"The View from Karen's Book Barn: Stories from La Grange, Kentucky" by Scott Houchin

The other day I was at a Half Price Books, and I found a book there, named after another bookstore.

I LOVED the now defunct Karen's Book Barn in La Grange.  I mentioned it here on this blog years ago.  It was a perfect little place, with a great selection of books and magazines, and they also had coffee!

I was happy to see this book, for the great cover alone.

Fortunately, the book itself is a very pleasant read!

Scott Houchin has written a very nice book about his life circling around where he grew up- in La Grange Kentucky.  The stories are sweet and easy to understand.  He talks about childhood friends, reconnecting with them years later, and even dealing with their deaths.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the entire community getting behind the the local high school basketball team.  

Scott would later find himself scattered in different places across the US, but he still thought of La Grange as home.  

I could relate to this book with my own small town Kentucky experiences, and moving away later in life (and then coming back).  I know about finding old friends, and dealing with their passing.

This is a sweet, easy to read short book that would be a nice gift for a younger reader, or an older reader.