Books on the Run
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I always have books on the run, great reads ready to pick up at any opportunity. Whether that’s a few precious moments whilst waiting for someone or to while away the hours whilst traveling. Having a great book with me is just as important as my sunnies and my purse.
Our bookcase has an eclectic collection of books, some that have been with us for a VERY long time including The Children’s Bible in Colour from 1993, an encyclopedia on World History and a dog eared copy of the Collins Concise Dictionary from 1988 – does anybody use an encyclopedia or dictionary anymore?
The shelves are packed with books to inspire change. Tales of inspirational people and their amazing stories. As well as great fictional reads – you know the ones that you are dying to finish but then you didn’t want it to finish!
Blocking out the world
I love a great read, feeling the pages as you turn them, marking my place with a travel ticket or pic of the kids, curling up somewhere comfy and warm with a good coffee. Blocking out the world for a short time as I get lost in the story, sometimes smiling and laughing out loud or with tears forming and openly sobbing. And I would always have a book on the run, more often than not more than one. I’d have a book in my bag and as well as one in the car. Just for those rare moments in the day when you have a little time to yourself. And I never travel anywhere without being accompanied by a couple of good reads.
“I am a reader not because I don’t have a life but because I choose to have many.“
My confessions
I am a book lover who no longer reads books!
Well I do ‘read’ books but not the paper kind. I read them on my Kindle, and some would say I have moved over to the dark side! It did take me a little while to adjust and I still miss the feel of paper beneath my fingers as I settle down to get absorbed in a great story. But I LOVE not having to worry about the weight or size of a book and whether it will fit in my handbag, and I have numerous books downloaded so I always have books on the run, something ready to read anytime, as my kindle accompanies me EVERYWHERE.
I am a book lover who listens not reads!
Ok that’s not quite true but I am currently experimenting with audio books. Although now thinking about it we actually used them a long time ago whilst road tripping with the kids through France. We spent many hours listening to tapes and CD’s of their favourite Roald Dahl stories: The Fantastic Mr Fox, The Magic Finger and Matilda to name but a few.
I don’t actually plan to replace reading books on my Kindle with listening to them on my phone, but I would like to take advantage of those long boring road trips to zone out and get lost in a great book. Unfortunately I just cannot read whilst in the car so I have no alternative to ease the boredom than to chatter to the driver. That driver is usually Johnny and, whilst I think it’s a great opportunity for some ‘quality’ catch up time, I might actually drive him insane on occasion.
Anyway I digress. We have a long road trip coming up and whilst I am sure there will be lots to see on the journey, I would like something for when there’s nothing particular happening and Johnny can’t take any more of my incessant chatter. So I have been testing out Audible to have a choice for books on the run, great reads downloaded to my phone when streaming is not an option. I will let you know how I get on.
Our favourite great reads
I would like to share with you some of our favourite great reads.
12 Books on the Run for you to enjoy whilst traveling or just chilling at home.
A book a month to add to your reading list.
We hope you enjoy them.
12 Books on the Run
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
This Seagull is no ordinary bird. He believes it is every gull’s right to fly, to reach the ultimate freedom of challenge and discovery, finding his greatest reward in teaching younger gulls the joy of flight and the power of dreams. A seagull that is trying to learn about life and to not settle for the ‘norm.
Johnny The Seagull’s bio for sure.
Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors
A story set nearly a thousand years ago, an empire is lost, a royal love is tested, and heroism is reborn. Bringing alive the legendary temple of Angkor Wat, an unrivalled marvel of ornately carved towers and stone statues.
I read this book before we travelled through Cambodia. Loved the story, and although it’s fictional and not an actual travel book I still felt a connection and a familiarity whilst exploring the area of Angkor Wat.
A definite must whether or not you are traveling to the area.
Wonder by RJ Pabacio
A life-affirming story of August Pullman – a boy who’s desperate to blend in, but is destined to stand out. “My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”
As a children’s novel it was not something I was initially drawn to but was recommended to me by a friend who was reading it with her primary school class. Loved the story and I think it’s great for readers of any age. Now a film, but definitely check out the book.
Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay
Set in a small town like any other around Australia. The Maloneys are a fifth-generation Australian family of Irish Catholic descent who are struggling to reach the first rung of the social ladder. A strong mother, a father broken by war, three boys and two girls, one of whom has an illegitimate daughter. Each of their lives is changed forever by the four fires – passion, religion, warfare and fire itself.
I read this not long after arriving in Australia. Iloved the description of the areas around Victoria, and also the history aspects of the story. And I knew my dad would love it so I kept hold of it for years and took it to him on my visit in 2018. It’s a BIG book and he’s working his way through it!
