Just Giblets

Between twitter and Facebook and all those other newfangled social networking tools, does anyone really need to blog anymore? Probably not me, since I’ve always been, at best, a sporadic blogger. For some reason, I just can’t seem to give it up though. So here is the inevitable post about what I’ve been up to lately. Don’t worry, I’m only reaching back a couple of weeks.

BookExpo America was held in NYC at the end of May. It’s my favorite conference that I have to go to for work, and as this year’s event firmly proved, that’s because I get to hang around my cool publisher friends, Talia, Virginia, Bobby, and the fun folks working in big library collection development departments around the country. I also get to see authors who I’ve met over the years, or who I admire. Sure, this year was extra fun because I spoke on two panels, but the overall feel of the conference was a little subdued. They say numbers were down, but you couldn’t really feel that in the exhibit hall. It felt plenty busy to me. Well… scratch that. Now that I think back, maneuvering through the hall was a lot easier that usual.

I arrived Wednesday evening and enjoyed a wonderful Indian dinner with my friends Bruce and Scott, and a friend of theirs. Thursday was Library Journal’s annual Day of Dialog for librarians attending Book Expo. Nice turnout, a lot of good quality time with Talia and Virginia. Got to meet Talia’s new adorable assistant Ben. Annoyed by the intrusive presence of the group that publishes L. Ron Hubbard’s books. When the sessions began, it became clear that the focus of the day was going to be digital services and promotion. It’s taken about 3 or 4 years, but it seems that everyone is now talking about living online. Of course, despite this focus, you couldn’t get a wireless signal in order to tweet, update your facebook status, or blog about the conference from the hall. Thursday night was the librarian author dinner sponsored by the American Association of Publishers. A large roomful of librarians was treated to dinner, and a terrific panel of authors including the popular Jonathan Lethem, and my friend, the sweet and hilarious Elinor Lipman. It was lovely catching up with Elinor, and she arguably stole the show.

Friday I spent the day largely in the exhibit hall, between appointments with Macmillan and HarperCollins (where I shared the booth for one hour with Mr. Neil Gaiman himself, who was signing copies of his multi-award-winning The Graveyard Book for a line of nearly 200 admirers. I didn’t stalk him like last year, but I did periodically check him out (he was at the table next to me) while I was meeting with Virginia and Bobby. Is that so wrong?) and collecting fall 2009 releases for one of my Saturday panels. I had all sorts of good intentions about getting to some of the programs, but somehow the time just got away from me. Friday night I moved from Bruce’s place (to make room for our friends Chris and Steve who were staying for the weekend) and had a wonderful barbecue dinner with Vlado and Dominik, our friends that we met earlier this year in Aruba. It was wonderful catching up with them again.

Saturday was the big day: I was speaking on two panels. First thing in the morning, I spoke about library’s digital initiatives at “The Librarian as Digital Diva” along with Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive, and Ana Maria Allessi, HarperCollins Audio. I talked about our extremely positive experience with OverDrive’s downloadable media program, which continues to grow in usage (it’s usually ranked about #10 for circulation in a listing of our 27 branches) and our work digitizing pre-1923 books with the Internet Archive. I was please to see that someone by the name of Anna May Won’t blogged briefly about this panel. Went to a couple of programs, one on Street Lit, which was terrific, and the the Publisher’s Book Buzz “speed dating” session which was also a lot of fun. Then the librarians got our chance to make some noise at the “Librarians Shout & Share” program. Seven “notable” librarians (including me) had about 7 minutes to talk about the books we thought were going to make a splash in the fall. It was a lot of fun, and I think I did a pretty good job. You can view my picks on Early Word: The Publisher | Librarian Connection at http://www.earlyword.com/shout-n-share-mike-colford/. There’s also an article in Library Journal you can check out. And here we all are with our hot picks for the fall:

Nice dinner with Vlado, Dominik, Bruce and Scott at Cafe Luxembourg capped things off and I returned to Boston exhausted on Sunday. A couple of other notes, spent a lot of time with Bill and Gene of Unshelved fame. Bonded over library services with Gene, which was nice.

