I dropped by Carmichael’s to buy a birthday card, knowing full well that the price of a step into Carmichael’s is at least $30 – the cost of a hardcover novel these days. There’s always something there that must be purchased, and today was no different.

Well, it was a little different. My usual buying process is to buy authors I know about or books of which I’ve read good reviews. But my eye kept coming back to one book on the SF shelf – The Way, by Cary Groner. I had never heard of the book nor the author, but I bought it anyway. It seemed to call to me.

Even though it’s a nice, mostly sunny afternoon here in Louisville, I decided to start the book. Call me lazy. And I’m delighted to report that it’s good. Very good. Deep, philosophical, poetic, thought provoking, with a great central character and an increasingly fascinating story. I’m only halfway through it and I’m already mourning the minute when I finish it. Some books are just so good that I want them to go on and on.

I have to admit being less happy about the Carmichael’s tax. The book was $30 purchased in the shop, and only $14.50 on Amazon. That’s a much bigger delta than I would have guessed. While I do love traditional, in-person bookstores, it’s irritating to pay more than double the price. And concerning – how long can an independent bookshop compete with that kind of delta?

Anyhow, in a time when all hell seems to be breaking loose, a book like this is good medicine. A way to calm the mind. Maybe that’s what the author means with the title. I’m sure I’ll discover that in the second half of the book.