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This books has been called the “Granddaddy of All Motivational Literature” and was the first book to address what makes a winner. Napoleon Hill’s thirteen step programme will set you on the path to wealth and success. Think and Grow Rich reveals the secrets of hundreds of America’s most affluent people. By thinking like them, you can become like them. This powerful 1937 classic, will continue to be read through the decades of economic boom and bust. Proving that the magic formula for making money never changes.
Johnny’s early life was perilously close to going out of control (A Seagull’s Life). Several things intervened to prevent that and finding this book was one of them. Since then he’s read this book countless times and believes it to be one of the greatest motivational books of all time
Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Isolated by Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realise that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.
As Johnny’s trail running expanded he wanted to unearth his ‘utopian running style’, so he experimented with minimalist running. And where did this idea come from… this book. Anyone remotely considering minimalist running would have read this book. And it was pivotal in his minimalist running development which has stayed with him to this very day. It’s one of those books you can carry around with you and drop into whenever you get a moment. A true ‘travel book’.
Word Watching by Julian Burnside
A bonzer discussion of the strange pedigree of the naughty, nice, and, sometimes, obscene English language. We live in a torrent of words. From radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the Internet. But words are a source of both pleasure and power. And can be deployed for good or for ill. Some of these essays explore curiosities in odd corners of the language simply to remind us of the extraordinary richness of the English language. It also reminds us of the need to be aware of the misuse of language in the service of sinister purposes – whether political, ideological, social, or personal. An ear well tuned to the nuances of vocabulary inoculates the hearer against this epidemic of deception.
Ok, first up Johnny is English. Second up his understanding of the English language is not expansive. But he loves the thesaurus shortcut on his Mac. Why? Because he believes finding an alternative, often little used thought provoking word makes for a great sentence. I bought this book for him because of his interest in words. It’s not an ‘engaging’ book but it’s one he keeps returning to. So I’ll let you cogitate on that for a while…
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
In 1815 Edmond Dantès, a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been granted the succession of his erstwhile captain Leclère, returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.
Many years ago Johnny found himself having to rely on unreliable public transport, well before the internet, Kindles, and smartphones. What does one do knowing they’ll be on buses and trains for hours….read. He has absolutely no recollection of purchasing this book but he is so thankful for the intervention. The injustice that Dantes had to endure and his steely belief in a future of success and greatness really resonated with him. When times are hard and you hit rock bottom there are always solutions to guide you out… you just have to look and believe.
Between Sisters by Cathy Kelly
Meet the women of Delaney Gardens, a bustling suburban village in the outer reaches of Dublin. There’s Cassie, who’s spent her married life doing everything right for her children, husband, and mother-in-law, yet feels so exhausted that “wine o’clock” comes a littler earlier each afternoon. There’s her sister Coco, who runs a vintage dress shop, but has avoided the complications of romantic commitment. Watching over them is their grandmother Pearl, who, despite caring deeply for her family, is contending with a long-buried secret. And then there’s Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who’s triumphed over demons before, but is now facing her toughest battle yet. At every crossroad these women face, readers are taken deeper into the heart of what it means to be a family.
This was such a great read. That pick up, put down, pick back up again. But actually you want to keep reading until you’ve finished it, then you wish it hadn’t ended!
Mercy by Jodi Picoult
Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy. Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval, and drives a wedge into a contented marriage. Cameron, aiding the prosecution in their case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife. Allie is seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he’d grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?
Found this hard to put this book down and its story stirred up so many emotions.
31 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell
In a rambling house, failed poet Toby has created a refuge for people who need one. But when a quiet tragedy and an unwelcome letter interrupt his sedate existence, he needs his housemates to find some direction in their lives. Leah has watched the tenants of the house over the road for several years. When the owner of 31 Silversmith Road asks her for advice, he opens the door not only to the eccentric building across the street, but to five lives in various stages of turmoil. Can Toby and Leah help these misfits to grow up, move on and move out? And in doing so, can they make their own dreams come true?
Loved this, and found myself picking it up any moment I could grab to myself.
The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March
Three women find unexpected answers, happiness, and one another, using Meryl Streep’s movies as their inspiration. Two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy are summoned home to the family inn on the coast of Maine for a shocking announcement. Suddenly they are sharing the attic bedroom again and barely speaking. But when innkeeper Lolly asks them to join her and the guests in the parlour for weekly Movie Night, it’s Meryl Streep month, they find themselves sharing secrets, talking long into the night… and questioning everything they thought they knew about life, love, and one another.
This was such a great easy read.
The type of book you pick up, put down and pick back up again.
Now it’s your turn.
What is your favourite book?
What is the great read you think we should add to our Books on the Run reading bucket list?
Get in touch and let us know.
