The Ship's Library

[Boston Birder]

Books are one thing more to pack and track, and I would have left all mine behind except one for the plane, with this advance information.

 

Majesty's library was surprisingly well-appointed. A tea and coffee nook, a few games, comfortable chairs, and good lighting made this a premier place to pass the time during rough weather or while your roommate slept in. I witnessed a steward dressing down a subordinate for some undetectable (by me) error in tea layout one morning.

 

There was diverting popular and literary fiction to suit a variety of tastes. I might have added more books about destinations, specifically, "The Last Pink Bits," by Ritchie, which treats several British island possessions, including Bermuda. I did see a beautiful "coffee-table" book on Peru.

 

The glaring omission was a field guide to fish, not even a framed wall chart. A space saving solution would be a collection of waterproof laminate cards (which could be framed, if they didn't want to check them out) . An example is Reefcomber's Guide to Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean (Seahawk Press, Miami, 1982). Another solution is to color photocopy selected pages of your own field guides, which I did for seabirds I hoped to encounter. (Note: Most fish we saw in Tobacco Bay were young, and varied from the field card depictions a bit.)

 

Organization was roughly alphabetical. I ached to put the collection in order, but after a day or two, the compulsion subsided.

 

Instead of making a list while on board, I photographed about a third of the shelves. I know Majesty faces retirement, but I imagine the libraries of other boats may be similar, and perhaps this post will inspire other cruisers to capture their impressions of the collections aboard.

 

Here follows a list:

Ambrose, Stephen The Good Fight

Baldwin, William P. The Hard to Catch Mercy

Burton, Levar Aftermath

Bradley, Marion The Mists of Avalon

Berlitz, Charles The Dragon's Triangle

Cambar, Kathleen In Sunlight, in a Beautiful Garden

Davies, Norman Rising 44

Doherty Ray Fairy Tales

Doyle, Arthur Conan The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries

Dailey, Janet 2 complete novels - Crazy in Love

Dixon, Franklin W. The House on the Cliff

Douglas, John Journey into Darkness

DeLillo, Don Underworld

Eagle, Kathleen A View of the River

Elroy, James The Black Dahlia

Green, Rita Notes from the Underbelly

Grimes, Martha The Anodyne Necklace

Guilaume, Geri Unconditional

Hamilton, Laurell K. Kravings

Hamilton, Laurell K. Bloody Bones

Hamilton, Laurell K. Nightseer

Hawthorne, Nathaniel The Scarlett Letter

Hiaasen , Carl Flush

Holmes, John Clellon Go

Hiro, Dilip Secrets and Lies

Horowitz, Anthony Snakehead

Icilyn, Sonia One More Chance

Johnson, Susan Seized by Love

Jones, Edward P. All Aunt Hagar's Children

Kent, Alison The Samms Agenda

Kelman, Judith The First Stone

Kersote, Ted Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

King, Jonathan The Blue Edge of Midnight

LaHaye, Tim F. The Mark

LaHaye, Tim F. The Indwelling

2 other vols of The continental drama of those left behind

Laird, Elizabeth The Garbage King (Barron's)

London, Julia Jonathan's Story

McMillan, Terry Disappearing Acts

McGarrity, Michael Under the Color of Law

Myles, Douglas Kraken

Neri, Penelope Double Play

Ojito, Mirta Finding Manana

Parker, Robert B. Back Story

Patterson, James Along Came a Spider

Pearson, Barry Peter and the Starcatchers

Peel, John The Choice

Roberts, Nora Morrigan's Cross

Scott, Michelle Murder by the Glass

Shaara, Jeff The Rising Tide

Squatrito, Joseph Code Name Ginny

Stacy, Judith Maggie Sweet

Star Trek DS 9 The Left Hand of Destiny

Strohmeyer, Sarah Bubbles Unbound

Topping, Keith Hollywood Vampire: A revised and updated unofficial and unauthorized guide to ANGEL