Back to work where all sorts of things are happening, which I can’t really talk about publicly yet as they’re still in progress. It was crazy and exhilirating, and stress-inducing, but all-in-all better than it’s been in awhile. Thank you President Amy Ryan.

Last week Scot and I went to Chicago and Milwaukee. This was a family and friends quickie vacation which ended up being a lot of fun. My immediate family has always lived in the Massachusetts area. Last year, my nephew Tim was the first to escape when he moved to Chicago to be with his lovely girlfriend Meg. I thought it would be nice to take my parents to Chicago to see their grandson. My parents are in their mid-80s, and air travel with them is a bit of a handful, so I worked out a plan with my sister Mary (who is also Tim’s mother) that Scot and I would get my parents out to Chicago, then a couple of days later, Mary and her husband Ted would join us. Scot and I would move on to Milwaukee to visit my good friend Daniel, and Mary and Ted would be responsible for getting my parents home. Sounds complicated, but it actually worked out great and by all accounts, everyone had a great time. Scot and I also had the opportunity to stay with our friends Dee and Keith, which was a great way for us to catch up with them as well.

We sure packed a lot into this quick vacation! Visiting with Meg’s family was nice, and a great chance for my parents to meet Meg’s mom. We enjoyed the divine Frontera Grill, Rick Bayless’ Mexican restaurant where the margarita’s are as smooth as water (and I even got my parents to split one.) Afterwards we enjoyed the ultra-trendy new space in Wicker Park called The Violet Hour, which features exquisite cocktails (I had the World Cup, which is basically a tangerine capirinhia) and the most delicious tempura milky way desert. Mmmmm! Got to catch up with our friend Chadd and his new girlfriend at Yolk for brunch on Sunday, then caught up with the family again for a fun dinner at a Chicago Instituion, Harry Caray’s Steakhouse. From there we went back to Dee and Keith’s lovely River Forest home where Dee made a delicious cherry cloufuti and chocolate dipped strawberries for desert. There Scot was also able to watch the latter half of the Tony’s. The next morning we regrouped with the family and took a delightful riverboat architecture tour of the city. Then it was on on the train to Milwaukee.

I’ve known my good friend Daniel for over 20 years, and in all that time, he has visited me several times. I, however, had never managed to get out to Milwaukee to visit him. Now, Daniel does have family in Massachusetts, so he had an added incentive to get here, but still, I knew it was past time I made a trek to Wisconsin to pay him a visit. He and his partner Kirk were gracious hosts, and we stayed in their lovely home in Bay View. Daniel is also an excellent host and he toured us around the city’s varied neighborhoods.

Our first night found us at the Honey Pie, a restaurant in their neighborhood where our waitress was a former co-worker of his at Harry Schwarz Bookstores, followed by my first experience with frozen custard at Kopp’s. I had never really heard of frozen custard until my friend Chris, who grew up there, told me about it. It was very tasty. The next morning, after coffee and a delicious scone at Anodyne (one of three different cafes we tried) we took the bus downtown where Daniel showed off some of the exquisite lobbies in office buildings, as well as some of the more interesting German-influenced architecture. For lunch, we went to a delightful soup place, where they make six kinds of soups a day, and when they run out, they close, so you have to get there pretty early. I had a wonderful cream of brussels sprouts soup. Other stops downtown included The Spice House, the bronze Fonze (pictured left) and the Milwaukee Public Library, which boasted a grand lobby and a beautiful and highly functional children’s room. As we transitioned from downtown to Shorewood, we passed the Blackstone, an apartment building Daniel lived in for over 15 years, and the neighborhood that Laverne & Shirley would have lived. A visit of the local comic book store is always a must in any new city, and Collector’s Edge was one of the better shops I’ve visited, with an impressive collection of statues and busts of superheroines (which I collect). Overlooking Lake Michigan, we enjoyed our second cafe, the very popular Alterra.

