I would describe myself as a compulsive reader. That is the only activity I have ever had a strong, consistent desire to be doing, regardless of whatever else is going on in my life. Under normal circumstances - say if I am working a regular job, 50-60 hours a week, not doing anything that demands a ton of reading like university courses, I will probably read 50 pages a day or so, roughly a book a week.
If I have more time I read more...I have had four book weeks before.
I have never read anything by Louis L'amour, and to be honest I don't have a lot of interest in the bible, but I ALWAYS take books camping.
Most often, I take books about log architecture or green architecture when I camp, because when I'm out in the wilderness that's what I like to think about. My favourite is a Swedish textbook called From Log to Log House. I read it about once a year.
But it could be anything. I just finished a pretty entertaining book called "The Chickens Fight Back" which was by a veterinarian named Toews, don't remember the first name. It's about diseases that jump from animals to humans.
Before that I read Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, which was a slightly annoying Toronto intellectual novel about doctors. It is a good read but very Toronto. I believe the author is David Lam. Before that I was reasing "Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness" and before that a Canadian history book called "A Country Nourished on Self-Doubt" and before that I believe it was Stephen Pinker's How the Mind Works.
Last night I picked up Through Black Spruce which I don't know how I feel about yet. I also have Roger Penrose's new book The Road to Reality waiting to be read. He is my favourite science writer and my gf's dad gave me a signed copy for christmas, so that is exciting for me.
Anyway I don't expect anyone to share my compulsion or my frantically eclectic tastes but every book listed in my post is very good!
Edit:
I just wanted to add that for me there is NOTHING better than camping in the late fall in the high desert, temperatures around freezing, lying on top of a sleeping bag and a blanket next to a fire, warm on one side and cold on the other, reading a book by firelight and rolling over once in a while to even out the heat.
Man, that is just the best thing ever. I would rather do that than anything I can think of, 99% of the time anyway. The girlfriend is a pretty good way to burn off the other 1%, I guess.
