Do you shop on Black Friday? Normally, I try to avoid the Black Friday crowds and stay at home to put up the tree and bake some of those deliciously fattening sweets I love so much. However, our local bookstore had a sale that I just could not resist.
So, sadly this year, I made the thirty-mile drive—yes, it is thirty miles—to the nearest bookstore and found myself inside Stranger Than Fiction Books Plus. It is my favorite bookstore but has recently changed owners due to an unfortunate illness, which has saddened me greatly. With the exchange of hands has also come renovations. The original store, for those who've never been, was quite unique.
Upon entering, the first thing you would've noticed was their shelving system. The original store boasted over one-hundred-thousand books. The walls were lined with shelves and hinged upon those shelves were more shelves. So, essentially, when you were finished browsing the books on one side, you simply flipped the shelf to look on the other side, then behind that shelf was yet another shelf. I know, a lot of shelves huh? They had every book in every genre you could imagine.
It was glorious!
Though the new owners have kept some of the original shelving, they have also decided to change a few things. One thing being the removal of the beloved shelves in the front room. Although I will dearly miss the thick green paint, and the soft cries of the hinges, the progress is interesting. I am excited to see the final result and all the new books that will follow.
While I was there, I came across several books written by Anne Rice including two from the Mayfair Chronicles. Guess what? I just happened to be reading the first book of the series, The Witching Hour. I am sure you can guess how happy this made me. I had stumbled upon the last two books to the series, Lasher and Taltos. How exciting!
For those of you who haven’t heard of the Mayfair Witches, you can also stream the series on AMC plus. I haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve heard good reviews. As for the books, you can find them here or on Amazon. I know the first one is worth a read. I’ll let you know later about the rest. After all, Ann Rice deserves all the love we can throw at her. She is an amazing author.
The series follows the family of witches known as the Mayfairs. It begins with Deidre and her daughter, Rowan. It explores the mystery that surrounds Rowan’s adoption. It is quite the hefty read with fifty-two chapters. Imagine gothic New Orleans if you will, as Rice is greatly known for. If you’ve read any of the Interview with The Vampire series, you know what I mean. I’ve only made my way through the first quarter and there are still secrets to be discovered. The atmosphere and scenery in this book have made it all the more worthwhile. It is darkly beautiful.
I’ve yet to discover the full power of all the witches, but the book has begun to dig into the history. I do hope the ending will be as good as the beginning.
As for Stranger Than Fiction, I sure will miss those shelves. It reminded me of how easily we become attached to certain things, and about the memories that we attach to places and how special they become.
For me, this will always be the first bookstore I brought my son to. It will be our Saturday outings and rainy day finds. My memories will sleep in the creaky hinges and quiet nooks and my heart will rest upon a shelf, above the Steven King and Ann Rice volumes.
If you happen your way into a little town called Ardmore, make sure to stop by Stranger Than Fiction. You never know what you might find.
Comments