From there it was a short walk to Daniel’s new independent bookstore, Boswell Book Company. (Daniel writes a very entertaining blog called Boswell and Books that I highly recommend you follow if you’re an avid reader.) A longtime buyer at the well-known, well-respected Harry Schwartz Books, Daniel opted to purchase on of the Schwartz locations when the small chain closed a couple of months ago. Boswell Book Company is his very own bookstore, and he is very brave to take on an independent bookstore period, much less during this economy, but if anyone can make it work, it’s Daniel, with his gregarious nature and his extensive knowledge of books and publishing. Always willing to help out an independent bookstore, particularly Daniel’s, Scot and I were set loose in the store and ended up buying nearly $300 worth of books.

The evening ended at Riviera Maya, a lovely Mexican restaurant where we dined with Kirk and Anne Hellman, a Macmillan sales rep who was visiting Boswell and Company that day. The next morning we enjoyed coffee at Stone Creek Coffee, the final of our three cafe experiences before bidding Daniel adieu. Then Scot and I enjoyed a lovely lunch at the delightful Lulu Cafe before flying home.

Last night, the golden pony came to Springfield, MA and pooped out a lovely evening for Michael and  I  me. (Thanks, Max.) We’re here for the Massachusetts Library Association annual conference and Michael, being Michael, lined up a truly stupendous array of guests to speak. So, last night we spent the late night hours closing down the hotel bar with:

• Michael Cunningham – dashing, elegant, hilarious author of The Hours and A Home at the End of the World, of which I personally hand sold hundreds of copies when I worked at Books & Company in the early nineties
• Thrity Umrigar – a surprisingly frisky Indian novelist and memoirist who wrote The Space Between Us and more recently The Weight of Heaven
• Lynda Barry – the iconic cartoonist and author who, among her many achievements, inspired the best musical theatre song of the 21st century (so far)
• Barbara Hoffert – Library Journal book review editor, super-smarty, and uncanny Tracy Wright lookalike
• Our awesome publishing friends Talia Scherer and Virginia Stanley

I am so lucky that my husband is so fearless and is such a big dreamer. He gave me the wonderful gift of the opportunity to chat with Lynda and Thrity about menopause and to smoke with Talia and Michael Cunningham in the rain. Does that rock or what?

I just got back from Denver where I attended the American Library Association’s Mid-Winter Conference.  Lots of things happen at Mid-Winter… mostly committee meetings… but among these meetings, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) chose the winner of the Newbury Medal, instituted in 1921 and awarded to the most distinguished American children’s book published the previous year.  This year’s recipient was The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  Neil’s in good company, with past winners including Lois Lowry’s The Giver and Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia to name just a couple.

Readers of this blog know that The Graveyard Book was #3 book of 2008, certainly my #1 children’s book of the year.  Who knew my tastes would dovetail with the Newbury committee?  The Graveyard Book tells the tale of Nobody Owens,  a young boy whose family is murdered, and ends up being raised in a graveyard by the dead, much like Mowgli was raised by the animals of the jungle in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.  It’s a wonderful story, an exciting fantasy adventure, and a powerful coming-of-age tale that is completely deserving of this honor.

Some of you may remember that I got my literary thrill last June at BookExpo America when i got to meet Mr. Gaiman, a thoroughly accomdating and generous chap who put up with my gushing and even posed for a picture with me.  You can read’s Neil’s amusing report on finding out about his Newbury win at his blog.  Oh yeah, and don’t miss CORALINE, the 3-D film adaptation of Gaiman’s outstanding young adult novel that opens in theaters near you on February 6.  Check out the first trailer for the film that Neil liked below.

Here are my top 20 books that I read in 2008.

