Inhale the decay

You know the smell of old books? The smell of a used bookstore? It's that slightly vanilla like scent that I have come to adore, want, crave. New books smell ... bland, like ink and paper. But the complex aroma of an old book is all its own. It even seems as if each old book smells slightly different. But what makes books smell so amazing? Science. There's stuff called cellulose and lignin in paper that breaks down as it ages into three different organic compounds; benzaldehyde, ethyl hexanol and vanillin. Vanillin smells like vanilla (suprise), benzaldehyde smells somewhat like almondy and ethyl hexanol smells flowery. You learn something new everyday. Now go open an old book and inhale those delicious decaying organic compounds. 

Dreaming

At the end of old novels the last page usually has some sort of mail order form for the authors other published works. Every time I see these pages I wonder what would happen if I sent my money in. Would I get my letter back? Or maybe, magically they'd actually send me the book? One can dream. 

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Hardcover, 652 pages

Published September 15th 2001 by Random House (first published January 1st 1984)

Stephen King was somewhat of an idol in my house as a young child. My mom owned and cherished all of his books. While she was pregnant with me, Cujo was just released and my grandmother forbid her to read it because it was "too scary for a pregnant woman to read". Of course, she still read it and, yes it was horrifying, but that never stopped her. Growing up, I was drawn to these books and was told, "you can read them when you're older". So, like a good little girl, I waited until I was older. Kind of. 

Every year during the summer, my grandparents rented a cabin in Lake Tahoe for the whole family. It was on one of these annual family trips where I had my first taste of true horror. There was a game room in the cabin where us children were sent because we were too damn loud. That room had an ancient T.V. and old, second hand VHS tapes left by vacationers of years past. Amongst these tapes was one which changed my life. It was It, based on the novel by Stephen King. My cousin and I were intrigued. But we couldn't watch it while everyone was downstairs, lest we be caught. We waited. And waited. Then one day we got our chance. The adults left to gamble and we were left with one of our old uncles who turned his hearing aid off in our presence. We snuck upstairs and popped in the tape. This movie is the reason I can't look at clowns. I can't go to the circus. I don't even want to read It (well, maybe just a little ;)). I was horrified but I was hooked. Since that day I have been obsessed with everything horror. Which brings us to this book.

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub isn't what I'd call horror, even though these two authors are masters of horror. To tell the truth, it wasn't what I was expecting from these two at all. It's definitely got its creepy parts, but it's an amazing novel of adventure, fantasy and typical good vs. evil that Stephen King is known for. 

12 year old Jack Sawyer is swept from his normal life to a crappy hotel in New Hampshire. His mother's illness and harassment from her husbands old business partner has sent her into hiding, dragging poor Jack along for the ride. Jack spends his days roaming around the town, and talking to his new friend Speedy at the amusement park. Jack begins to question the "daydreams" he's had from a very young age and dives head first into a world like his own, but not quite to save his mother from cancer. 

Jack's story deals with coming of age, loss, good, evil and ultimate power. I'd add more, but honestly, you need to read it for yourself. I don't want to give anything away. I cried, I laughed and I stayed up all night reading this book. I can't remember a book leaving such an impact on me in a very, very long time. I know this is an old one, but honestly, everyone needs to read this book. It's utterly amazing.