Back in the U.S.S.... no, wait. UK...

I'm baaaaack!

The most stressful wrangling with the UK embassy is over, and we made it back to Glasgow, just in time for the skies to open and drench us as we went out to get groceries. It was actually funny -- when we landed, the sun was shining.

C'est la vie!

As Glasgow counts down to the 250th birthday of Robbie Burns (January 25th -- it's going to be a humdinger of a party), back home, people are counting down the days 'til the inauguration... and I am beginning to feel for the people in D.C.! According to speculation, it looks like there will be one bathroom for every 10,000 people. Oh, dear.

Via Jen Robinson's Book Page, the International Reading Association reports on an African American Read-In. This is huge news to me, because a.) I'd never heard of any of the above and b.)this is an NCTE thing. To be counted as participants, people are asked to merely select books authored by African Americans; and report their results by submitting the 2009 African American Read-In Report Card. The suggested reading list is not intended to be exhaustive, but has plenty of favorite authors and a few new finds.

In more book news, Atlanta bookseller Doret of the HappyNappyBookseller blog, is guest blogging at White Readers Meet Black Authors about supporting authors of color. Says Doret: "I want people to understand the importance of buying minority authors if they want to continue to see the growth of diversity in children's and teen lit." Doret is planning a book giveaway to publicize this post, drop her a comment if you'd like to donate.

Speaking of donations, via Read, Write, Believe, Reading Is Fundamental is holding a book drive to celebrate the inauguration. Because Reading Is PRESIDENTIAL.

How cool is that?
More Coolness of 2009:
time lapse images of dancing lights in the sky. Check out the auroras! Too gorgeous.
And another "Duh" of 2009: The wife whose husband donated a kidney to her now wants it back, as they divorce... *sigh*