	The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia A. McKillip - Not much happens in the sleepy, seaside town of Sealey Head, but inside the baffling Ainslinn House there are mysteries aplenty.  The master of literary fantasy does it again with a complex tale of a spellbound household and the handful of people able to set them free.  Every McKillip novel is a special event for me, and this was no exception.
	Home by Marilynne Robinson – For me, this companion to her Pulitzer- Prize-winning Gilead was in fact a more satisfying read.  Home looks at the complicated relationship between a brother and sister, two supporting characters in Gilead.  Robinson’s deft storytelling and lyrical language harkens back to her first novel Housekeeping in this powerful tale.
	The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman – Gaiman puts his spin on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book when a toddler is raised to adulthood by the residents of a local graveyard after his family is murdered.  Deft imagination weaves with wry humor in a book that appeals to all ages.
	The Condition by Jennifer Haigh – Turner’s Syndrome is the central condition referred to in the story’s title, but 33-year-old Gwen, who hasn’t developed physically since she was thirteen, is not the only member of the McKotches family dealing with some sort of condition.  Haigh’s exploration of this dysfunctional New England family is compelling, original and real.
	The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks – It was about time that I read Banks’ novel, which is the basis for my favorite film.  Banks delves more deeply into the damaged Upstate New York town whose residents are reeling from the effects of a bus accident that robbed them of most of their children.  He masterfully explores the themes of guilt, responsibility and truth in this marvelous novel.
	The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey – A young woman’s life is explored through four different points-of-view:  her own, her best friend’s, her best friend’s husband, and her father’s.  Livesey weaves a sad but illuminating story about life and luck.
	Run by Ann Patchett – Former Boston mayor Bernard Doyle hasn’t stopped mourning the loss of his wife, but he has raised his two adopted sons to be intelligent, well-loved young men.  Patchett pushes the boundaries of family and social class when a tragic accident in the snow leaves their lives forever changed.
	Andorra by Peter Cameron – Cameron explores the tiny European country of Andorra with a languid style that imitates the novel’s hot summer afternoons, all the while weaving an intriguing mystery that seems like background human interest until pushing its way to the forefront of the story.
	The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer – A secret organization is searching for the long-missing murder weapon that Cain used to murder his brother… and somehow that murder weapon is tied to the gun that killed the father of the boy who eventually grew up to invent Superman.  Deftly weaving the dual tales of Cain and Able and Superman into the fabric of this modern-day thriller, Meltzer creates a surprisingly touching story about fathers and sons.
	A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire – Maguire used Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West to explore the misunderstood concept of evil in the magnificent Wicked.  Now, in A Lion Among Men, he uses Brrr, the Cowardly Lion, to examine the often misinterpreted concept of cowardice.
	We Disappear by Scott Heim – Heim delves deeply into the troubled past of a woman battling cancer and an obssession with kdnapped children.  Scott returns home to rural Iowa to help his mother, but he’s got problems of his own.  Struggling with a drug addiction, he is unprepared to face the secrets he finds his mother has kept from him since childhood.
	Goldengrove by Francine Prose – Prose explores the ramifications of grief on a young woman whose older sister dies suddenly on a lazy summer afternoon.  Part coming-of-age story, part family drama, Goldengrove tells a powerful tale with rich, complex emotion.
	Of Men and Their Mothers by Mameve Medwed – With her trademark humor, Medwed explores the challenging relationships between mothers and the men in their lives.  Maisie Grey must deal not only with her ex-husband’s monster of a mother, she must avoid following in that woman’s footsteps when her son shows up with a new girlfriend she’s not sure she approves of.  Sweet and biting at the same time, Medwed delivers a real crowd-pleaser.
	Lie Down with the Devil by Linda Barnes – In the 12th installment of the Carlotta Carlyle series, Barnes does something amazing.  She brought this first-time reader up to speed while telling a compelling story involving mystery, romance, family drama and danger at a rapid pace.  This is one talented writer who makes me want to go back and read Carlotta’s 11 previous adventures.
	Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold – In this third installment of The Sharing Knife series, newly married couple Fawn and Dag must face the prejudices of both their people as they travel downriver on a single-minded mission to reeducate an entire civilization.  Bujold has created a complex romance in a fantasy setting that isn’t afriad to tackle difficult subjects.

