REDRUM

So, we met last week at the coffee shop/liquor store that I was so excited to try, and it was kind of a bust. My coffee was good, and my scone was fresh-baked, but the atmosphere was kind of weird. I don't think we'll be going back any time soon, but we Tried a New Place, so pats on the back all around, I say.

Jen made the mistake of telling me that her daughter has embarked on a Stephen King phase. Book pusher that I am, I immediately offered to give her all of my Stephen King books (minus the Gunslinger ones, and "On Writing.") and Jen graciously accepted. Hurrah! I love to give my old books to a good home once I am past the point of wanting to reread them over and over again.

I can't lie, though - the most exciting part for me is the chance to get The Scariest Book in the Entire World out of my house. Like Joey from "Friends," I don't feel safe unless "The Shining" is packed away someplace where it can't sneak out in the dead of night and get me. Unlike Joey, I don't keep it in my freezer; instead it's nestled in a large box surrounded by Gideon Bibles.

If you've never read "The Shining," you really should. It's phenomenal; the more so because it's not a horror novel in the traditional sense. In this book, the monsters are human failings and how they affect those around us - child abuse, alcoholism, and a failed marriage. Seeing the movie is not equivalent; King himself abhors the Nicholson version, which is based loosely, at best, upon the novel. If you have read the book, you know my fear and admiration, and probably have your own copy hidden in a secure location. I've read the book twice in my adult life now (both times in the company of others and only during daylight), and it's etched so firmly on my psyche I don't think I need to read it ever again. And that's okay. In a way, I'm passing it on to the next generation, and I'm kind of excited that it's going to fascinate and terrify and thrill a new reader, who will hopefully come up with an even better secure location than a box of stolen hotel Bibles.