They don't play baseball at the old field, anymore

I went for a run at the trails in Devou Park in Covington, Ky., tonight, and while the run was pleasant, the sights at the old Ludlow-Bromley Field nearby were depressing.

Instead of Little Leaguers struggling to catch the ball in the sun, weeds and shoots of grass poked from the infield dirt.

Instead of bracing for a collision as a runner rounded third, home plate lay forlorn, cracked and smashed into the dirt, listing to the left. Instead of the cries of parents and coaches telling players to hit it where they ain't, only the humming of cars on the nearby road broke the silence

Clearly, the baseball park no longer gets much use. Even the view from what is left of the mound shows a porta-potty instead of a swinging batter, a crouching catcher, and the umpire behind it all.

New goal: To see the best bookstores in the USA

I have a new goal in life. No, it's not to have my Twitter account blocked by Donald Trump or Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, although those are both worthy goals.

The Book Loft, in Columbus, Ohio

Instead, it is to visit every bookstore on this list, which purports to name the best bookstore in each state. I'm not sure how the listmaker made the selections. But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that I have visited just two of them, one in my home commonwealth of Kentucky, and the second across the river in Ohio.

As for the Kentucky selection, I would agree that Carmichael's in Louisville is a fine and dandy place. It's cozy, yet has a good, eclectic selection. Still, I would give my vote to Coffee Tree Books in Morehead. It's near the campus of Morehead State University, has a generous collection of books beyond the typical best sellers, and it behind the best named coffee shop in the world -- The Fuzzy Duck, which, by the way, also has a great selection of teas.

The second -- the Book Loft in Columbus, Ohio -- is without doubt the top bookstore in my neighboring state to the north. I wrote about this gem in a previous blog post about the the best independent book stores I have visited. It remains true.

Book Review: Gwendy's Button Box

Gwendy's Button Box, by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

Yes, this book is credited with two authors. I have never read Chizmar. But I am quite familiar with King. And make no mistake: This is a Stephen King book, from the idea to the characters to the writing.

All the hallmarks are there -- the young, innocent protagonist put into a situation not of her making. The mysterious man who appears from nowhere to set the story in motion. The evil antagonist who shows up from time to time. The strange artifact not from this world that gets handed down. The philosophical questions about how one would use magical powers if magically granted those powers.

The story moves along quickly, following Gwendy through her teenage years into early adulthood. It's a short book; she is the central character whom the book revolves around, and others are described through her. It's well done, and an easy read.

I know Stephen King's work. Here is my King bookshelf

Book Review: A Congress of Wonders

A Congress of Wonders, by Ed McClanahan

Captain Kentucky should be an American treasure. He's already a treasure in his native commonwealth.

The problem is he is published so seldom that he's easy to overlook. Sure, he writes stories for literary mags and such, but he has just one published novel to his name, along with a few collections of short stories.

I recently found this one, published way back in 1996, in a used book store. It was a pleasurable find. It is, without doubt, a trio of remarkable stories.

McClanahan follows the writer's cliched advice -- write what you know. And what McClanahan knows is the denizens of rural, small-town Kentucky. He writes about them with wit, with warmth, and with wonder, although he also is guilty of being a bit over-the-top with his descriptions.

These stories feature fictional Burdock County -- the Asparagus Bed of the Commonwealth. Not because anyone in the county actually grows asparagus, but they admire the fact that the vegetable grabs the best part of the garden for itself -- and "civic-minded Burdock Countians like to suppose they're at least as discriminated as a stalk of asparagus," McClanahan writes.

And the stories feature a cast of characters that will make you smile, despair, and laugh out loud as they go about their sorry lot in life, trying to muddle through as best they can.

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