A fast-growing reading list!

While I was home for my holiday break from school, I found out that, sadly, the Waldensbooks in our local mall would be closing it's doors for good. Happily, all books were discounted 40-60% off! Naturally, I was in heaven! I quickly began scouring the shelves for books (By the time I looked, the books were so picked over that I was actually excited - as a publishing major, I always want to see people buying books because that is what will keep the publishing industry going upward instead of continuing it's recent downward trend) and I came up with a very nice little list of new books:

 - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

- Classics for Pleasure by Michael Dirda

 - A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Dave Eggers

 - American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld


With so many wonderful choice, where to start? I decided on The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and I loved it. It was witty, touching, and made me wish for the time when people still went by snail mail.

For old time's sake, I think instead of e-mailing my penpal Susanna, who lives in Italy, I'll write her a letter - and maybe some of the charm of Juliet Ashton's letters from the book will rub off on my own writing!

Sweet Little Lies

Tonight, at the Prudential Barnes & Noble in Boston, I stood in line for over an hour to have actress-turned-author Lauren Conrad sign a copy of her newest book "Sweet Little Lies," the second in her L.A. Candy series. Truthfully, I originally went to get the autograph for a good friend who was a huge friend of L.C. and I'm guilty of not having read her first novel.

However, Lauren herself was lovely. I was near the end of the line, so I'm sure she must have been getting tired at that point. Still, she asked me how I was doing when I came up for my book to be signed, and I asked her if her hand was feeling like it was ready to fall off yet,  and she replied, 'Actually, I'm doing pretty good.. but I do have a papercut from the books!" and held up her wrist to show me. So celebrities are normal people after all.. who knew?

And, as an added bonus, I get to make a good friend's day with LC's signed book.. and that makes it worth the wait in line!