In an era dominated with electronic technology to fill daily our voids, I offer this suggestion. How about taking time to sit down with a good book?

Ditch the cell phone, the Blackberry, the video games and anything else that requires battery power. Head to the local library or discount book store and scan the bookshelves.

Read a good book lately? Recommend it to a friend or family member. What revived my book buzz? I was reading a magazine a few months ago and came across a short critique about a book co-written by Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles.

Initially I was a bit hesitant since it appeared to me as a “tell all” book outlining his career as a guitar playing, party animal with a historic rock band. Those kinds of stories are a dime a dozen and follow the common path of an aspiring musician who hits it big, only to be swallowed up by the evils of sex, drugs and rock music.

After a few years of booze, babes and excessive drug use, the individual realizes they are lucky to be alive and it’s time to repent if they want to live to a ripe old age. True to form, Felder’s book detailed the wild early years of The Eagles and his eventual maturation. It also outlined his version of being blackballed by Eagles bandmates Glen Frye and Don Henley. The book is a good read for Eagles fans.

The timing was ideal for me to rediscover the simplicity of a good book. I was away from home for a period earlier this year and wanted something to fill some time. I was able to get the book through the Tomah Public Library and am now the third member of our household to possess a library card.

But when a book is hard to put down, it doesn’t take long to go from cover to cover. I finished the Felder book fairly quick and was still facing several weeks on the road with a newfound urge to expand my literary base.

I recalled a suggestion earlier this year from a librarian at the Elroy Public Library. She told me about author Michael Perry, a Wisconsin born writer who lives in New Auburn. Perry is the author of Population 485 and Truck, A Love Story. Rural Wisconsin is the core of each book.

I breezed through Population 485 on the road. By the time this column is published, Truck will be back on the library shelf. Perry possesses a special skill for his craft.

But this column is not a book critique. The intent is to inspire the search for a good book. It can be one you read several years ago or discover a new author. You can read a book anywhere, the local café or waiting for the next ball game at your kid’s tournament.

But remember, no cheating. Audio books don’t count. Listening to a good book does not match reading a good book. Find a quiet corner. Bury yourself in your favorite recliner.

Reading is not seasonal. It is cozy to wrap up like cocoon in a blanket with a book, a cup of hot chocolate at arm’s length. Reading can be enjoyed equally sunning yourself on the deck with a cool drink. Just a little visual to serve as a reminder there is a light at the end of this wintery tunnel.

Ditch the cell phone down. Lose the Blackberry. Fill that void by picking up a good book.

Bob Kliebenstein is a resident of Tomah.