I always like to have a book with me at all times – call it a nerdy grown-up security blanket – and rarely do I leave the house without slipping one into my bag (even if I KNOW I’m not going to have a chance to read it). Do you take a book with you? Do you take whatever book you’re currently reading, or do you have a special on-the-go book? And do you have a preference for a these types of book (paperback, hardback; short stories; poetry etc)?
That’s one of the things I miss about the fact that many pocket-sized paperbacks seem to have been replaced with trade editions. It seems most of the books I read are released in paperback in the trade editions. I always, though, loved the ability to shove a pocket-sized paperback in my back pocket for handy access.
That’s a roundabout way of saying I rarely take books with me except when I travel. When my kids were involved in softball, volleyball and swimming, I would always take a backpack with a book (or two) in it. I don’t routinely carry a messenger bag or backpack so with those days gone it’s unusual for me to have a book with me. If I am going somewhere that isn’t work-related and I know I’ll have some waiting time, I might grab the book I’m currently reading.
I used to take a book with me to hockey games to read during intermissions but the size has led me to simply put a magazine in my back pocket.
At present, however, I don’t think the Net is a very good medium for books, books should really be inexpensive lightweight paperbacks you can bang around.
Rudy Rucker, All the Interviews
