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Kurt Johnson
There’s nothing like a good book on a cold winter’s day.
It’s a standing invitation to escape from the world in the pages and prose of whatever genre you like to read, which the older I get feels like uninterrupted quality time to be treasured. When it’s warm outside you’ll likely find me in the yard or on a golf course, but this time of year I’m more than content to let my mind wander in the pages of a compelling read.
Literature offers an open invite 365 24/7, of course, but for me the mood and opportunity line up in sync more frequently when Old Man Winter is bearing down hard outside, or when I’m in airport mode with lots of time to kill. The best snow we’ve had in two years opened that window a bit wider last week, and I appreciated the moisture and a little extra me-time equally the same.
That’s the beauty of literature, printed copies especially. It’s like both an old friend and/or new acquaintance waiting for you to sit down in your favorite chair and say hello. I tried making that connection on a Kindle a few times, but it just wasn’t the same. What can I say, I’m a newspaper guy, so the feel of turning the page, not holding a device, is just a preferred part of the experience.
For whatever reason my go-to list of page turners includes literary fiction, mystery and thrillers, with my favorite titles offering a combined trifecta. I’m always on the lookout for a new author, and I found one recently when a friend suggested Jeff Abbott. I’m now four books into his action-packed Sam Capra series, which spin complex webs of intrigue on a roller-coaster literary ride that’s hard to put down.
My family figured out years ago that the latest John Grisham thriller was an easy hit on my Christmas list, which helped create a small library of hardbacks in our home office/library. These days the Alice Farr Library in Aurora fills in often for Santa, sending me a text when a new Grisham book hits the shelves. That’s an awesome, customer-friendly service that makes my day every time.
Of all the Grisham story lines, which by latest count is nearing 50, my favorite has to be “The Last Juror.” The legal thriller takes readers into the deep South back in the 1970s, following the dramatic twists and turns of a gruesome murder case through the eyes of a 23-year-old newspaper publisher.
There was no internet or social media at the time, thus the town hung on every word written in the Ford County Times by young Mr. Willie Traynor. My life in Aurora is nothing remotely like racially-torn Mississippi in that era, but I am captivated each time I read it.
I opened the well-worn cover of that book this week for the first time in several years, imagining the impact this young publisher had on the case and community through his work in the local paper. A fictionary tale about a guy who does what I do for a living and I can’t put it down -- imagine that:-)
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net
