What do you do when the power goes out and you have nowhere else to go? When hurricane Sandy hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States in October of 2012, many people found themselves stuck at home.
Not only did they have to deal with safety and security concerns because of the weather, they also had to deal with the loss of electricity. In today’s world where practically everyone relies on something requiring electricity, having blackouts for days on end is definitely not the most ideal situation to be in.
Still, it’s always possible to see the glass as half full as well as half empty. When the lights go out, and you can’t find a signal for your cellphone, much less log in to the Internet, you can pick up a book and spend some quality quiet time.
Everyone has been all agog about ebooks and online versions of popular printed publications, and it’s likely that most have actually forgotten the smell and the feel of an actual book. An event like Hurricane Sandy provides a perfect time to go back to the basics of reading.
Personally, I would like to separate my books according to categories: light-hearted fun, dreamy romance, jeepers creepers (suspense, horror, thriller), and any other category designed to keep your mind pleasantly distracted. If you can have at least one representative book for each category each day, then you should be able to survive the boredom of being trapped at home by the weather.
Light-Hearted Fun: Calvin and Hobbes – The comic series of this unlikely duo has always managed to lighten up my day. The philosophical musings of the boy and his stuffed tiger makes for all sorts of best episodes from “Kids Say The Darnedest Things.” Given the dreary weather, it would be nice to have something happy and cheerful on your bedside table.
Dreamy Romance: Eat, Pray, Love – Granted, it’s not strictly a gushy, mushy romance novel, but I easily put this in this category because the thought of being able to travel and experience love – of another and of oneself – while at it is just about as dreamy and romantic as it can get. Not to mention that it also does help to become a bit more empathic for others as a result of said travel.
Jeeper Creepers: Stephen King – No particular book title. Any Stephen King novel is sure to keep you up all night, constantly checking for monsters under your bed. Too bad you can’t sleep with the lights on because, well, the electricity’s out, remember?
All The Rest: That depends on your tastes! Whether you love reading through cookbooks and imagining what you’ll create in the kitchen once the power comes on, or whether you really only lose yourself in spy novels, having a stack of Julia Child or Ian Fleming ready to read will help you cope with the worst that the weather can throw at you.
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