Tunis, John R. Rookie of the Year

Tunis, John R. World Series

Tyner, Marilyn Love is Not Enough

Wall, Kathryn R. Sanctuary Hill, A Bay Tanner Mystery

Walls, Jeannette The Glass Castle

West, Joseph A. Gunsmoke: The Last Dog Soldier

Wharton, Edith The Age of Innocence

Williams, Stephen Invisible Darkness

Young, Christine Dakota's Bride

 

Kids' Books

----------------

Silverstein, Shel Don't Bump the Glump

Miyazki, Hayao Howl's Moving Castle Picture Book

Foxworthy Dirt on my Shirt

Forbes/Searle Beastly Feasts

Lies, Brian Bats at the Beach

Wiesner, David Flotsam

Auer, Chris The Legend of the Sand Dollar

Taplin, Sam Pirate's Handbook

Goldman and Katz The Best Hanukkah Ever

Kneen, Maggie The Very Special Valentine

[cb at sea]

In other words, most should bring their own books!!!

[gadaboutgal]

I think most ship libraries and their shelves have continued to decline in both number and quality-especially on the newer ships. I guess they don't think people read much anymore:rolleyes:

[fann1sh]

Thank you, Boston Birder. Like you, I itch to organize shelves, and have from time to time given in to the impulse.

 

Unlike CB at Sea I could imagine myself reading a number of these volumes.

 

Back in 2001, aboard Holland America Volendam, I was utterly shocked to find a volume I wasn't even aware had been published in 1998 - Thrones, Dominations - unfinished Dorothy L. Sayers completed by Jill Paton Walsh - and in Large Print for the visually challenged, which meant my mother could read it as well!

 

The only problem with ship's libraries is they tend to be frozen in the time of the ship's commissioning. If you demand the latest releases, bring your own. If, like me, you're content to discover overlooked volumes, you can be pleasantly surprised.

[silentbob007]

I always get a sad smile when I'm on ships where "library" has transformed into "internet cafe."

[DonnaK]

Lately, I've found that the ship's library often has a wonderful shelf or two dedicated for a book exchange. People can leave behind paperbacks they've read on the cruise for others to pick up. These are often more current "best seller" types of books. I've both left some gems, and picked up a few from the library of recent ships I've been on.

[Been There, Planning That]

I've found on our two longer cruises that I relied more on the free book exchange than on the library itself.

 

On these two cruises we had extended post cruise travel and so I visited the library on the last day to find some great reads.

 

And most international hotels have a 'library' exchange.

 

My best book story was leaving a couple of paper back books at our hotel in China. I carefully balance them on the garbage container.

 

Our cab was just pulling away when a hotel employee chased after us waving the 'giveaway' books.

 

In advance of a long trip I do 'garage sales' looking for good paperback books, knowing I'll leave them somewhere.

[RoofingPrincess]

I was shocked on the Carnival Ecstasy to find that their books are behind locked cabinet doors! Evidently they only have someone there at specified times to act as librarian and check them out.... there must've been pilferage issues.

In contrast, on the Explorer of the Seas two years ago, the shelves were open at all times, PLUS there was an area for a book exchange.

I tend to hit my local library's "Friends of the Library Bookshop" right before I go, picking up paperbacks for a dollar or less, and then I leave them in the ship's library when I'm done with them (saving one for the plane ride home, of course!)

[sail7seas]

HAL ships have a decent selection in Exploration Cafe. It isn't the Library of Congress but I think it adequate for most people to find something to read that interests them.

 

[Waryman]

That is what I plan to do! I'm taking 3 paperbacks (recent) and 2 Bird books.

I will "exchange" the paperbacks for others. The bird books stay with me! :D

 

 

 

Lately, I've found that the ship's library often has a wonderful shelf or two dedicated for a book exchange. People can leave behind paperbacks they've read on the cruise for others to pick up. These are often more current "best seller" types of books. I've both left some gems, and picked up a few from the library of recent ships I've been on.