A New Book

I walked out of Barnes & Noble with a sack of books and magazines yesterday afternoon. It felt a little odd, almost like it was 2008 all over again! A couple of years ago I got a Kindle, and now that’s how I buy 99% of my books. I read a lot, usually three to four books a week, so I love getting books easily on my ereader.

However, sometimes I still need to go to the bookstore.

I’ve been in my share of bookstores and libraries during  the last couple of weeks. I’ve signed books, spoken to groups, read from Daybreak, and just chatted with folks, saying hello.  All of that is great. It’s wonderful! But it’s not why I love to go to bookstores.  I love to go to bookstores because I like books. And, well, sometimes I just need a few moments to wander around and be a reader.

Yesterday was one of those times. Since I got sick, I haven’t left the house much. It was all I could do to get my pages written for the day and then take a nap. But yesterday I felt almost like myself, and I wanted to celebrate by taking a few hours off. 

I had an excellent time. I got my latte, got an oatmeal raisin cookie, and then wandered. I read the backs of tons of books. I scanned the sale aisle. Then I hit the mystery section and the romance section. And the new release table. Not once did I go look at any titles with ‘shelley shepard gray’ on them. 

And though I’ve often written down titles and ordered a few on my Kindle when I’ve gotten home, this time I bought the real books. I bought a new cookbook (not that I needed yet another cookbook!), Maeve Binchy’s newest hardcover, and a mystery I had been eyeing for quite a while, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. Early this morning, while the snow was still falling outside, I opened up that mystery, sipped hot coffee, and read the first five chapters.

Now, it’s sitting on the table next to the couch, practically calling my name. Everytime I pass it, I smile. Already, I’m looking forward to getting back to it.

First, though, I need to finish my pages for the day,  and go visit with a book club that has been reading my novels. But you can bet late tonight, I’ll be sitting in bed, reading late into the night. I can’t wait.