Rounding out the Top 20 are:

The End of the Alphabet by CS Richardson
The Thief Queen’s Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon
The Theory of Clouds by Stéphane Audeguy
The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Okay, it’s not funny videos or swollen uvulae, but it’s time for me to report in on some books I’ve read lately.

A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire – Brrr, the Cowardly Lion. is the protagonist in A Lion Among Men, Gregory Maguire’s third installment of “The Wicked Years.” After offering up an alternate, heroic take on Elphaba, the erstwhile Wicked With of the West in Wicked, then exploring the identity of Liir, Elphaba’s rumoured son in Son of a Witch, Gregory returns to a well-known popular figure, who is his hands shares more with Elphaba than you might expect. Like his one-time green nemesis, Brrr is an extremely complex character, not one you might think would make a very good hero to a story upon first reflection. In many ways you would be right: while Elphaba’s story was surprising in its heroism, Brrr’s story tends to move in the other direction. Obstensibly on a mission for the powers-that-be in the Emerald City, Brrr is seeking out any who had connections with Elphaba, and more importantly, the Grimmerie, Elphaba’s magical spellbook. He finds Mother Yackle, and ancient crone who seems to defy death, but who has lived on the fringes of Elphaba’s life. Before Yackle will share any of her knowledge with Brrr however, she demands that he share with her his life story. Grudgingly, and not always intentionally, he reveals a life spent searching, fleeing, and often being held responsible for circumstances he has had the bad luck to peripherally involved with. His sobriquet, “The Cowardly Lion” follows him and gives shape to his reputation. As more of his person is revealed, we are alternately moved by his plight and disappointed with his choices, but perhaps the whole point of this novel is to find Brrr redemption? One review I read thought A Lion Among Men was book that felt like one long set-up for the next installment. I certainly did not feel that. Brrr’s story is worth telling in its own right, but the final segment does weave itself into the Wicked mythos that Gregory is building so wonderfully, that a follow-up novel, should there be one, would certainly be high on my reading list.

Excerpts from reviews of books I have read recently. Full reviews available at the Reader’s Circle.

Lie Down with the Devil by Linda Barnes – In Lie Down with the Devil Carlotta takes a simple case where a distraught young woman needs her fiancee followed to prove his fidelity. The case goes horribly awry, and the client ends up dead… and not who she said she was. Not only that, but the case seems tied into Carlotta’s personal life, as her fiancee, tied to the mafia, and hiding out abroad ends up connected to the murdered young woman. Barnes does a terrific job weaving the drama of Carlotta’s personal life with the particulars of the case giving us a solid, traditional detective novel mixed with a nice bit of personal drama. I look forward to reading more from Linda Barnes.

Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold – Bujold continues to deepen the characters of Dag and Faun, particularly with the latter, whose role in this tale is beginning to grow more complex. By serving as both a beacon and an anchor for Dag, Faun illustrates how important such a seemingly passive role truly is. The supporting characters in Passage are lots of fun as well, with Whit gaining a little maturity as he sees his younger sister out in the real world. Berry, their flatboat’s Captain, shows Faun a bold, aggressive strength that she had rarely seen in farmer women. Remo and Barr, a young pair of Lakewalkers who slowly become converts to Dag’s mission, and the rest of their ragtag crew provide variety and story fodder making Passage an entertaining and satisfying read.

