Books in a time of Cholera.

  Books are a uniquely portable kind of magic...Stephen King.

I have always read books. Starting with Sally, Dick and Jane in the first grade and comic books and right up to novels and biographies and books on various subjects. Now, I haven't always shared my passion for reading. Most of my friends and family are not and were not readers. I understand. I went through a spell of not reading. Once you start working and having family and responsibilities it's much easier to come home and plop in front of the TV. Also, the sheer amount of entertainment we have these days makes it harder to sit with a book when you want to check the latest social media post or youtube video. I'm not saying that as a snob or an egghead. I'm saying that because it's whats I do.

  But, since retirement I've rediscovered at least a little of my reading mojo. Especially now with so much of the country locked down. Don't get me wrong. I love video and sports and movies and shows. I am very active on facebook and there are groups that I follow on different interest that I have. From football and baseball to classic rock and horror novels to movies to reincarnation to ufo's. I even get myself in trouble from time to time by sticking my head out and giving a political opinion.

Books however are where I got my start at exploring the world and other worlds. It's where I read of different people and different worldviews. So, from time to time I like to list and talk about my favorite rock albums or my love of old vampire moviers and sometimes I like to talk about the books that made an impact on my life's journey or caused me to think or just gave me a good time while reading. Some are fun. for instance the first time I ever read Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" I was actually kind of sad to see it end. I was a young person and the story completely drew me in. Small town Maine and the stories of love and loss and getting drunk and fighting and just the quirks of small town life. It reminded me so much of small town Alabama. Which is where I was at the time.

I also remember the first time I read "Out on a Limb" by Shirley McClain. My own spiritual journey was and still is ongoing. For my own reasons this book written by somebody well known seemed to give me permission to explore my own thoughts and opinions out of the mainstream that my own culture had built around me. Not because all these years later I think it's an absolute perfect book. It's not. And not because I agree with all the stuff in it. I don't. But, because at that time in my life I needed to read that book.

  I worked for a little while in the Gadsden Public Library. The town I was born in. I loved the library and for someone like me it was the perfect job. Well, at least it could have been. I was introduced to the library lore. Did you know the basement of the library is haunted? Even if you are from Gadsden you might not know that. The first librarian from way back in the last Century was said to make an appearance up on the library mezzanine. I knew some of the library clerks that would hear a noise and say "Oh that's just Miss Lena." Miss Lena was the founder and first librarian in Gadsden if memory serves. People weren't afraid of Miss Lena and the mezzanine. But, they were not going down in the basement by themselves.

I was brought up on ghost stories. I loved them and would read books or watch movies and be fascinated. The only movie that ever truly scared me was The Haunting based on the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Not the remake of the 90's. I'm talking about the Julie Harris black and white 1963 or it might have been made in 64 version.

So, horror fiction has always been my favorite thing to read. Not as much now as when I was younger. I kind of like to get away from horror's these days. But, still I like a good chill once in awhile. Which brings me to a book review even though it's been a long time since I read it.

"Others" by James Herbert is a chilling novel. Made all the more so by the author's own note about the book. While it is a work of fiction it was according to the author based on actual events. Now he didn't elaborate and I can't truly know if he was being serious or just trying to pull the reader farther in. But, there you go. It stayed with me because of the subject matter. The story in itself is a good read. But, some ot the subject matter struck me because it's about things that I consider to be very plausible.

  It centers on a private investigator. Nicholas Dismas is a dwarf and has other physical disabilities. But, he has a good reputation of solving cases and is asked to investigate a case of a missing child who was taken at birth. It leads him to a nursing home and other things as the tension and the paranormal collide. It's subtle but there are certain scenes that slowly build to the final meeting of retribution, karma and grace. There is the story of an old hollywood actor who treated people and especially women and children with cruelty during his lifetime while being acclaimed as a handsome leading man by the public.

It's a story of waking up in hell and of reincarnation and of personal struggles. To say much more would be to give it away. But, it's one of those books that while it's not my favorite. It did have a lasting effect on me as far as the story and the worldview that it explores. So, if you are looking for a chilling and yet thoughtful read you might give it a try.

I think books where the main character has flaws are pretty common. But, books that show deformity and a main character that is physically limited are not as common and honestly I can understand that. After all we love to bond and identify with Clint Eastwood as he kicks the bad guy butt and wins the girl with a devil may care grin and glint in his eye. I know I love the Dirty Harry and the man without a name gunslinger riding into town and kicking ass and taking names. It's fun.

But, in the Herbert novel "Others" the action is more subtle and the horror isn't the raging vampire or haunted car or troubled teenager bringing the walls down on the bad guys.

Anyway, just thinking tonight about library ghost and in this time of a pandemic the escape of reading. Which like life can on occasion while avoiding the issues of the day cause you to consider other issues. Maybe those issues that come at midnight when you just got up to take a wizz and all of a sudden you start thinking about life and death and what the heck are we doing here anyway?

 I know tonight when I go to bed I will follow my ritual. One foot out of the cover but staying on the bed. You don't want it to hang off. Just trust me on that. We all have our little quirks. We don't really think there are monsters under the bed or ghost in the closet. But, It just feels better to keep the closet door securely shut and our feet from hanging off the bed, 

So, happy reading or movie watching or facebooking. What ever takes you to your happy place.

Peace.