Nostalgic Sanctuary

I finished the book Dead Watch by one of my favorite authors John Sandford.  It was one of his older works that I had somehow missed.  It didn’t contain any of his regular characters which is probably why it didn’t achieve the level of notoriety some his Lucas Davenport novels did.  It was a good read though and allowed me to disengage from the Palahniuk induced funk.  That’s one of the things I like about the Kindle.  I finish one book and then just log on to Amazon and search out some of my favorite authors and 30 seconds later the book is on the kindle to read.  I know they use your purchasing history to make suggestions and I kind of like the fact that my eclectic selection must be straining their logic algorithms.   Despite this additional example of technology enabled instant gratification, I do miss my forays to book stores.  I used to truly enjoy disappearing for a couple of hours into a book store to wander the aisles and check in on these authors. It brought back memories of my times early in my life where I would disappear into the Keene Public Library which became kind of a refuge from the turmoil of my family life prior to my parent’s divorce.  It was an old mansion that had been converted into the town library; its still there but almost unrecognizable due to expansion over the years.  I can still remember the smell of the place, the marble staircase, and the feeling of a trusted sanctuary to escape into the literary world for a while.  I guess I’m going to have hit the nearest Barnes and Noble to assuage this latest wave of nostalgia cascading over me.  The night ended well when were called by my distant son who is struggling with a decision.  He’s been asked to extend his stay in Kyrgyzstan and is severely conflicted by his feelings for a certain young lady who draws him home.  He’s a smart guy with a really good soul and I know he’ll make the decision that is right for both of them. 

My Childhood Sanctuary As It Looked Back Then