Archives - Weekly Update

Last weekend's Morristown Festival of Books was a huge success. I was lucky to moderate three panels, and each was special in its own way. It was wonderful to see large audiences of readers at every program. At least two events on Saturday were standing-room only. The entire day warmed my heart, especially observing the long lines at the signing tent. Above you can see me with some of the authors I interviewed, along with my friend, Julia, who also moderated a panel.

Last Sunday found me not with a book in hand, but rather with a leaf skimmer. I made my way around the pool dragging leaves out while listening to audiobooks. I also made great headway clipping the dried flowers off the hydrangea bushes. I am happy that these shrubs bloomed so beautifully this year, but I was not budgeting enough Sunday afternoon time for clipping dead blooms. I did not have a headset on as I was outside working. There were more than a few times when I thought that neighbors might be curious about the monologues going on at our house if the breeze sent the audiobook discussions their way. That said, multitasking like this made the chores go a lot faster.

Thanks to all of you who have answered our Reader Survey so far. We very much appreciate it! I have been jumping in and looking at your replies all week. We love “getting to know all about you,” and your replies are spurring ideas for future growth. If you have not taken the survey yet, you have until next Friday, October 18th at noon ET to do so. Those who complete the survey can be eligible to win a bookish prize!

This week, the devastation from Hurricane Helene has made most of the rest of what is going on feel pretty unnewsworthy. I was in Asheville, North Carolina, about six or seven years ago (the COVID years make everything before that seem like ancient history) for the American Booksellers Association's Winter Institute. We stayed at the Omni Grove Park Inn and spent time at so many fabulous locations around town. I went book shopping at Malaprop’s, which is one very special bookstore. Both places are now closed at what is a very important time of year for them as October typically is one of their biggest months for tourism.