What I'm Reading Weekly Round Up

In Blogs

Reading Rainbow, again? that would make me very happy!
Love! Everything to do with Meg Cabot
Jabberwocky, as read by Sir Christopher Lee I mean, please watch this!James Franco, Creative Writer I thought I wanted to read his stuff. Now, not so much.Teeny Carrie Bradshaw
Dear America My sister loved this series as a little girl. Can't wait to tell her it's back!James Randi comes Out of the Closet it's science news rather than publishing news, but the debate on whether or not James Randi's sexuality is relevant to his work (in the comments) is very interesting
Bologna Book Fair 2010
This year's BBF took place Tuesday, March 23rd - Friday, March 26th. Since technology is awesome, I was able to pretend I was in beautiful Bologna instead of dingy NYC (just kidding. NYC is awesome) by reading and collecting the most interesting/fun tweets of the week.
Tuesday, March 23
Wednesday, March 24
Thursday, March 25
Friday, March 26
BONUS: Read David Maybury's blog for some of his highlights!

Battle of the Kids Books - Round One/Round Two
Percy is out?! Massive SAD FACE action happening over here.

Round 1, Match 7 - The Storm in the Barn vs Sweethearts of Rhythm
Round 1, Match 8 - Tales from Outer Suburbia vs When You Reach Me

Round 2, Match 1 - Charles and Emma vs The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Round 2, Match 2 - The Last Olympian vs The Lost Conspiracy

In Books

The Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
A.H.W.O.S.G. - Dave Eggers
From Eternity to Here - Sean Carroll

In the Pile
If you have any suggestions on what I should be reading next, please leave them in the comments!

The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller
Raven - Tim Reiterman
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (a re-read)
Purge - Sarah Darer Littman
The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King
Into the Land of the Unicorns - Bruce Coville
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Interesting Tweets from Bologna Book Fair 2010: Thursday, March 26th Edition

I believe many of the more enthusiastic #BBF10 tweeters have left the fair already. Still, the fair keeps on through today. We'll see what we can glean from those stragglers:

missdaisyfrost: Big book at Bologna #bbf10. today is prequel (set 1 hr before the original book)and called 'The Hungry Caterpillar Goes For A Chinese'
sarahbjohnson: RT @ThruTheBooth: Sarah Blake Johnson spots interesting titles and shows off the booths at #bbf10 http://bit.ly/aTRjrh

lainajanet: I don't really do #ff but there are a lot of excellent new bookish folk that I'm following from the #bbf10 tag. Hello new followees! (I've got a bunch too!)
lainajanet: @RhodesytheBear I know nothing about apps so shall be listening eagerly to your tweets! Hope the Walkerites had a good Bologna #bbf10 (Neither do I-no iPhone or iPad or iAnything - but I seriously suggest that those of you who do, check. it. out!)
benedictepage: HarperCollins bags the Book of the Fair #BBF10 www.thebookseller.com/news/115047-hc-gets-bolognas-hot-book.html

Interesting Tweets from Bologna Book Fair 2010: Thursday, March 25th Edition

Thanks to all those who have been re-tweeting the link to my blog. I really appreciate your enthusiasm for my #BBF10 posts!

usbornemktg: http://twitpic.com/1ars0k - The wall where illustrators can pin up their work and contacts is looking pretty full at #BBF10 (These guys are serious about their twitpics and I'm seriously not complaining. LOVE it!)

wendy_mc: My last day at the fair. Must find/acquire a hit series about teen vampires/angels/mermaids/chupacabras. Pressure's on! #bbf10
benedictepage: At a busy and pretty optimistic Bologna Book Fair #bbf10 (Since I heard from various sources that the mood/karma on the first day was a bit off, I'm happy to hear now that things are looking good!)

jabberworks: Curious to know Bologna interest in graphic novels: @DFCLibrary series/RH, @goraina's Smile/Schol, @garenewing's RainbowOrchid/Egmont #bbf10
ginger_clark: I am totally right about this mermaid thing. #bbf10
MissCellany: Huzzah! 'No more vampire romances' @thebookseller at #bbf10 http://bit.ly/dDbNM6 (Gosh, I hope so!)

BoxcarChildren: Bologna fair-goers: we've got free books here at the Albert Whitman boxcar...er, we mean BOOTH! Whatever! 26 B38! #bbf10
NadiaShireen: Nah, vampires are so last year... Now it's all about Wolves! 'Good Little Wolf', Random House UK. Have a great last day at the fair! #bbf10 (I like wolves. Especially after viewing that New Moon movie...)
wendy_mc: You guys would totally buy a book about a farting fish, right? Because I'm considering one. #bbf10 (Why not? We buy books about farting dogs. At least farting fish make bubbles.)