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh – Jennifer Haigh’s The Condition draws a portrait of an emotionally reserved family that has spent years holding each other apart. It begins in 1976 during the annual summer vacation on Cape Cod, when the McKotch patriarch Frank notices that his 13-year-old daughter Gwen still hasn’t reached puberty while her younger cousin has. The resulting medical exploration and discovery that Gwen suffers from Turner’s Syndrome, a condition that will keep her in the body of a little girl, tears Frank and his wife Paulette apart and sets a course for their three children away from them. Oldest brother Billy is successful and emotionally distant. The details of his private life are a mystery to all but Gwen. Gwen’s life is even more shrouded in the unknown as she refuses to discuss her personal life with anyone. Youngest brother Scott wastes his teen education on pot-smoking and finds himself in a soul-killing job and a bad marriage…  …If you read one book on family dysfunction this year, make sure it’s Jennifer Haigh’s The Condition.

The Film Club by David Gilmour – Over the course of three-plus years, the father and son share conversations on a wide range of subjects, and gradually, Jesse develops an entire language around discussing film that many adult film lovers never attain. Could there be a future for Jesse in film criticism? Perhaps, but by the end of the book, it seems that Jesse is striving for a career as part of a rap/hip hop duo. There is a curious lack of consequence in Gilmour’s recounting of these years, and a rather heavy importance placed on young Jesse’s incipient romantic life. Gilmour’s memoir is highly readable and well written. The observations he makes about life as related to movies are interesting and sometimes nicely wrought. Still, there’s a discomforting sense of privilege steeped in this tale, and a nearly alamring telescoing of viewpoint. Besides an occasional mention of his wife, and a slightly more frequent mention of his ex-wife (and Jesse’s mother) the book lacks any other perspectives. In fact, I was quite surprised to read in the author’s note that Gilmour had a grown daughter! While many might enjoy this readable memoir, there are a few things that turned me off so I can’t really recommend it.

The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer – It’s an ambitious synopsis: The Book of Lies explores the world’s first murder, that of Abel by his brother Cain, and draws a connection with Justin Siegel, the creator of Superman, whose father was gunned down when Justin was a little boy. If only Justin’s father was invulnerable to bullets, think of how his life would have turned out differently? The central character in this novel is Cal, a fallen FBI agent who now spends days with his partner Roosevelt, helping out the homeless in Florida. When they come across an apparent vagrant that turns out to be Cal’s long-estranged father, his life turns upside-down and he ends up on a wild race staying just second ahead of a relentless pursuit from both sides of the law. On the one side is a ruthless killer, marked with the brand of Cain, wearing the uniform of a policeman, who will stop at nothing to obtain that which Cal is hunting for. On the other side is Naomi, an FBI agent who mistakenly thinks Cal killed her partner. All Cal has going for him is his father, whom he doesn’t trust, and Serena, a new age yoga instructor who may or may not be sleeping with his father. That and his own wits and training, and a healthy does of curiosity.

As the tension winds up and the chase gets hotter, Meltzer taut plot keeps thing humming, but in the end, it is the surprising emotional denouement that really touched me. In the end, The Book of Lies is about family, and the way we tell stories. It all unfolds like magic in the hands of a master craftsman. You were right, Brad, I’m a convert.

Volk’s Game by Brent Ghelfi – Brent Ghelfi writes thrillers set in modern-day Russia. They are hyper-violent, in-your-face, complicated tales set against a massive political power that is still finding its legs after the fall of communism. And Brent knows what he’s talking about…  …In the opening pages of Volk’s Game, Volk is asked what he knows about art, and the answer is not much. By the end of the novel, Volk knows a great deal more, and he’s lost a lot because of it. It’s a powerful story, and even though I was getting impatient with all of the reversals and intrigues about three-quarters of the way through, I can tell a good thriller when I read one.

Goldengrove by Francine Prose – Francine Prose’s forthcoming novel Goldengrove, coming out in September, is a poignant coming-of-age tale about a thirteen-year-old girl whose family endures a terrible tragedy, and the summer they spend they almost unravel. Nico’s family lives in Upstate New York on the shores of an idyllic lake. Her older sister Margaret is the star of the family, with a lovely voice and a possible career as a singer in her future. She is poised and beautiful, with the adoration of everyone, including her younger sister Nico. The two watch old movies, imitating the actors, and sharing secrets. Aaron, Margaret’s artist boyfriend, is not accepted by her parents, so Nico covers for her older sister so the two can be together.

