When a Book Refuses to Leave...

I love to read.  It is by far my favorite hobby.  Writing has become my favorite passion. My imagination has free reign when I write. I often tread on unholy ground. I am surprised when something startling and dark happens. It surprises me that I enjoy writing that flow of thought. It is far from my normal life. The short story I am currently working on is not even remotely normal or true; for that I am thankful. It is an awkward story to write and at times borders on emotional stress. It is dark, a little freaky and far from normal. I can live with that.

At the beginning of the week I read, "Four Days with Hemingway's Ghost" written my Tom Winton. From the first page I was hooked on the book. I did not want to put it down until I was finished. Life doesn't play fair and I had to interact with humans and play nice, until I was able to get back to reading the book. All too soon the book was finished.  I sat there in my favorite blue recliner, sipping coffee and in complete silence thinking about the book I had just read. I revisited my favorite lines. Conjured up imagines of scenes as I remembered them. When Ernest Hemingway spoke it was Sean Connery's voice I heard. I knew it wasn't true.  Hemingway was American however the voice fit in my imagination. 

I ordered several books written by Tom Winton and one by Tim Winton. Needless to say Tim's book was a mistake.  Amazon was kind enough to let me delete the book before they had finished processing my order.

It will probably be another week before I begin  reading a new book. The one I have picked out is entitled  "The Last American Martyr" by you guessed it Tom Winton.

When an exceptionally good  book grabs hold of my imagination, it takes awhile before I am ready to replace the memories with another story.  I want to ruminate on the story line. Ponder the plot and simmer in all the emotions the book caused me to experience.

Eventually, I move on to another book. I never forget how the author trapped my imagination for an extended period of time.

I will forever be on the lookout for books written by Tom Winton. The same way I buy every Pat Conroy, Margaret Atwood, Jodi Picoult, Amy Tan ( I do wish she wrote faster), Wally Lamb, Anita Shreve, Stephen King and Gillian Flynn. They are staples in my home. I know when those authors write a book...it is a keeper.

 It is the same way with all the new authors T.K. Carter, Misty Watts, and Jefferson Banks. I follow their careers and enjoy their books. Just waiting for the day when I can say...'I knew them when...'.