ThruTheBooth: Sarah Blake Johnson spots interesting titles and shows off the booths at #bbf10 http://bit.ly/aTRjrh

ginger_clark: Ah! Good news about our zombie novel! A nice treat for the last few hours of the fair. #bbf10
wendy_mc: Today I learned that 1) in the UK they call sweatpants "trackybottoms" & 2) Germans love not just bunnies, but horses, too! #bbf10
ginger_clark: Today, I have uttered this sentence several times: "werewolves? fairies? zombies? vampires? ghosts? I also have clones and dragons." #bbf10

ginger_clark: To sum up what I have learned at #bbf10 : angels. dystopias. Zombies. I need to sell more direct to ANZ. It takes an hour to knead sfoglia.

usbornemktg: Doodling and dinners aside, that was a really good #BBF10. Particulary excited about plans for Angel coming together.

sarahlapolla: What to write, as per #bbf10 - Zombie mermaid in love w/ fallen angel whose sidekick is a farting fish. Set in a post-apocalyptic ocean. Go!
Girliegeek3152: @sarahlapolla #bbf10 *poot* angels can't swim, and the zombie mermaid will eat your brain, fly away . . . what zombie?
AudryT: RT@mitaliperkins "The printed book may (become) a relic. Yet reading has never been more important." -Scholastic http://bit.ly/cnYYJu #bbf10
AudryT: If anyone wants to see photos of Bologna, @maureenjohnson is sharing a few on her Twitter feed. #bbf10

Interesting Tweets from Bologna Book Fair 2010: Wednesday, March 24th Edtion

You guys have been tearing it up twitter style today! Amazing! Makes me feel like I'm in Italy, with you. Think I'll take a little prosecco at my desk. (Just kidding, boss)

AudryT: Hurrah! RT @barrygoldblatt: Oh, have I mentioned that @kehealey's GUARDIAN OF THE DEAD comes out a week from today? #bbf10
jabberworks: And don't miss Morris the Mankiest Monster/Vern and Lettuce at the RH booth, Princess book at Scholastic and Titus Train book at OUP! #bbf10
NadiaShireen: Bologna-goers! Check out my book 'Good Little Wolf' at the RandomHouseUK stand & pick up a free copy of 'Wolf Weekly' from reception! #bbf10
rsutcliff: At Bologna book fair #bbf10 is anyone noticing Rosemary Sutcliff books given The Eagle of the Ninth film+recent US award? http://wp.me/42Yg
jabberworks: RH booth for David Fickling's @DFCLibrary, amazing new series of graphic novels by Britain's finest, including @DaveShelton @autojoy #bbf10
wendy_mc: Did you know that THE BOXCAR CHILDREN never get jetlag? Stop by Albert Whitman at 26 B38 and snag a free Boxcar book! #bbf10
lainajanet: John Boyne AND Oliver Jeffers? This will be good: http://bit.ly/adnujX via @davidmaybury #bbf10 (Definitely check out David Maybury's blog!)

RhodesytheBear: Guess How Much I Love You? now live on the app store http://bit.ly/9329En first 50 to RT inc # tags gets it free #ghmily #bbf10
jabberworks: Hurrah!!! DAVID ALMOND http://bit.ly/d3NmUt has won the Hans Christian Andersen medal http://bit.ly/9GwM1B (RT @candygourlay) #bbf10
ginger_clark: Here is what I love about the fair: getting editors' and scouts' unvarnished, off the record take on high profile titles. #bbf10
davidmaybury: Oh hello National Geographic editor, fancy a meeting? Oh, okay then :D #BBF10 (Be my friend, David Maybury?)
KeithMansfield: Bologna Bookfair. Visit Quercus (Pad. 25 Stand B/63) to vie for rights to my Johnny Mackintosh series. #HarryPotter meets #StarWars #bbf10 (I'm curious!)

usbornemktg: http://twitpic.com/1alxd1 - Usborne loves to doodle at #BBF10
davidmaybury: Astrid Lindgren Award Goes to illustrator Kitty Crowther! (Sorry Dave Almond) #BBF10
wendy_mc: If you need a break from walking the fair, the best chairs are in Hall 30. These cushy modular things. They rule! #bbf10

usbornemktg: http://twitpic.com/1ama5g - When your Sales Director starts getting involved, it's definitely a trend. #BBF10 (I love these pictures!)