As tragedy strikes at the beginning of the summer, Nico finds herself drowning in misery, unable to pull herself out of it, and she is not alone. Prose skillfully shows how the entire family copes with grief all the while keeping the focus sharply on Nico. With a few neat nods to old movies, particularly one Hitchcock film, Goldengrove is a wonderful read that is both literary and readable.

The Graveyard Book is Neil Gaiman’s latest work for children coming out in September. Now I don’t remember what it was like to be 10 or 11, but his man in his forties loved this novel. No one writes books with appeal to all ages as well as Neil Gaiman. Borrowing a concept from Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which tells the story of an orphan raised in the jungle, The Graveyard Book features a toddler who wanders out of the house and into the graveyard after his family is brutally murdered, and is raised by the spirits and others beings who live there.

Young Bod (short for Nobody) is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a kindly couple who died childless, and watched over by Silas, a mysterious and powerful being who is neither alive nor dead. Bod learns the secrets of the graveyard, and things no living beings know. As he grows up, he begins to encounter the living from time to time, and a curiosity is sparked. All the while, Jack, the man who murdered his family, is hoping to correct his failure by finding and finishing of Bod as well.

Gaiman populates The Graveyard Book with all the sorts of mystical and fantastic creatures he is known for. Silas’ wonderful, Eastern European substitute guardian Miss Luprescu is surely my favorite, but from ghouls to witches and other denizens of the dead, there is something to astound and capture everyone’s imagination. Watch for this one when it’s published in September.

Of course, friends of mine will know I’ve got a long-standing admiration for Mr. Gaiman, and about a month ago, while attending BookExpo America in Los Angeles, I was able to meet and hang out with Mr. Gaiman not once, but twice!  The second time I even was so bold as to ask to have my picture taken with him.  It was a geeky thing to do, and I’m smiling way too hard in the photo, but at least I hvae it.  I’ve been reading Neil’s work since the 80′s when he broke into comics at DC with the Black Orchid miniseries.  Shortly after that Neil began what has become arguably his most popular work, The Sandman.  His work as a novelist began with the riotously fun Good Omens, co-written by Terry Pratchett.  He has since hit the NYT bestsellers’ list on his own with the titles American Gods and The Anansi Boys.   He has done screenplay work for such films as PRINCESS MONONOKE, MIRRORMASK, and BEOWULF.  His young adult novel Coraline has been adapted for the screen and is due out later this year.

Of Men and Their Mothers by Mameve Medwed – “Medwed writes with clarity and humor, and even as Maisie’s life seems to falling apart around her, we never worry too much, because things always seem to work out for the best in a Medwed novel. But what makes her work so satisfying is that those happy endings are never cheap or unearned. Maisie works hard for her happy life, and we can do naught but cheer her on when she makes it.”

Dust by Elizabeth Bear – “Bear is adept at writing big, complex sci fi sagas such as this. She also ignores convention with regard to sexuality and relationships, having her characters love come in varied forms. Bear is clearly talented, but some of she may be mixing in a few too many elements, cluttering her story to the point of distraction.”

The Perfect Waiter by Alain Claude Sulzer – “There is a lot of restraint on display, and plenty of control just waiting to snap. Sulzer and his translator John Brownjohn do a great job with language to convey the conflicting desires simmering just under the surface of these characters.”

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – “Garth writes the family relationships and the emotional scenes nicely, which is why so many people respond to the novel and why people are calling it a tear-jerker. While Enzo and Denny are bonded, my favorite part of the book was the way Enzo’s relationship with Eve develops. It’s tentative at first, yet grows into some of the most powerful moments in the novel.”

