Books for On-the-Go
What books make for good constant companions?
When I was younger, one of the staples that never left my purse was a rather worn copy of The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis. Whenever we would be out and about, either running errands or sitting in a waiting room, I would pull it out if I had a few moments with nothing to do and read a few pages from one of my favorite novels. Being a small and light book, it was easy to keep stowed away in my bag, and since it was a novel I had read many times before, it was easy to pop in and out of it as time and opportunity permitted.
These days, smart phones have tended to take the place of the everyday carry book, as it’s simple and addicting to scroll through instagram for the thirty-fourth time instead of lugging around a paperback book, but there is much to be said for putting forth the effort to bring a book along with you instead, and take the effort to dive in and out of it. David Kern writes “what I pay attention to defines who I am and thus to be inattentive to my habits of attention is to be inattentive to my own soul. In the interest of killing time I find I’m actually wasting it, and that’s darn near a sin. So, while I am not great at it yet, I am trying to be increasingly conscious about the reasons I am using my phone, to use it as a tool and not as a time-waster. To fill those static moments, the quiet intervals, with books and the truth, goodness, and beauty they contain. And not just for the sake of productivity, but to fill those intervals with true leisure.”
With that in mind, he gives a list of suggested books that would make for good companions in your purse, car, or bag. These books need to fit certain criteria to make them well suited to being carried everywhere: not too big, not too long, and easily dipped in and out of. His list is great, and I wanted to share a few more ideas with you here. Perhaps one of them will inspire you to pick it up and bring it along next time you go to the doctor’s office, the park, or the airport.
A classic Lewis book, and one that always has new insights upon rereading, The Screwtape Letters is a great everyday book because it’s short, clever, witty, and by nature of its epistolary style, it’s broken up into small, easy segments. If you forget your place, you’ll gain just as much from rereading one of the letters as you will from reading a new one.
A. E. Stallings is one of my favorite living poets, and her three books Like, Olives, and Hapax are all perfect for bringing with you everywhere. Her poetry weaves together themes from ancient literature with the modern world, and touches on all sorts of themes close to the human heart.
Nothing makes for a better light, easy, and quick read than Agatha Christie. Her books are easily found at used book stores, making it easy to collect them as cheap paperbacks, and therefore carry them around with no fear of damaging an expensive book. I haven’t read an Agatha Christie novel that I didn’t like, but a few of my favorites are The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, and The ABC Murders.
If you’re looking for a weighty book that can be read in small doses but still gives you plenty to contemplate, Athansius’ On the Incarnation is a perfect fit. While it is a great read during Advent or Lent, it would be a fitting read at any time of the year.
Finally, if a humorous read is more up your alley, the Jeeves and Wooster series never disappoints. One of my favorites is The Inimitable Jeeves, and their amusing adventures would be a fun distraction from the dull moments spent waiting in public spaces.
You can read David Kern’s full article, with many more wonderful suggestions here: Books for Everyday Carry.
I was excited to see that I've actually read all of your suggestions. And yes, I not only have read EVERY Agatha Christie book, I also own all of them thanks to a departed friend who wanted a good home for them.