Waterstones bookstore on Princes Street in Edinburgh has the ambiance of those venues I fondly remember. Four stories of books, comfy big chairs in nooks in the stacks, and a coffee shop with plenty of tables and chairs. The free wifi is a bonus, and a display of Gabaldon’s “The Fiery Cross,” reassuring. Big carryall bags proudly proclaim their philosophy:

“Words cannot do justice to the pleasures of a good bookshop. Ironically.”

A group of ladies at a nearby table were sipping tea and discussing a book, with a few forays into their personal lives. Although I tried, my eavesdropping could not reveal the name of the book. Later, when I browsed the store’s piles of books, I found Fiona McFarlane’s “The Night Guest” proudly displaying the sticker – W Book Club. Of course, I bought it and am now reading it to scare me to sleep at night.

“In an isolated house on the New South Wales coast, Ruth, a widow…lives alone. Until one day a stranger, Frida, shows up…announcing she has been sent to be Ruth’s caregiver….(After a while), Ruth senses a tiger prowling through the house at night. Is she losing her wits? Can she trust Frida? ….can she trust herself?”

I can’t wait to find out.