I am a voracious reader (some of you may relate to this)......

I understand there are English bookstores in Paris but we will be elsewhere in France for 5 weeks before we get to Paris. Will we find English paperbacks and/or books in areas like Normandy, Dordogne, etc. In other words will smaller towns have them?..If not, I will have to stuff paperbacks in my pockets I guess ...

By books I mean nonfiction or fiction..not guidebooks.

Thanks..

I carry a few hundredweight of select titles in my iPAQ - heavy on the classics (you can even get some Fodors guidebooks). In addition, I have the mandatory language dictionaries that make it possible to read a book in say, French, and when I touch the word, get the English translation.

You can buy a used Palm Pilot for $10 and download thousands of free titles from gutenberg.org

It's what's next.

Hi robe,

What took you so long?

I think that that is very good advice.

Plus, you don't have to carry the reading light.

loisco, a great question, and not one we've had to deal with because our trips are usually for two weeks.

My wife and I are both readers and have found a couple of ways to meet our needs. We share an interest in certain authors and topics, so we pack some books that both of us want to read--that lessens the load a bit. We also rent houses, usually from English families owning vacations properties in France, and we have been delighted to find a small library in every one of our rentals. I supsect some of the books are the owner's, others were left by other guests. And, at the risk of re-opening the iPod debate of some weeks ago, my wife downloads books from Audible.com to her iPod and listens to those while we vacation. She loves it. I can't do it, so it's obviously a matter of personal taste.

To answer your question about whether you can buy English books in rural France, we've been over great parts of Provence and Languedoc and I can't recollect seeing English books for sale. However, I'll confess I wasn't looking, so perhaps someone else can shed more light on this.

Anselm

I can relate, Lois! I'm on the lookout for appealing paperback titles throughout the year in second hand stores. I harbor a little stack to take on my next Europe trip, and when I finish with them, leave them behind for someone else, which frees up luggage space for the goodies I buy on the trip. A caveat: The density of paperbacks seems to trigger a luggage search, so spread them out in your suitcase if you're checking your bags.

The Maison de la Presse in Le Bugue has a small Englishslanguage section now (I've contributed a fair portion of it), and the bookstore on La Traverse in Sarlat has a few. I can't give any specifics about Normandy, but in general, outside Paris except in parts of France where there are large expat British communities, I wouldn't count on being able to find them. The store in Le Bugue does have a nice selection, though. One of the owners is British and she has good taste in books.

Betsy..how many books do you take?..I was thinking I could stuff some in my jacket pocket..whatever I am wearing on the plane, or my tote bag as they don't weigh the tote bag carryon or do they?.. but that won't be enough. Maybe when we get to CDG airport I will find a store there...

I am afraid to layer any books for fear of overweight luggage and a protesting husband..hmmm.

Re putting books on his Palm..I don't know it just doesn't appeal to me...both of us huddling over a Palm. I also have my Ipod which i can download books to. But I am one who likes the feel of the book and the pages....

Well this will be interesting. I like the idea of leaving paperbacks for the next person. Perhaps the hotels we stay in will have them for us.

Finally a packing question that I can relate to. Why not come up w/~7 books that you'd both like to read and then download a couple more on your iPod or Palm as a security measure. That way if you're stuck, you'll have something to read even if it's on a small screen.

If you decide to leave your books behind for others to enjoy, you might wish to look at www.bookcrossing.com. Their aim is to make the world a library.

Do you have scrabble for your palm? It's a good introduction to reading on the small screen and it's great fun.

Good luck and don't forget to let us know what you decide to pack.

Palm - yuck! I pack about 6 books on the average trip and leave them behind, if I can in places where they'll be appreciated. I use the xtra space for things I want to bring home, including books!

St. Cirq, I, too, prefer reading
"real" books and I doubt that anything electronic could simulate/replace the tactile experience of reading a book: the spine cracking, the distinct paper smell, the feel of the crisp pages on your fingertips, etc.

However, for an extended trip, I don't think supplementing with electronic books is such a bad idea. It's a security blanket of sorts.

I especially appreciate books on tape if I'm on the plane or very, very, tired. I think it harkens back to being read to as a child--just a very comforting feeling.

As someone who looks forward to visiting libraries and bookstores on their travels, I just get excited when anyone puts their reading list at the top of their packing list, whether its hardback, paperback, electronic, or otherwise.

I think the dichotomy between cold, hard electronics and friendly, cuddly wood pulp is a false one.

To me, it's a matter of the simple utility of carrying a few ounces of computer instead of pounds of paper.

<i>p.s.</i> No &quot;practice&quot; reading a PDA screen is necessary. E-book type is the same size and form as the print before you as you read this.

How large is the screen? Are the lines of words as long as the lines in a &quot;typical&quot; book (not sure what I mean by typical, since there are some books I don't buy because their font size is too small for my comfort). Can you skim ahead or refer to something you read 100 pages back by some methods easier than scrolling through all the pages? I don't know anything about these little machines, but I'm just curious.

The font size is adjustable (which books don't do). The screen is about two inches wide, which is smaller than a &quot;typical&quot; book.

The text is searchable (which books don't do).

You can make annotations and bookmarks as you go (which you can do by leaving little pieces of paper in books).

It's not for everyone - I'm just offering an alternative to lugging dead trees around.

You could buy several paperbacks at Half Price Books or somewhere similar and then just donate them to your hotel's reading shelf when you finish them.

You'll have that much more room in your suitcase on the trip home for any goodies you buy along the way!

lois, do you need more than a book per week? If not pack 5 paperbacks. you'll need 1 to read on the plane anyway.

Yes, there is a weight limit for carry-on items. besides books are heavy, better to keep them in checked luggage, make room by taking one or two less items of clothing.

i put myself in the &lt;voracious&gt; reader category as well but find i read less when i'm traveling than i do at home.

I always bring 2 or 3 in my purse. If I need more, I'll stuff one in each jacket pocket, and wear the jacket, thus not adding to my weight limit. I move them to the luggage once I'm clear

I read at least a book a week, even when voraciously travelling, as I read at night to relax into sleep.

Well I have decided to forego a piece of clothing for more books...books are my joy. Also I will have my husband download a book on his Palm for emergency use... Maybe do one on my Ipod too. But that is just emergency use.

My problem is I read way too fast.....so I think what I will do is bring books that are harder to read...you know what I mean.. Books with more substance.... Historical novels, etc. Books like the best-selling fiction often read too quickly.

Thanks for all the ideas. Now to find a jacket with deep pockets....

This won't help you in smaller towns, but cities with universities are always a good bet for finding English books, so in Normandy that would be Rouen and Caen and I don't know where else.

&quot; My problem is I read way too fast.....so I think what I will do is bring books that are harder to read...&quot;

Yes, that's it! Deliberately hobble yourself so you won't have to enter the 21st century prematurely.

And leave your cell phone at home, because communicating via telegraph is so comforting.

And stay in hotels without elevators, because the climb is so invigorating.

(Jeez - I wonder how long it took people to give up on scrolls and start carrying bound books...)