We continue to adopt a hand-luggage only policy when travelling (for work), and so that doesn't really leave much space for packing reading material. Therefore I tend to really on e-reading on these occasions, and this is where Libby is my friend. Whilst some (mean) authors don't make their books available, lots do, and so I am able (with patience and wait-listing in some cases) to download library books - mostly copies of ones from my physical library - to take away with me. The last three mentions of books read all fit that description - enjoyed on ipad whilst travelling in the safe knowledge that the hard copy is tucked away on the shelves at home.
During our visit to Boston last week, I picked up a copy of Ian Fleming's Thrilling Cities at the Harvard Bookstore in the recently published William Morrow imprint. Given that it was written more than a lifetime (in Fleming's case) ago, it is remarkable that it is still in print, particularly given some of the views espoused within it, combined with the 'incidental intelligence' telling readers where to find five-star hotel rooms around the world for around £15 per night. Still, when there is a new run of the 14 Bond books, it seems like publishers know that if they tag on copies of this and the Diamond Smugglers, there will be enough nutjob Fleming completists (like me) to make it worth their while. The only challenge for the bookstores is to know where to shelve it to attract sales. Should they deliberately misfile it at put it with the Bond books, or do they take a chance of it languishing in what can be fairly haphazard travel sections. Thankfully the Harvard store...