ginger_clark: We have now reached the point in our book fair where I am starting to lose my voice. #bbf10 (You still have at least a day and a half, ginger! Hang in there! And if they sell Alcholol in Italy, gargle with that.)
ginger_clark: Oh, hey--MERMAIDS. Possibly the next trend in YA fantasy. Could someone get on that asap for me? THANKS. #BBF10
ThruTheBooth: Sarah Blake Johnson blogs about Int. Book Awards and Dueling Illustrators at #bbf10 http://bit.ly/bZ2RjI
ginger_clark: What, precisely, do I need to do to stop authors from coming into the agents centre and bothering us with pitches? #bbf10
ginger_clark: What I love about Bologna: dinners where we list our favorite books of all time, and why we love rereading them, still. #bbf10
ZestBooks: http://twitpic.com/1ann1p - dutch party after a long day at #BBF10 yummmmmmm! (I want to go to there)

Interesting Tweets from Bologna Book Fair 2010: Tuesday, March 23 Edition

While I'm stuck at my desk in New York, busy fixing last minute problems (see: I booked one appointment for the CEO of my company and gave him the wrong booth number!) for my co-workers that got to go -- (I get to go next year! I get to go next year!) -- I'm watching the #BBF10 trending topics for this year's fair:


ThruTheBooth: Sarah Johnson tells all about the SCBWI conference in Bologna http://bit.ly/aFFCnB #scbwi #bbf10

aecbks: RT @ginger_clark: Guess what else I'm seeing a lot of? Adult editors here to buy crossover fantasy. #bbf10
ginger_clark: Oh, hey: people want angel books, too. So angels: still hot. (did they ever stop being hot?) #bbf10

usbornemktg: http://twitpic.com/1afwi3 - The Usborne stand at #BBF10. Yes, that really is a gargoyle. (Very cool stand, guys!)
tessagratton: *falls over* I just saw a pic of the Blood Magic cover poster at the @randomhousekids booth in Bologna! #bbf10 (I'll have to watch out for that one!)


More tomorrow, guys? Where's your twitter spirit?

Middle Grade Mania

I know we've all lamented the loss of Harry Potter. Buyers and bookstores especially. How will we ever make up for the phenomenon that was Harry Potter? I heard it every day for over a year. It was tiring. There will not be anything like Harry Potter again. Probably not in our lifetime. I guess you could argue for Twilight... but it's just not the same.

As you know, I've been reading Harry Potter because I'm bored and lonely and I'm very nearly 26 and a best friend from high school is getting married this weekend and I don't even have a ... wah wah wah. Harry, Ron and Hermione (even Neville, Ginny and Luna) become shoulders I can count on in times of need. (I'm so super pathetic!)

I'm currently reading Order of the Phoenix right now, which is actually the first book I purchased of the series. Books 1-4 were out for a long time before my sister finally convinced me to pick up the books and start reading them. Incidentally, the release of Book 5 was the first book I worked during.

I remember the week leading up to the release. We had about a zillion boxes in our backroom, behind a thick heavy curtain (I think they got even crazier about securing the Potter books in later years) that we weren't allowed to even look at.

Midnight the night of the release and the line of people was wrapped around the entire store. I worked in the cafe at the time and we didn't see the end of the line (literally, we couldn't see the last person on the line) until about 1:30 in the morning. We were all dressed up in our Potter finest, helping various wizards and witches (one guy in a full wizard costume plus mask who arrived on a motorcycle!) to their cafe lattes and oatmeal cookies. Just before we closed the tills, I was allowed to run out and purchase my copy of my pre-ordered (months and months and months before, of course!) Phoenix.

That night, I stayed up all night to finish the book. I didn't put it down until I had reached the end. Same for 6 and same for 7, though for those, I wasn't working at the store any more and instead was one of the crazy Potter maniacs waiting in line to buy my book. I stayed up all night to read each one. I believe for one of those later books, I had a friend from upstate New York come down to read through the night with me. I mean, we were serious about it.

And I miss that. I miss the anticipation. I miss the needing to stay up all night to finish because if you didn't and you somehow made contact with the outside world before you finished, some idiot was going to ruin it for you. And, it was also just that good.

Don't get me wrong. There are other really good middle grade books out there. It just really hit me today how much I miss the insanity of a good Harry Potter release.

