“K.R.R. (Kyle Robert Redundant) Lockhaven used to love writing as a kid. Starting at about ten years old, he wrote about anything from dragons to sentient jellybeans. Somewhere along the line, he lost that love. But now as a firefighter, husband, and father of two sons, he found it again. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the really good stuff from back then…
“Kyle is a huge proponent of summer camps for burn survivor kids. [A portion] from every book he ever sells will go to the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation, sponsors of Camp Eyabsut. For more info, or to donate money or time, go to www.campeyabsut.org.”
I’m truly delighted to close out the portion of this series submitted by authors with the return of K.R.R. Lockhaven to this site. I trust that you, like myself, will be most impressed by the thoughtful approach that Lockhaven brought to his selections. No, wait, that was someone else. Lockhaven’s approach is…well, it’s what one should expect from him. 🙂
Top 5 “Dessert Island” Books
When H.C. asked me to name my top 5 dessert island books, my mind went straight to the tried and true 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel treats, Brownies, Bars, and More. Then my mind wandered into a dreamlike image of what this supposed dessert island might look like. At first, it seemed wonderful—Candyland-esque in its sugary splendor. But then I thought about the longevity of such an island. Before long, things would start to get pretty bad. Baked goods don’t have the longest shelf life. Ice cream has even shorter still. I…
Sorry. I just realized my obvious blunder. It’s DESERT, not DESSERT. Unfortunately, my delete key is broken, so this has to stay in. I apologize again for being a dork.
So, now I understand what he was asking. What 5 books would I bring with me if I was to be stranded on a desert island for a prolonged period of time? Here is my list:
1. How to Build Your Own Boat From Scratch by John E. Traister
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of sailing the seas. This would be a good opportunity to build a boat and become the ship captain I’ve dreamed and written about. Not that some time alone on an island wouldn’t be nice in many ways. But I would start to miss my loved ones after a couple hours, so I’d like to be proactive in getting back to them.
2. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Shipbuilding, I’m guessing, is hard work. I would need to take breaks, and reading seems like a good way to pass the time while I’m resting. The first book that comes to mind for such a rest is The Sirens of Titan. This is probably my all-time favorite book. I first read it at a pivotal time in my life (junior year of high school), and I think it really changed things for the better. One way it did this was to open my mind to new ways of thinking. For example, its explanation for the purpose of all human life is one of the darkest and funniest things I’ve ever read. The idea that there was no ultimate purpose in life, or that such things could be joked about, was very freeing. My teenage mind hadn’t really contemplated such things before, but Vonnegut’s wisdom and satire had brought so many new ideas to the forefront. One of those ideas came from the following line: “I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine.” I credit this line with sparking my interest in becoming a firefighter. It’s strange to think about how one little line could have so much sway on where my life has gone (even if, in this scenario, it has led me to become stranded on a godforsaken desert island). This book also has one of my favorite lines: “A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved” (which, in this scenario, would just be myself unless the shipbuilding thing worked out).
3. Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide (to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons) by Quenby Olson
I would like to have a cozy and often hilarious book on this island, and Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide seems just right. This book would comfort me whenever existential dread began to creep in. Plus, if I’m alone on the island for a long stretch of time, it might be helpful to learn how to smash through the fourth wall I’ll likely create in my mind. This book has the most brilliant form of fourth-wall-breaking I’ve ever read. It’s funny and fun and I want it on the island.
4. The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss
I know it’s not out yet, but I don’t currently have any travel plans that will take me over any large bodies of water, so I’m assuming I’ll be trapped on this island sometime in the future when the third book of The Kingkiller Chronicle is out. The main reason is that I don’t want to die without getting to the end of Kvothe’s story. I absolutely loved the first two books and I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated anything quite like I anticipate The Doors of Stone. Not that I want to put any pressure on Mr. Rothfuss. I’m currently writing book 3 of my own trilogy, so I understand the difficulties that come with such a task. Whenever he is ready, I’ll allow myself to go over the ocean. But not until then!
5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
It feels strange not to have a Terry Pratchett book on this list, but I’m going with this instead. For one thing, it’s fantastic. For another, I haven’t read it in too long so a reread is overdue. This is another book that presents the ultimate answer to the meaning of life (the universe, and everything) as something we can joke about. Humor is so damned important in the face of that pesky existential dread. In my opinion, we have to laugh at ourselves and our place in all of this to cope and find a slice of happiness in this unfathomable galaxy of ours. I imagine this kind of attitude will be beneficial as the existential dread of the desert island really starts to take hold.
Thank you, H.C., for letting me guest post on your wonderful blog! I hope this wasn’t too silly
If you aren’t rolling your eyes too hard at this, you might enjoy some of my writing. I have a humorous fantasy, two parts of a nautical fantasy trilogy, and a cozy fantasy you can find at krrlockhaven.com.
Lockhaven provided his own encouragement to visit his site (thoughtful of him to spare me the effort), but I want to say it myself—be sure to check out https://www.krrlockhaven.com and all the books there!
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
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