the beauty of books (and catalogs)

People who travel read throw-away books. Read them on the plane; leave them on the beach. And who wants to read a "heavy" book when you're traveling? That's why the books left at RV park libraries are mostly fluff: murder mysteries and romance novels. There are war books, too. A lot of RVers are retired military. Lots of Tom Clancy. Everyone keeps recommending Oliver North. I would rather read a catalog. Hey wait. I am reading a catalog!

Since being here I have read a lot of murder mysteries, some by old favorites like Sara Paretsky who I hadn't read for a while. "Hard Time" was a fun read except V.I. kept getting "decanted" from things - cars, elevators - which is why I used that word in the "sex on the beach" entry. I think Sara's editor should have caught all those decants.

"Paradise Lost" by JA Jance, is part of her Joanna Brady series set in Arizona, books I would thumb through then put back on the bookstore shelves. I stuck with this one and it was terrible. How can a sheriff be so whiny, jealous, seemingly incapable? I guess Ms. Jance wanted a true-life character, not a super woman like V.I. who's always getting busted up (and decanted) but continues on like RoboCop.

Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series is one of my favorites. However, I did not love "Chasing the Dime", a non-Harry book. The premise was so farfetched. Good grief. The plot made no sense at all.

I read "The Da Vinci Code" which I never would've read had I had options. I'm glad this book didn't cost me anything except precious time. That's not entirely true. I did read the book when I was desperate for a diversion. It was a quick and easy read. Why the hoopla, I will never know.

I have developed a fondness for Tony Hillerman whose mysteries are set in the four corners area of the southwest. I had tried to read his books when I lived in the Pacific NW but could never get into them. After becoming familiar with the four corners area, and knowing some real-life Navajos and Apaches, I've enjoyed this series immensely and have read every single Hillerman our park library had to offer.

I started "A Million Little Pieces" left on my doorstep by a traveller. I tried to read it as though I know nothing about the Frey fray. It was a challenge, trying to read it as fiction, to put the deceit aside. I couldn't do it so I put the book aside.

I am currently reading a catalog. Yep, my neighbor came over and said "Look what I found at the Club Deportivo library!" She had a Penney's catalog along with Land's End and Front Gate. Wow. It's been fun flipping through these wish books. If I enjoy them so much I can only wonder at how my neighbor must feel, a woman who has lived here for 3 years with only turn-around trips to the states in order to extend her Mexico visa.

When I am in Oregon, I will ship a box of books to my sister in Tucson. I will go to Powell's and buy a few books on my list like "The Visiting Life" written by a journalist who falls in love with a convict and "The Motel Life" by Willy Vlautin who is frontman for the Portland band Richmond Fontaine.

I take off tomorrow with plans to return in a couple of weeks. I should have a box of books in tow. And maybe a pitbull should Jailbird's son become Jailbird Jr. Dear lord and hasta la vista.