Wide Eyed Funks visit one another every now and again, even though leaving the comforts and libraries of home is difficult for us. We are happy to see each other even if the joy of the family visit is tempered by the knowledge that a certain amount of reading time is going to be sacrificed for actual human interaction. It is, at best, bittersweet.
We have developed a solution to the problem. And what I can’t decide is this: is our solution – mutually enacted, endlessly repeated – conscious or unconscious?
When a visit to or from a Funk household is impending, the book stack begins. What might the visitor like to read, what might be passed on to the host from the far-flung family collections? Once the visit begins, the discussions about “what have you been reading” are far more interesting than accomplishments, work activities, household life events, yah yah yah. That stuff comes and goes. The books, they linger. And, the best part, since everyone has new books to read, no one is left out when an entire room of Funks is lounging, reading, quiet. That’s the part I can’t figure out: do we bring books to keep other Funks quiet? Or is the happy quiet fortuitous? I suppose it makes no matter.
This time a mixed stack of books came from one set of the Virginia Funks. A mixed stack will go home with them – some which originated with the New Jersey Funks.
Snack. Beer. Book.
To Virginia:
Island of the Lost
American Lion
Honolulu
Cold Mountain
Moon Called
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
Getting Stoned with Savages
The Year 1000
Soulless
To Buffalo:
Red Earth and Pouring Rain
While I Was Gone
One the Occasion of My Last Afternoon
The Virgin Queen’s Daughter
There’s more to say – there always is with books, but really, I’ve got some reading waiting for me. And yeah – maybe I need some snacks and a glass of wine too.
wideeyedfunk 
I interrupted my reading of ‘The Virtues of War’ by Steven Pressfield, to read this posting. Can’t wait to come visit
Of course, you never have to take a book to visit the Harrisburg Funks. It’s pretty much a library in there.
Speaking of Visiting Funks, we’re still talking about truckin’ up to Buffalo. Looking forward to sampling the microbrews.
Good. I’ll email you in the coming days – see if we have some times that match up…
Or the California Funk (singular) has quite the selection, though nowadays it’s largely e-. Print media is soo 20th century. :p
Read on Funks – and everyone else too – no matter the format. It’s all good.
Glad to hear you all keep up the tradition of reading and sharing booiks. I’m getting ready to go to Denver to visit my sister and figuring which books to take to lend her.