What I'm Reading Weekly Round Up

In Blogs

Childhood Heroes a great slideshow of top ten childhood heroes.
Ray Bradbury gives good Blurbs as collected by the INTERN.
Support Your Library Write a letter
Developing a Way with Words
From Underpants to Cavemen Dave Pilkey's new series pubs in August. My 7 year old cousin is going to be so frakkin excited!
Book Spine Poem
Great Freelance Advice also, just really great advice overall, no matter your business.
The Lady Geek

Battle of the (Kid's) Books - Round One
I have a full list of events that I wait for each and every year. My birthday, the local library country fair, chopping down our Christmas tree, etc. Last year, I added School Library Journal's Battle of the (Kid's) Books to that list. SLJsBoB proves that books aren't just for book nerds. Books are also for ninjas.
#sljbob10
Round 1, Match 1 - Charles and Emma vs Claudette Colvin
Round 1, Match 2 - The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate vs Fire
Round 1, Match 3 - The Frog Scientist vs The Last Olympian
Round 1, Match 4 - Lips Touch vs The Lost Conspiracy
Round 1, Match 5 - Marcelo in the Real World vs Marching for Freedom

In Books

The Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
A.H.W.O.S.G. - Dave Eggers
From Eternity to Here - Sean Carroll

In the Pile
If you have any suggestions on what I should be reading next, please leave them in the comments!

The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller
Raven - Tim Reiterman
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (a re-read)
Purge - Sarah Darer Littman
The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King
Into the Land of the Unicorns - Bruce Coville
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Editorial Assistant - A Thankless Job?

This is an actual conversation I had the other day with a person I had literally just met. We were both waiting for something to come out of the copy machine and some annoying person decided to print 100 copies of a presentation and then leave. The papers started to spew out of the pile and onto the floor and so this person and I joined forces to clean up the mess.

Him: So, what do you do?
Me: I work with ____, in children's co-editions.
Him: Are you an editor?
Me: No. I'm ____'s assistant.
Him: Oh. Do you like it?
Me: Yes. Well, I've been working with ____ for two years now and I absolutely love it.
Him: Oh. What do you want to do next?
Me: I'm not really sure yet.
Him: You know, because - an assistant? For two years? (this is accompanied by an AWFUL face)
Me: ...

Okay. First of all. How dare he? Second of all, OF COURSE I know what I want to do next. Third of all, reviews are coming up this month and I definitely have a plan. But why would I divulge said plan to you, a stranger whom I'm sure I cannot trust?

And also, sir. Assistants of the world unite, because we run this show. Y'all think we don't, but we do. I touch every facet of everything we do around here. Sure, I fetch when asked and it's occasionally infuriating, but I also edit interiors, approve advances, manage our list and keep all of our processes running smoothly. What would y'all do without us, the assistants?

(By the way - I'm trying to bring 'ya'll' to New York)

Lucky for me, I have a boss who ends each day by saying, "Thanks for everything today!"

Reading in the Dark

I've been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. I mean, it happens.

When this out of sortsing happens, I typically become a rather large infant. Three years ago I hated my job and so I worked "Mommy" time into every morning. About fifteen minutes before getting in my car to drive to said horrible job, I'd climb into my mom's bed and cry. The clean, crisp smell of her sheets and the warmth of her mommy arms took me back to my childhood and it soothed me. For some people it's apple pie. For me, it's sheets and arms.

Anyway. Now I live on my own and short of calling my mom crying, (Yes. I do this often. Like when my shower broke and she wondered, why the hell are you calling me right now? Why, mom? Seriously? Because you are my MOM and I am a BABY!) I pretty much have to deal with my demons alone. Find new and exciting ways to behave like a child in order to bring myself back to a state of semi-normalcy.

I have no idea how to properly transition into the subject of my post, so I'll just throw it out there. I've taken to reading in the dark. I haven't done that since I read James and the Giant Peach eons ago. All of a sudden sometime two weekends ago, I felt it was absolutely necessary to put down From Eternity to Here and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (both incredible books, but too heavy for one who's mind is trying to be 8 again) and pick up Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (my favorite of the entire series). As if cuddling in bed with Master HP and Madame J.K. Rowling wasn't enough, I needed it to be dark. And I needed a flashlight.

Well a booklight. It's more grown up than a flashlight, but has the same effect. (affect? I'll never know.)

