Since our big move is coming up, I have been scouring the city for moving boxes. U-Haul charges big bucks for theirs, craigslist posters demand $1 per box, and Wal-Mart insists the only way to get your hands on their boxes is to come between midnight and 1 a.m. So, I have taken to Dumpster diving. I've fished piles of boxes out of a Dumpster behind Old Country Buffet - I've found some good ones, but they're usually a bit dirty and smelly (kind of like the restaurant - ha ha). So, in hopes of some cleaner boxes, I drove around a strip mall that's down the street from my house. Guess what I found in the Dumpster behind Half-Price Books? Well, I did discover a couple of good boxes, but I also found a pile of books! Not old, dingy paperbacks either, but like-new trade paperbacks. Being the book lover I am, I really wanted to scoop them all up and drop them off at places where they would get some love (like the library, which is begging for book donations). It felt criminal to rescue only one book - Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True - but I was too scared to grab more (because you know stores always have security cameras watching over their precious garbage). As it was, I hid my stolen novel underneath some boxes just in case.

I know Half-Price Books isn't unique in throwing away "old" books - Sam Houston posted this article not too long ago about Barnes & Noble. These books weren't deliberately destroyed like the ones at B& N; still, when there is a library a couple miles down the road with posters in every window asking for books, you just have to wonder.

So, I'm still plugging away at my "homework." I really shouldn't call it that, because I always love finding great new authors. Robyn Carr's Grace Valley series is fun and heartwarming - my reviews should be up in the next few days. I've also got a stack of Linda Greenlaw's books on my desk that I can't wait to dive into. I'm also really excited about the other interviews and giveaways I'm getting ready to present to you. So, although not much is happening here at the moment, stay with me ... lots of fun stuff is coming up.


In the meantime, here are a few things I wanted to share:

Thanks for all your responses on the two questions from my last post. I will pass all of your recommendations on autism books to my sister, who I'm sure will be very grateful. She lives in Guam (her husband's in the Navy) and I don't know what kind of libraries they have there, but hopefully she can find what she's looking for. My other question about "bookwormism" being a product of nature or nurture brought in some excellent comments. If you haven't checked it out, do, and be sure to weigh in on the subject. Personally, I think readers can be nurtured, but true bookworms are born. I grew up in a home where books were plentiful. My parents both read a lot and encouraged me and my siblings to do likewise. All but one of my brothers and sisters enjoy reading, at least on occasion, but nobody else is as book-crazed as I am. I think, too, that would have found books to read whether or not I grew up in a book-friendly household. Books are that ingrained into my being. Anyway, it's been fascinating to hear everyone's thoughts on the subject. Keep 'em coming.

Also, if you just can't get enough of my book reviews, you can see more of them at Rebecca's Reads. I've only done one so far, but I will be reviewing for them regularly, so keep an eye out. I also FINALLY received an email from Elle about their "Readers' Jury" Program (I can't find a link for this, but you can email eagerreader[at]elle[dot]com for more info). Megan provided the head's up on this one, and I'm really excited about it.

Wow - is that it? Did I miss anybody? Anyone else running fun contests/giveaways right now?

I wish the title of this post referred to my kids, but they still have more than a month left of summer vacation! I'm actually referring to myself. I'm preparing to interview two wonderful authors, Robyn Carr and Linda Greenlaw. Because I hate to chat with authors without really knowing their work, I've been doing my homework by reading their books and getting to know their writing styles. So, if you wonder why I haven't been posting, this is why. I'll be publishing my reviews and interviews soon, so stay tuned!