Originally published at Robin Hobb. You can comment here or there.

I had a great day today, one that left me smiling.  Great enough that even though I should be doing my last minute packing for Imaginales right now, I'm typing this instead. 

It started  when I noticed a gaping hole in my book case a few days ago.  I know my books and I notice when one is gone, especially when it's from my 'special' shelf of books written by friends  that I've enjoyed reading.  And there was a hole there amongst the Brusts and Bulls and McIntoshes and McIntyres and Morgans and Etc.  Hm. 

My grandchildren were in residence and frequently the decimate my book shelves but usually they raid my kids' books shelf.  Not my shelves.  Something was definitely going on.

However, the next morning, I discovered this:

The book had obviously been chosen for the night with the big orange cat.  A high honor.  Rather impulsively, I shot a picture of it, thinking Jane might enjoy seeing where her book was currently visiting.

But over a couple of days, I noticed that the hole remained on my shelf.  The next time  we went to visit the pocket farm down at McKenna, the grand kids went along. And, later in the day, I discovered this in the guest room:

The book had apparently decided to leave my house and go for a journey in a back pack.  Not the safest thing for a book to do, especially with a ten year old.   I snapped a second photo and suspected I was about to lose a book.  I decided to document our parting.

I came in from mowing the lawn in the afternoon to discover this,despite my 'please don't mix food with my books' rule :

The book had made it into the kitchen for lunch.  And I was beginning to see that perhaps it was not my book anymore at all.

And at the close of the day, as we were getting ready for the long ride home, I noticed this:

Dog, sunglasses, book.  Not in the back pack but handy for the ride. Yes. She's ready to take her book and head back to Tacoma.

It should not surprise anyone that I have not seen the book since.  Obviously it was tired of simply rubbing shoulders with other books and has discovered a more adventurous reader.  It's not the first time a book has decided to move out of my house.  What makes this a moment is that this is a book I really enjoyed and was looking forward to introducing to someone 'at the right time.'

But I guess I wasn't paying close attention to how much someone was growing as a reader.  Luckily, the magic still works, and somehow the book and the kid found each other at the right time, and they have gone off together. 

I am sure that the book will quickly forget that it was ever 'my' book.  It may live on a shelf at another house, or under a pillow and ride around in a back pack.  It's that sort of a book.   I hope that eventually, I'll see if again.  When I do, the shiny dust jacket may be a bit worn and tattered, there may be splotches on the pages, and bits of paper used as book marks.  In short, it may end up looking somewhat like this:

And if it does, the book should be well pleased with itself.  It will have completed its journey and become, not just a book, but a friend.