Kicking Off Alice's Summer Reading Program...

I've admitted in this space several times that I really dig TV. Sometimes I even worry that I harbor a perhaps unhealthy level of love for my TV friends. I'm still reeling from the abrupt cancellation of The Gilmore Girls. (Found out last week during a promo spot--that's no way to break such news to a girl.) I long for the days when a could enjoy a new episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the best show ever). And I've never quite come to grips with the passing of Phil Hartman. (I don't want to talk about it.)

But this time of year, I'm a little relieved that rerun season is upon us--and I can find some book friends and get caught up in their lives. So I've officially kicked off Alice's Summer Reading Program. (That just means lots of books, little TV--I like naming stuff if you haven't noticed.)

I started not with a single book, but with Scott Westerfeld's trilogy, Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. And I started my morning yesterday by barfing. The good news was I was home all day in bed with Specials and I finished it, every high-adventure, distopian-fantastical, must-keep-reading-even-though-I-really-need-a-nap page of it. Main character Tally is one book friend who will be kicking (or, most likely, hover-boarding) around in my mind for a while.

In two weeks, I'm off to the BookExpo in New York, where free book are everwhere. There's rampant free book gluttony. It's a veritble free book orgy. (I'm a wee bit giddy thinking about it.) I'm schlepping a laptop and blogging from the events, starting with our writer's conference and continuing throughout the weekend, so remember to visit this space often starting May 30th. I know you want to hear about the children's writers speed dating event.