Purchase Now from Amazon: Fulcrum Multi-Flex LED Task Light, Silver

What I'm Reading Weekly Roundup

In Blogs

Look at this efing In Crowd Berenstain Bears is basically ahead of its time
The Bookshelf is Dead? I wasn't aware. Since I stuffed 3 into my apartment and am in need of another
The Prince has read Dystopia!
Sauron Gets an Idea This. Is. Amazing.
Battle of the Kid's Books Opening Ceremony
I want to WIN Have to think of something amazing to write...

In Books

The Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
A.H.W.O.S.G. - Dave Eggers
From Eternity to Here - Sean Carroll

In the Pile
If you have any suggestions on what I should be reading next, please leave them in the comments!

The Eternal Ones - Kristen Miller
Raven - Tim Reiterman
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (a re-read)
Purge - Sarah Darer Littman
The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King
Into the Land of the Unicorns - Bruce Coville
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

Slush Lunches Are Yummy

We've all heard about it. The slush pile is dead.

Ours isn't. Or maybe ours is a Zombie Slush Pile, eagerly waiting to feast on our brains. Anyway. Here at Blanketyblank Children's Publishing (anonymity folks) the slush pile is alive and well. In fact, I (we*) just attended my (our) very first slush lunch this afternoon.

I wish I had counted how many envelopes I opened. And how many of those just didn't come with an SASE (I mean, really?). And how many of the remainder came with SASEs but were so ridiculously thick I had to beat the darn thing into submission to fit it in their envelope along with our rejection letter, standard, 'cause damned if I'm paying for the postage! Though, come to think of it - I'm sure many of these will be returned to us with insufficient funds. People just don't think things through!

We did answer every single person, though. Sure it was just a standard letter that went into the envelope with the manuscript, but each and every person was sent one. Even if they didn't submit a SASE. AND - even if we only read the first few lines before deciding the manuscript was a waste of our time - we read each and every submission.

Personally, I found 2 manuscripts that were decent. I liked one much better than the other. Neither was great, but they both had potential. (Though, I handed them off to the picture book editor and she immediately recognized their unworthiness. What do I know?)

I was seriously hoping to find a gem. That - OMIGOSH, WE HAVE TO PUBLISH THIS BOOK AND EXPLOIT IT'S UNAGENTED AUTHOR! It has happened. (Not the exploiting part. That's a joke, okay you guys?) I think we have 2 or 3 books in our list that were found in the slush pile during a slush lunch. They are pretty incredibly books. So, I mean. It happens.

But, my conclusion, after all of this, is that everyone should just get an agent. Or just a really good friend who will tell them that, honestly, their manuscript is a joke and they should throw it in the trash.

Sigh.

*This is the closest I'll ever come to telling you where I work. My publishing group used to be part of a retail chain (we make exclusive product for said chain) until we were integrated with a real live (if zombies are real and live) publishing group owned by retail chain. Loves it! Anyway, even though we've been over here for 7 months now, this is our very first slush lunch.

What I'm Reading Weekly Roundup

In Blogs

Digital Dragon Art! - maybe for your next book cover?
Bring a Book Back from the Dead - Battle of the Kids Books allows their followers to have an impact on this year's outcome.
Read Across America
When to Share Charlotte's Web with your Kids - when Charlotte dies, it's sad. Really, really sad.The History Behind Book Medals
Fun List of First Lines
Silly Writing Tips
New Tony DiTerlizzi Series - My cousin and I seriously enjoyed reading Spiderwick together.
In Books
A.H.W.O.S.G. - Dave Eggers
From Eternity to Here - Sean Carroll
In the PileIf you have any suggestions on what I should be reading next, please leave them in the comments!

Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (a re-read)
Purge - Sarah Darer Littman
The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King
Into the Land of the Unicorns - Bruce Coville
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

So I Networked, Now What?

Last night I attended a super fun networking event at the Village Pourhouse. Meet the Neighbors was a chance for young publishing professionals to meet one another and oftentimes, exchange our very first business cards.

I had that Ugly Betty episode in my head the whole time. You know, the one where she goes to a similar networking event and ends up making a similarly ugly friend in a sea full of model-like magazine professionals and then gives the ugly girl Mode's next cover story? Eep! Anyway, without giving away any of my house's secrets, I was determined to make some publishing friends.

My goal was to give out 10 business cards. I thought that was a good solid number. I failed. But I still managed to hand out 5 business cards and collect 3, so I thought I was a (minor) success.

