Just a few bitty blurbs on our local book scene this morning:

1. Since I had no choice but to spend the week bouncing from bed to bath and back again — tissue and lozenges in hand — what better way to spend a day than reading Tantalize, by Cynthia Leitich Smith? She gifted us with beautiful hardbook copies at her book launch party a few weeks back — and mine’s been sitting here, tempting me. Now I know why I saved it! 

First, a disclaimer. This is sooo not my genre. I never went through an Anne Rice stage. Or a Bram Stoker stage. And I’ve even had to switch from a red wine drinker to a white because of headaches. But, whoa Betty, was this a fun ride! I won’t be doing any spoiling here, but suffice it to say that you’re gonna be looking askance at folks out there for a few days after reading this. Ca-REEEEPY. Now, lay in some seriously sensual props and food stuffs, and get reading. In my case, this consisted of tomato soup, raspberry jello and some nasty tasting tincture. You can do better, folks.  

2. I’ve been waiting for A Seed is Sleepy ever since An Egg is Quiet hit the shelves. Things of utter beauty, these books. Our dear Dianna Aston is one of the great noticers I was talking about recently, and she’s clearly found a sister in Sylvia Long. The thing I love about these books is that you can use them in so many ways — as a poetic little lullaby; as some wholly palatable science; for pure, pictorial pleasure, or as a matching game from front cover to back. Yea! Spring is here…

3. Drum roll, please. Next Friday, March 30, Robin Preiss Glasser, the deeply talented illustrator of A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes, will be at BookPeople, our big-and-beautiful independent bookseller downtown! She’s visiting with author Jane O’Connor in celebration of their newest Fancy Nancy title. There are sure to be some boas and tiaras in the crowd. 

I might wear a tutu myself, and here’s why. Although we’ve struck up a really lovely long-distance friendship over the years, we’ve never met in person! This is like a blind date, only we’ve already married and had a baby together. Tee hee. Giddy, giddy, giddy. See you Austinites at BookPeople at 11 a.m.

Get fancy!