbing things out of your hand before you could put them down!