Book Exchange

[merrellj]

Notwithstanding all the valid exhortations about weight, my packing list will include a paperback, mostly likely two, to read en route.

I am assuming there will be some downtime to read and if so will then be leaving my books along the way. Can I expect to find bookshelves in some of the albergues, or are guidebooks the only books to bring!!

 

[grayland]

You may want to consider a Kindle (or nook).
Search the forum under Kindile and you will see a lot of discussion.

 

[Arn]

Merrellj asked:

Can I expect to find bookshelves in some of the albergues

The simple answer is: sometimes!

My first Camino I started with a fast action book. By the time I reached Burgos, I found a copy of
Jesus of Nazareth" by Pope Benedict XVI. I usually read a book only once...I reread the Pope's book over and over. That served two purposes: 1. I didn't have to search for a replacement book and 2. I had a better understanding of the background of Jesus from the writings of popular Christian and Jewish writers...with a Pope centric touch.

Now, back to the thread. As Grayland opines: consider a Kindle or Nook. Many of the Camino guides can be downloaded. Should you need more...get to a WIFI area and download another.

Enjoy...and Buen Camino

Arn

 

[Yallah]

I did occasionally find books left behind by other pilgrims, but not as often as I'd hoped. I bought a book of short stories in León at a lovely bookshop and re-read them over and over.

My second camino I brought a Kindle and it was heavenly to have so many good books at my disposal without worrying about the weight. Though I love the feel of a real book in my hands, the switch to digital has been extremely convenient for my frequent travel and lack of storage space!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Pilgrims who leave their paperbacks behing in albergues are blessed souls. If and when everyone goes digital/individual, this wonderful resource will disappear. :cry:
Books are meant to be shared.

 

[micbook]

Many albergues have books (sometimes in many languages!) where you can exchange your own. You can often exchange with a fellow pilgrim, too. I personally brought a book with me, thinking that I would read in downtime like you, and ended up realizing after 2 days that I wasn't going to read and just left it in one of the albergues (if you see The Kite Runner somewhere, well, now you know)

To me, the days and afternoons were so full of so many things to do, see, experience, and sometimes I just wanted to really do nothing...I didn't miss having a book by me, and I felt the experience was so rich and stimulating that one less story to read went unnoticed.

Off topic, but nevertheless important in my experience- I highly recommend taking a notebook/journal to write. So much stuff can come up and it's nice to be able to capture, even a glimpse of it.

Buen Camino!
Michal
--
http://michalrinkevich.wordpress.com/tag/camino-de-santiago/

 

[Pieces]

i am an avid reader and thought about bringing a book but didn't. I honestly wouldnt have the time or energy to read it if i had, so it would just have been dead weight...

what i DID bring was my ipod with a few good audiobooks on it. I used it a few times both walking and for bedtime stories, but in 3 weeks i didn't even finish listening to one (still haven't btw, maybe i will on my camino this summer...)

 

[vagabondette]

I read books too quickly to realistically use paper ones while traveling so I've started doing all of my reading on my smart phone. Took a while to get used to but it's so easy and convenient and I love it. So my phone will act as my book, internet, camera, phone and notebook while I'm doing my camino.