Desert Island Books
[Brought to you by the weekly SS blog challenge.]

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The challenge:
"If you were stranded on a desert island, what three books would you want to have with you?" My challenge to you is to answer that question, and then answer these as well: Why those three books?

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I'd really, really like to cheat here and take book series, but I'll try to be good. (But, if I did, the Sword of Truth, Harry Potter and Dark Tower series would be my three!)

I probably should say the Bible. I've never read it through. While I think, being stranded, I would most definitely need faith and inspiration, I don't think I'd really need its teachings. I mean, finding sin on a desert island is going to be pretty tough. I don't think I'd need God's help staying out of the bars or coveting my neighbor's new Tahoe. Sinful thoughts would probably get to be a problem, but I'm thinking God would understand those under the circumstances.

So, no Bible. What would I take?

First, I would take Stephen King's The Stand. I've just finished my fifth re-reading of that book. I read it twice in its original version. Then the uncut version was released and I have read that one three times. And I've never tired of it over the years. It's HUGE, which would make the reading time last. The characters are wonderful. It's well written, smooth and flowing, and just a darned good story.

Second, the Lord of the Rings. No, don't say I'm cheating as that's three books. It's really only one. Tolkien himself said it was never intended to be a trilogy. It's one novel with three "books" in it. So it counts. Why would I take that one? Because I've never read it. Loved the movies. Have tried to read the book a couple of times but it's boooooooring! The story part is great but I have no interest in who Legolas' great-great-great-great-grandsire was. Too much back story. BUT, since I'm going to be all alone on a desert island, I'll finally have the time and lack of distractions to get through it. And I would like to get through it some day.

Last, some kind of survival guide. Hey, I watch Survivor. I know that people only think they can whip up a fire and build a water-tight shelter. The practicalities of actually doing so always prove much more difficult than the average Joe (or Jane) thinks. I'm gonna need to read up on that stuff. And if that guide happens to have a "How to get off a desert island if you're stranded" chapter, so much the better. But I might wait to read that one until I'd finally finished the LOTR.