This and That

A little note to all of us writers who blog from Jeff Vandermeer. In this piece, the bit about "balance" stands out strongly to me! Don't let the Web suck up all your time... (*ahem* Note to self.)
I'm completely late on this rejoicing, but Lucia will be the next girl who hears dragons. How cool. (And if you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to The Girl Who Heard Dragons by Ann McCafferty, only Lucia reads dragons.)

Via Galleycat, New York independent book sellers are banding together to strengthen their position. Cooperating may recreate indies as a force with which to be reckoned, something that many writers would love to see.

And speaking of independents, here's big news: my favorite Booksense.com is no more. Readers and writers will welcome its new incarnation, IndieBound.org. Its new name reflects individuality and uniqueness and also gives it a sense of hipness and fun. Yay, local bookstores! Yay, indies!

Over the weekend, Mitali quietly posted that Rickshaw Girl has been included in a list of 25 Notable Books for a Global Society. I am really pleased for her.

Have you heard the buzz at Shrinking Violets? Mary Hershey is celebrating the launch of her new book, Ten Lucky Things That Have Happened To Me Since I Nearly Got Hit By Lightning (!! that title!) by inviting family and friends to buy a gift card from a local independent bookseller and to donate it to Girls, Inc so that it can be used to get a copy to a kid who wouldn't otherwise have spending money for that. What a great -- and philanthropic -- idea.

Kelly and I have had a good old-fashioned, stomping, screaming tantrum that though both of us are in the same country, we aren't going to manage to get together while she's in Scotland! Boo! Hiss! The new plan is for us to get together in Iowa between snowstorms the next time I'm in the U.S. - we'll see how well that goes.

Cheers!