My husband and I are getting ready to make a weekend trip up Interstate 5 to Portland, a four-hour drive if the traffic is good (the Beavers have a bye this weekend but the Ducks are at home, so we may have some slowdowns around Eugene). It will be our first road trip together in quite some time, so we’ve been trying to choose our next “road book.” I’m not sure when we began the practice, but it must have been at least 20 years ago. We were living in southern Idaho, and about three times a year we made the 12-hour drive to visit our families in Portland. There were portions of that trip that got pretty tedious, and we felt the need for something to keep the driver (usually Harry) from getting drowsy. Turns out I’m a better reader than listener, and Harry’s a better listener than reader, so our roles have been clearly established to our mutual satisfaction. Since then we’ve gone through virtually all of Tom Clancy’s and John Grisham’s fiction, Dan Brown and Michael Crichton. You get the picture–there’s got to be plenty of action, and some mystery or intrigue helps keep our minds engaged and eyes open. We’ve enjoyed some good nonfiction, too. Last year we zipped through Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City in just over two long days of driving . . . with both daughters now living in Chicago, it held added interest for us, and Larson has a way of bringing historical characters to three-dimensional life. (If you haven’t read his Isaac’s Storm, about the hurricane that destroyed Galveston in 1900–horribly reminiscent of Ike’s destruction this year–give it a try.) We’ve also got three of David McCullough’s books waiting on the shelf. Harry was a history teacher for 11 years before getting into school administration, so those hold great appeal, too. Oh, and there’re Steve Martin’s and Eric Clapton’s autobiographies . . . so many books, not enough miles! It’s been a pleasure to share these plots and stories with each other. We enjoy guessing the next twist in the plot, discussing the peculiarities of a character’s personality and debating our level of satisfaction with the outcome. The miles pass more quickly (and safely), and we strengthen our connection through our own private book club. Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader