I was browsing the internet this morning looking for inspiration for this blog. As always, I started with one topic and just by clicking random links that looked interesting, I strayed far from my initial search. It wasn't a waste as I learned something along the way - some valuable, some not so much.
But that reminded be of a similar experience while I was doing some book repairs. It is always interesting to see the varying and far-flung array of titles that end up on my mending shelf. And I peek through them - reading a picture book here, dipping into a non-fiction title, marking down an interesting fiction title to follow up on later. But yesterday it was a large format book on the filming of Star Wars. The repair needed was towards the back, and as I was adding the needed glue, I realized that the photo was of the whole special effects team for the movie. Much to my delight, there was John Van Vliet - a high school classmate and an FX professional. After work, that lead me to catching up with some old HS friends.
This meandering link leading ever further along can be done easily on-line, but just as rewardingly with books. I vividly remember reading a fiction book some years ago that included someone with cancer, and another character researching a disaster in Canada. It lead me to do some research on cancer treatment following up on the challenges living through cancer treatment. But more rewarding was following the disaster in Canada thread. First I did some online research about the Halifax Explosion of 1917 - the largest man-made explosion pre-atomic era. That lead me to a fascinating book - I can't remember the title and looking today I found so many possibilities! (And one that is coming out in November - check for it on our shelves then). But such fascinating information about an event, a location, and results that I had no clue about. And to top it off, I found out why Canada supplied a Christmas tree each year since 1917 to Boston. (Though I believe they just stopped that? - I will have to do a bit of research on that). It was in thanks for all the help Boston sent to Halifax after the disaster.
I came across a quote recently about life being like dominoes - and I have always found reading to be like that. One book leads to another in some way or other, which leads to another, and before you know it you are far from the first point, and all the richer intellectually for it.