The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey – “Livesey has a strong sense of place (the book takes place in London, Edinburgh, and across the British countryside) and character, and weaves a powerfully emotional story as well. For adult drama, Livesey is master.”

Andorra by Peter Cameron – “Cameron has created a marvelous batch of eccentric characters around whom sadness seems to hover like a vapor. There are moments of brilliant honesty even as secrets are kept close to the heart, and moments of sublime revelation. Andorra makes an already sparkling body of work including The Weekend, The City of My Final Destination and Someday This Pain will be Useful to You shine even brighter.”

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes – “Ultimately striving for a Neil Gaimanesque dark fantasy, The Somnambulist misses more than it hits, but judging from the first third of this tale, there’s some real talent there.”

The Thief Queen’s Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon – “Fantasy series have to work really hard to keep me engaged nowadays, and I’m pleased to say that Haydon’s The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme has me hook, line and sinker.”

As you may or may not know, I am in Los Angeles at the BookExpo America conference.  It’s my favorite professional conference that I attend, as it’s all about the publishing industry and books.  You get to meet and listen to tons of authors (if you so choose) and pick up tons of free books (if you so choose.)  I was really excited because I was finally (after 20 + years of admiration) going to see Neil Gaiman speak as part of a Children’s author breakfast along with Eoin Colfer, Sherman Alexie and Judy Blume.  The panel was terrific and Neil was a wonderful speaker.

So several hours later, I was in the HarperCollins booth with two colleagues for a meeting with our Library Marketing reps, the wonderful Virginia Stanley and Bobby Brinson.  We were chatting about various things (like the delicious cupcakes that HarperCollins were passing out) and hadn’t started the meeting yet, when I glanced over my shoulder and who should I see but… you guessed it, Neil Gaiman.  Well, I think I gasped when I turned back to the others and blurted out, “Oh my God, Neil Gaiman is here.”  Well, without even blinking, Virginia grabbed my arm and said, “Let me introduce you to him.”  And sure enough, a few minutes later, we were chatting.  It’s weird, I’m not usually “star-struck” when meeting authors, actors, filmmakers, etc.  I’ve gotten quite used to it through Chlotrudis and all that, but this was very different.  My heart was racing a little and I think I babbled (although Viriginia said I cam across very intelligent and composed if a little excited).  We chatted about him coming to Boston, about Black Orchid, his first work in comics, and then he offered to sign my book on the spot.  It was a lovely meeting; many, many thanks to Virginia.  He was just darling.

Augusten Burroughs came to the Boston Public Library last night and it was one majorly successful event.  We filled the 350 seat auditorium and piled an additional 50 – 100 people in the overflow area who watched Augusten read on video.  Then they all had the opportunity to get their books signed and have their pictures taken with the very popular author.  This is what the BPL needs, more big author events that appeal to a young audience.  I’m on the case.

Peter Cameron is not an overly prolific author, but I do savor each of his works when they are published. His latest novel, Someday this pain will be useful to you, is an elegant coming-of-age tale about 18-year-old James. Living in Manhattan, disdainful of people his age, enamored of the idea of buying a big house in the midwest, James Sveck has a wry, if immature sense of humor and an annoying propensity to focus on correct grammar when engaged in conversation.

James parents aren’t completely equipped to help James navigate this tricky transition from high school to college. His mother has just returned from Vegas after her third marriage… without her husband. His father is concerned that when James orders something pasta instead of steak in the executive cafeteria he comes across as faggy. When James runs away from a school trip to DC, he ends up seeing a psychiatrist, who he challenges at every turn, but in a refreshing turn, is unable to outwit. James has also got a crush on the man who works with him at his mother’s gallery, but when a case of poor judgment alienates him, he is left with only his aging grandmother, who he adores, to turn to for solace.

Cameron has created a unique, teen voice in Someday this pain will be useful to you, one that rings true, and is able to balance the many portraits of suburban and rural voices of youth in literature. His prose is economical and graceful, and his resolution satisfying without answering all of life’s questions.