Recently, a few friends and I were sitting around the campfire and this question came up:

“If you could only bring one book with you to a desert island, what book would you choose?”

It’s a classic question, good for those sleepless nights.  Anyway, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get a few librarian’s answers to the question.  Here are some of the answers from my “research”.  Enjoy!

“This question makes my brain hurt, I can think of at least 5 that I have re-read in the past 2 months that I could keep re-reading. (The Mists of Avalon,  Kushiel’s Dart, The Secret History, The Wood Wife, The Canterbury Tales, The Decameron, etc)” – Heather O.

“To Kill a Mockingbird, because it has the same emotional impact every time I read it.” – Kay P.

“The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook. Because being stuck on a desert island is definitely a worst case scenario.” – Curtis B.

“The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.  I am a fan of myths, and fairy tales, its so amazing to read this book and see how much the stories have been changed or watered down for the masses. It is the kind of book that I can read when I have nothing else to read or wanted a break from the heavy subject matter of life.” – Michael S.

“I would bring Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.  Whatever situation that I would have gotten into to end up on a desert island wouldn’t be half as absurd as this hilarious parody of military bureaucracy and the logic of war.  I would also need endless laughter, which Catch-22 always provides!” – Chris S.

“This is just too hard… but I think I would want The Times Atlas of the World. I never seem to get tired of looking at maps and thinking about how people live in faraway places.” – Alison W.

“One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.  I started reading it maybe four years ago, got halfway through, and somehow never picked it back up.  Perfect for being stranded on a desert island–it’s funny, long, and I’ll never be able to finish it otherwise!” – Nolan R.

What book would you choose and why?  If you feel like sharing, leave a comment on this blog entry!

1. Musings of A Book Wrangler
2. Bring out yer books!
3. Fun Book Alert! Odd Jobs by Abigail R. Gehring
4. Fractured Fairy Tales
5. NPR’s Summer Book Recommendations