I hate packing. I procrastinate to the last minute, mentally making lists all the while. It’s not the clothes that are the problem — pack black is my motto. It’s all the other “necessities” ‘like the meds, make-up, hair products, iPod, cell phone charger, ticket, chocolate. At least I’m not lugging the laptop; my hosts have assured me of Internet access.
Now for the reading material. Because I have not yet decided if I’m an e-reader, I’ll take paperbacks. Four are recent purchases off my TBR list: The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer, The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee, Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell and Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato. After all, I’m going to be gone almost an entire week. And what if I’m stranded on the runway for hours?
Finally, I’m going in search of one of my well-worn “traveling” mass-market paperbacks that I can read over and over: Alan Furst’s Night Soldiers, Barbara Vine’s A Dark-Adapted Eye, or John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Oh, and a blank notebook in case I decide to write a new novel.
See you next week when I’ll be posting on Lee Smith’s lovely collection of short stories, new mysteries by Cornelia Reid and Martha Grimes, a couple of memoirs, a few YAs and whatever else strikes my fancy. Oh, that reminds me. I bought a used “traveling” paperback of Lee Smith’s first novel, Fancy Strut. Wonder where I put it?
On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 
You have a great stack there! Book-packing for a trip is VERY IMPORTANT! I go into a hoarding mode, only recently alleviated by my Kindle. (One time, I took all of the Harry Potters for a re-read to Poland! Husband was not happy.) Beat the Reaper is a wild ride – quick and fun!
Have a great trip, but promise you’ll stop re-reading. There are too many great books being published and too many great ones already published that you haven’t read to go back and re-read. You can never catch up! (One advantage of being older…)
Molly, I promise to read more books new to me but I can’t stop re-reading. To me, it’s one of the greatest pleasures and why I keep so many books around me! Never too many friends. And I experience something different each time I read a book — the old “you never fish in the same river twice.”
Sounds like you are loaded for bear. Some good reads there for sure. Can’t wait to hear what you actually read and what you thought.