This question was posted on Twitter, by my friend and fellow writer Holly Bodger. It took me about twenty minutes to come up with an answer, and I've been thinking about it ever since.
Would you choose a favorite piece of fiction, or should you choose a non-fiction book to learn things from?
After more reflection, I kept thinking I should have picked a title on How to Survive on a Deserted Island or Robinson Crusoe or something that might actually be useful. Maybe I should have picked the thickest book I could think of so that I might use it for starting fires or well, other personal matters. But since this was a hypothetical question, assuming you would be rescued at the end of one year, here were the books I choose: (I cheated and picked two.)
- FLOTSAM, by David Wiesner, which is a picture book without words, quite appropriate for the situation, and I could look at it for days, and weeks, and months (yes, probably twelve whole months.)
- THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS, by David Allen Sibley, because this is the best book on birds that I know, and I am constantly curious about new birds, and I might see an actual Frigate Bird or something.
How about you? If you had to spend one year on a deserted island, what one book would you choose to bring along?
2 comments:
It's so hard to choose! For fiction, I'd probably pick a classic like Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre. For non-fiction, I'd probably go with a big, honking Psychology textbook.
Well obviously you're not going to bring you e-reader with you, huh? I am reading my very first e-book today, and although I'm loving the story, I miss that personal connection of being able to actually hold it and own it, especially when the screen freezes and won't advance to the next page - Urgh! And of course on a deserted island, there's that power issue. LOL
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