Best Seat in the House - November

Part 1 of the November Waterstones visit, my reading intentions for the next couple of months

Edinburgh Castle - Waterstones Cafe Bookshop

I needed to leave the house today, a couple of returns in town and shoe shopping. My son borrowed my black shoes many moons ago, some might say appropriated for his various social evenings. I didn't need them, I’ve not had any formal occasions or a need to wear a suit since the pandemic. However, we are both required at the same event come Friday. A suit feels appropriate, although not a requirement. Smart shoes do, however.

If I’m coming into town, it seems only polite to visit Waterstones. I lucked into the best seat in the house this morning – the sun streaming through the glass, offering a warming tonic on this cold November day. It warmed the seat, my body, and my mind alike. The rhythmic clatter of coffee grounds being emptied, mingling with the silence of the books calling to be bought, makes this one of my favourite places to reflect. I’m still carrying a book voucher from January, though with my reading pile overflowing, it’s hard to justify adding something new.

I spot someone with a camera and an iPhone, a Mac book and a leather-bound notepad. She's removing smudges from the window pain, trying to catch the light perfectly. My memory flits back to my Pentax ME super that I had back in the day and my heart pangs at the memory. The drive to the 2nd hand camera centre with my dad which was a good 50 miles away warranting a day trip in itself. A hundred pounds of hard-earned Saturday money.

I pluck up the courage to interrupt her morning and ask about the camera, as she puts what looks like the iPhone Pro down, and in what circumstance she uses the other a Canon GX7. There is the mention of social media and how it really doesn't make much difference and the upshot is that when it's viewed on social media it doesn't make much difference. She infers it was too much money for what she uses it for and suggests I find one 2nd hand, if only she knew my 2nd camera thoughts, I laugh and open my laptop.

I'm intrigued and still watch her out of the corner of my eye. She moves the cup, the jug, and the quintessential leather-bound note pad and takes a few pictures. As she returns to her laptop I'm more perplexed as to why she didn't finish her scone! She's busy I don't ask.

Several trams pass by, the buses and people oblivious to the watcher in the sky, the building across the street. Some of the trees are still holding onto their clothing. The light catching the greens and yellows. A last-ditch at colour before the cold really kicks in. The Prince Street gardens are enticing, with strings of lights switched on, despite being daytime. A city in preparation for the turning on of Christmas markets in a few months. I'll head up past the mound later, although the small village that appears every year is still being built, my way might be blocked. I'll check in on the tree that appears annually, a gift from Norway. A familiar marker of the season.

As my fellow blogger, takes another couple of shots, the light has moved once more. I decide my time is up if I want to get the jobs done in time for being home for lunch. Like a cat, I want to stay in the warmth of the window and watch the world go by. Lost in my words, my thoughts. Although if I was a cat I suspect I might be asleep in this window, curled up on the ledge. Perhaps stretch my back every now and then. Twitch my tail. Perhaps I’d be a magic cat, with the ability to stir the past and I start to wonder how long this building has been here and over the years who might have looked out these windows. Then in a hundred years time....who might be looking through these windows? Who will be looking at my partner in crime’s social media postings. Even in those minutes the light again changes, as is the way at this time of year and she takes another few pictures.

Waterstones Cafe Window - Overlooking Princes Street and the Castle

The books are calling, and this will be my last opportunity to spend the voucher before the book lockdown occurs! Typically the lockdown occurs the moment the Christmas lists get handed over and my wife is ahead of the game with her half of the transaction concluded! Even if there is a self-purchase of something not on the list...the rules are broken! Therefore, this is my last effort at making some firm decisions on what might appear under the tree this year, along with a late January birthday. The next three months could be harsh if I don't get my ducks in a row!

I lost track of time, bouncing from section to section, fiction a-z, back to fantasy, back to cooking, back to fiction....and then eventually......I picked up a couple of books:

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1: Around the world in 80 days by Jules Verne

Reflecting on my visit to Jules Verne's house in Amiens just this September, I felt I needed to pick off his classic. Despite never having read any of his books before, standing in the very place where Verne imagined his fantastical worlds made me curious to experience his stories. There was something inspiring about seeing the roots of his boundless imagination, his manuscripts and mementoes, a reminder that even the most daring dreams start from somewhere solid. Perhaps that’s what draws me to his work now, this sense of adventure and possibility.

Images from - Jules Verne Home

2: The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart

I've always enjoyed the mythology of Merlin, this is the first part in a trilogy (all the best stories are in three parts!) This first book follows Merlin as a young boy, born to a Welsh princess and shunned for his mysterious powers and unknown parentage. He grows up an outsider, sensing he has a greater purpose but struggling to find his path.

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As well as these two I also have a few other books that have been waiting patiently for a read:

3: Slow Horses by Mick Herron

A gritty spy thriller that follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents exiled to "Slough House," a dead-end department for agents who’ve botched their careers. I'm halfway through this and very true to the TV adaptation. I don't normally watch and then read. A gift that I felt I should read and pleased to be doing so as it's very well written.

4: Wintering by Katherine May

A reflective exploration of life’s inevitable periods of hardship and retreat, using nature’s seasons as a metaphor to show how embracing these “winter” phases can foster resilience, growth, and renewal.

5: Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The fascinating intelligence of cephalopods, especially octopuses, exploring how their alien minds offer profound insights into the evolution of consciousness and what it means to think and experience life beyond the human perspective.

6: In Search of Schrödinger's Cat by John Gribbin

A compelling introduction to quantum mechanics, unravelling the strange and counterintuitive principles of the quantum world—like superposition, entanglement, and the famous Schrödinger's cat paradox. I'm hoping to be able to relate to my son at the Christmas table after reading this!

7: The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul

An exploration into how our thinking is not confined to the brain alone but extends into our bodies, environments, and relationships. I'm working through this on Kindle as part of the Visual Thinking Course I'm working through.

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Book Shelf for November - January

Writing this makes me realise I have a full-on reading card, and my intentions are stated! In a future post..Part 2, of my Waterstones research I plan on sharing the books on my Christmas List. It most likely will have more of a food-related bent.

I’m off to the best seat in this house, the reading chair! Thanks for reading.