Flash forward to today. It was really great that I put myself out there, talked to people I didn't know, and attempted to make connections, but what now? What are those connections worth if I don't follow up on them?

Accio Google!

I took tips from the following sites to help in drafting e-mails to the three ladies that I collected cards from:
10 Things to Do Immediately After a Networking Event
Big Tips for Effective E-mail Follow-Up
7 Steps to Follow Up Success

Early this morning I wrote each of my connections a similar e-mail telling them how great it was to meet each of them. I told them I'd like to keep in contact, and if they were free for lunch or coffee, I would really like to hear more about their respective areas of business. Then I suggested we connect on Facebook or LinkedIn.

So far, I've heard back from one of them and we'll hopefully be having lunch within the next couple of weeks.

Psychology of Writing

Just kidding, you guys.

I was thinking. In bed. Where I do all of my thinking. About what someone might be able to tell about me if they were to sit down and read everything I've ever written. Everything completely fictional, anyway.

So. You know how these thought trains go. I'm thinking - none of my stories have a common thread. I mean, the best thing I've ever written was about incest and I've never written anything else like that. Suddenly, the common thread made itself sickeningly apparent.

Sex
&
Cigarettes

There is almost always a sex scene in everything I wrote. Incestuous or no - it's usually not something beautiful. A one nighter here. A loving moment in an unloving marriage. So, you know, the sex just highlights their downfall. It's in everything I write.

And cigarettes? I don't even know where that comes from! I don't smoke cigarettes! My grandfather passed away from lung cancer when he was 65 (so young!) and so I think that killing yourself slowly with cigarettes is probably the dumbest thing you could do ever. But, all my characters do it. Paul smokes only after sex (ha) and Anabel loves it because it's incredibly cliche. Another short story I wrote that I loved starts with a woman sitting at her window, smoking a cigarette and contemplating her life. Then there are some corpses.

I want to know what this says about me.

Moving on.

Next thought on the train is - damn. Where is everything I've written? Scattered on disks and various computers and I start to panic as I realize I don't have one good place to keep all this stuff!

Basically, expect me to start posting vintage writing samples soon. From my youth, so. Please don't make fun.

TV and Me

I am amazed by this PBS article. Particularly that, "On average, they spend about two hours a day with screen media - the same amount of time as they spend playing outside, and three times as much time as they spend reading or being read to." Sad!

Basically, is television helping or hindering children? Apparently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you avoid sitting your child down in front of a TV, especially if they are under the age of 2.

My first horrible and terrible thought was, "Yeah, but they are so quiet when you sit them down in front of a TV." I am ashamed of myself. Though, I did babysit two kids once who refused to watch television and always wanted me to talk in my pirate voice. Those kids probably turned out okay.

But then I thought about that quote above. I think I played outside a lot. I mean. We had a swing set. And I know my sister and I would go outside, collect rocks and paint them to make beautiful treasures. And I know my parents, my dad in particular, read to me every night. I can remember him reading from a fairy tale collection that I loved. Other than that, the first books I remember loving were the ones I read myself.

Most other memories from my childhood are those of television shows. This is bad. I think this is really bad. Probably.

Sharon, Lois and Brahm, for starters. David the Gnome. Sesame Street. Reading Rainbow. Then for videos, my sister and I watched Sally Red Shoes (not a real name. It was the Wee Sing Along with the girl's birthday party. My sister called it Sally Red Shoes.) Wee Sing Old King Cole. Into the Woods and that crazy Alice in Wonderland that had everyone in it that my dad taped off the TV in the 80's. My sister and I still quote this shit. Just yesterday I texted her, "Puh-leeeeeeasssseeeee," which is the magic word Humpty Dumpty uses to get the kids to Old King Cole's castle! I'm 25 26 now! Why is this what's stuck in my memory banks?

I'm sad about this.

Will Margaret Atwood Please Be My Girlfriend?

Margaret Atwood has three really awesome reasons one should choose to read paper books over e-books. To wrap up she says:

If you’ve saved up some paper books, you can read them by candlelight, and then toast marshmallows on them if you don’t like them. As you huddle around the embers of your carefully-guarded fire, with no television, no computer, and no phone, you’ll be glad you kept a few. Anyway, they make good insulation.

In other news, who makes the pink e-reader? Because I saw one on the train inside a little pink cover and it looked amazing! Color anything pink or red and I'll want to buy it. Now if only e-readers were geared towards my demographic. (If they were, they'd be cheaper. Way. Cheaper.) I'd own one so fast!