I'm headed "down east" tomorrow for a week on the Maine coast with my family; I figured I'd pass along the books I'm taking with me to read. I don't anticipate getting through all of them, but better too many than too few, right?
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling: The fifth Harry Potter, which I've already started. I figured the first couple days of vacation would be a good way to get another of these under my belt.
- A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books by Nicholas Basbanes: This author's first book, which I am ashamed to say I've never read before. A collection of "book stories" covering many areas of book culture.
- The Audubon Reader: Edited by recent Audubon biographer Richard Rhodes, this Modern Library edition presents some of the great naturalist's best writings. I'm looking forward to reading this as I sit on the rocks watching the tide come in around me.
- Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte: Because, well, what's summer vacation without the adventures of a swashbuckler?
- A Clearing in the Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century by Witold Rybczynski: A biography of Olmsted, who designed many of America's most familiar urban landscapes, including New York's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace.
I'll have reviews of these next week.
