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Here is something - probably the only thing - I have in common with James T. Kirk: I love books. I remember an episode of Star Trek in which the famed captain is shown having a love for old-fashioned things, including books and eyeglasses, which of course aren't needed in the time of Starfleet. But Captain Kirk's birthdate is not for another 200 years or so, and I fear that books will become antiquated far before then.

Borders, of course, recently announced it would close its remaining stores. I was sad when the big chains put the little mom-and-pop bookshops out of business; I spent many an afternoon hanging around in The Bookstore on Coffee Road while my mom grocery shopped. Now I'm sad that even the big book chains are going away. And I fear for the future of books. I know lots of people who now prefer to read electronically - my friend Joan freely admits an uncontrollable addiction to her Kindle. Maybe it's because my livlihood still depends on paper - newspaper, to be exact - or maybe it's because I spend my workday reading and writing on a computer. But to me there's nothing like a real book in your hands. Or wandering around a bookstore or a library just to see what strikes you as interesting. I worry that Nicholas will never have that opportunity.

I hope that, like his sisters, Nicholas will be a big reader. The signs are good - he loves cuddling up for a story every night. I look forward to the day when we can trade books back and forth, though for now I'm happy to read "Llama llama, Red Pajama" for the 97th time. I just hope that by the time he's ready for "real" books, they're still around for him.