Reading on the Road: Savannah, GA

I'm off to Savannah this weekend for a wedding, and before you ask: Yes, I have read MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, and no, we probably won't have time to take the tour. It's a whirlwind visit and my boyfriend is a member of the wedding party. (By the way, after reading this post he told me his favorite book is Camus's THE STRANGER, so he will hereafter be known as Camus -- ending my constant self-dialogue over whether it would be inappropriate to call him Mr. Wormbook.) Looks like we just missed the Savannah Book Festival too -- darn! I'm still excited to go for this joyous occasion and the chance to absorb some Southern sunshine.

As usual I have been planning my haul of books instead of packing. It's a short trip, but as usual, I overpacked:

• For the trip to the airport: Sara Paretsky's BURN MARKS, a detective novel my mom recommended to me. (Small enough so I can handle my bags and the book while I'm waiting in lines.)
  
• David Simon, HOMICIDE: A YEAR ON THE KILLING STREETS (672pp). Simon is best known now for being the creator of the HBO show "The Wire," about the city of Baltimore, but before that he was a newspaper reporter who chronicled a year in the life of a homicide squad. Probably a gloomy book, but looks really intriguing.
• Mark Helprin, FREDDY AND FREDERICKA (576pp). This book has been sitting on my nightstand for almost a year now, not getting anywhere closer to finished. It's going in my bag, though I probably won't have time to finish it (see below) because if I get delayed on the way back to New York I'm going to want something really long to distract me from the inevitable panic and strife. (My journey home for Christmas took 23 hours, and I was on a nonstop flight. I really don't want to talk about it.)
• I'm also bringing along a review copy of Kelly McMasters' WELCOME TO SHIRLEY. Whoo, am I optimistic.
  

Happy reading this weekend! And congratulations to Scott (who is my editor here) and Marisa, the happy couple.