My desert island reads

So I don't qualify for the Books in my Bag promotion because I am not in the UK or Ireland. It would be great if I did, as I only buy my books in bookshops. (Seriously, if I had all the choice on the internet, I would be broke.) Besides that, there is something to be said about bookshops. For starters, it is similar to playing the lottery. Will they have something in that I want today? Oooo! This looks nice. I think I will buy it. Maybe it will turn out to be amazing! Then there is all that awesome human interaction with people who read! And finally, it looks damned awesome! I can't wait until my personal library grows to the point that it looks like a bookshop! Anyway, I thought they asked a pretty cool question, so why not give it some thought and an answer? They want eight books. Wow, how to limit my library to only 8?

I am a practical kind of gal. I went through Guides and Rangers and am sure that I could survive for at least a while. But, because I am aware of that old saying "A fool thinks he knows a lot, a wise man knows he knows nothing" the first book I would bring is ... The SAS Survival Handbook. Bear Grylls was in the SAS so I am sure there has to be quite a few tips that could get me through.

Oh, you meant fiction books? My bad! Here we go then! (Be warned. There will be cheating!)

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. (Just for the record, my book, as shown here, is all 3 in 1 and clocks over 1000 pages. I did say there would be cheating.) Now, this is not my favourite book, BUT, that is because I felt that there was a whole lot of aimless walking around and loads of detail that I could have been spared. As I would have hours and days to kill, that would not bug me in the slightest. In fact, I would be able to geek out with the appendices and reread the book multiple times and get to the point where I was truly knowledgeable on Middle-earth and its characters.

The next book is not a cheat book. I would take The Martian by Andy Weir. While this is much shorter than anything I would normally want to bring with me, I think the spirit behind this is exactly what I would need. Yes folks, there is a good chance that I will go into caffeine withdrawal and become horribly miserable about how dreadful my life has become. There is nothing like hearing from Mark Watney to remind me that a sense of humour is all important to survival. Oh, and it would make living on a deserted island on earth feel like a piece of cake in comparison. (Note to self: I still plan on seeing this movie!)

Although I would love to take all the Harry Potter books (by JK Rowling) with me, I am not giving up seven places for them (and I do not have an All in One copy to justify a cheat either. Wow, that would be a gigantic book!) So I will take Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with me. While it isn't the biggest book of the series, it is the most action packed and adventurous of the lot. Plus it is my favourite. It might also make me partially thankful that I am fighting sand fleas and not dragons (although I am sure that I will acquire Firebolt envy).

Next up, a book from home to remind me of the things I love (or don't love) about the place. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is one of my all time favourite books. I have read it more times than I can remember (I read it for the first time 23 years ago!), and have never got tired of it yet. So not only is it about home, but it will make me feel at home too. I hope it won't make me feel homesick though! This one is in the 600 page range, so it will not be a complete breeze to get through, and will keep me occupied for some time.

Now I need some Neil Gaiman! While I love The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, they are rather short. Even with my non-desert island schedule, I can get through one in a day! So I need something with a bit more bulk. I've got it! Good Omens! That way I get to enjoy Terry Pratchett at the same time! And who would not be grateful about being stranded on a glorious island during the apocalypse?

Now for a guilty pleasure read. I am choosing The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. Don't laugh. This book got me the courage to move to South Korea for three years! And that was long before Matt Damon became Bourne and long before the script writer for the movies got amnesia (which ironically enough is where Bourne did too). (The movies are nothing like the books. If action thrillers are your thing, I would recommend reading these.) It is a pity that my least favourite of the trilogy is Ultimatum, as that one is by far the longest book. Supremacy is, in the 600 page line, at least not a poor compromise. (If only my cover looked as nice as the one here!)

Now perhaps I should try and put in two books I have not read yet. Obviously there are a few things I am looking for. Ok, so it is one: size. These books need to be massive! The first of the books that I am yet to read (and that is on my bookcase, waiting to be read) is The Stand by Stephen King. This one comes in at around 1500 pages! Woot! That would keep me busy for a few days at least! I don't think this is a horror (in the typical sense) because it is, from what I have heard, an apocalyptic novel. But, knowing King, there are bound to be some really twisted people in it who will just make me appreciate my solitude and sand fleas more!

And my last book. Wow. The pressure! If I choose The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, I will be mortified that I don't have the sequel with me.I am ruling out Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton because the last thing this overactive imagination needs on an unpopulated island is dinosaurs. Ok, I will go with The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I have no idea what it is about, besides that it is fantasy. And it is HUGE!

So, which books would you choose and why? I would love to hear it!