What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

I attended a webinar hosted by Sourcebooks previewing their spring titles. I jotted down five or six titles to watch for but couldn't resist requesting one arc:

Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. 331 p. Sourcebooks, April 1, 2016. 9781492630142.

Publisher synopsis: 10:00 tonight at the water tower. Tell no one. -Chaos Club

When Max receives a mysterious invite from the untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, he has to ask: why him? After all, he's Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life. He's Just Max. And his favorite heist movies have taught him this situation calls for Rule #4: Be suspicious. 

But it's also his one shot to leave Just Max in the dust...

Yeah, not so much. Max and four fellow students-who also received invites-are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security "catches" them. Definitely a setup. And this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always get payback.

Let the prank war begin.

Oceans 11 meets The Breakfast Club in this entertaining, fast-paced debut filled with pranks and cons that will keep readers on their toes, never sure who's pulling the strings or what's coming next.

It seems that pranking and heists are a bit of a trend - The Tapper Twins, The Terrible Two, The Great Greene Heist, and Loot. Now we have a YA, and a debut, no less.

Purchased:

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. 256 p. Random House Publishing Group, January, 2016. 

Publisher synopsis: At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a neurosurgeon at Stanford working in the brain, the most critical place for human identity, and finally into a patient and new father confronting his own mortality.

What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.

Paul Kalanithi died in March 2015, while working on this book, yet his words live on as a guide and a gift to us all. “I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed nothing and everything,” he wrote. “Seven words from Samuel Beckett began to repeat in my head: ‘I can’t go on. I’ll go on.’” When Breath Becomes Air is an unforgettable, life-affirming reflection on the challenge of facing death and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a brilliant writer who became both.

I very rarely read books for an adult audience any more but this one caught my eye - partly because I have a son who is a first year neurosurgical resident, partly because I have always been intrigued by medical memoirs and partly because it is getting a tremendous amount of buzz.

A Midsummer Night #nofilter (OMG Shakespeare series) by William Shakespeare, Brett Wright. Random House Children's Books, January, 2016

Publisher synopsis: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!

 
Imagine: What if the fairies and star-crossed lovers of the forest had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
Four lovers who can’t decide who they have a crush on. 
One mischievous fairy with a love potion. 
Total chaos in the fairy world, the human world, and everywhere in between!
 
<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens. 

A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr meanstoo long; didn’t read.

Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare, Courtney Carbone. OMG Shakespeare series. Random House Children's Books, January, 2016.

Publisher synopsis: Macbeth, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!

 
Imagine: What if that tragic couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
A prophecy from three witches.
A social-climbing couple committing a murder most foul.
A cover-up that spins way out of control.

<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens. 
 
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr meanstoo long; didn’t read.

I enjoyed the first two in this humorous series and look forward to these.

That's what's new with me. What's new with you?

Friday Memes: Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. 326 p. Sourcebooks Fire, April 1, 2016. 9781492630142.

Publisher synopsis: 10:00 tonight at the water tower. Tell no one. -Chaos Club

When Max receives a mysterious invite from the untraceable, epic prank-pulling Chaos Club, he has to ask: why him? After all, he's Mr. 2.5 GPA, Mr. No Social Life. He's Just Max. And his favorite heist movies have taught him this situation calls for Rule #4: Be suspicious. But it's also his one shot to leave Just Max in the dust...

Yeah, not so much. Max and four fellow students-who also received invites-are standing on the newly defaced water tower when campus security "catches" them. Definitely a setup. And this time, Max has had enough. It's time for Rule #7: Always get payback.

Let the prank war begin.

Oceans 11 meets The Breakfast Club in this entertaining, fast-paced debut filled with pranks and cons that will keep readers on their toes, never sure who's pulling the strings or what's coming next.

First line: Rule #1 in any quality heist film is Don't get caught.

Page 56: My feet unstick from the floor, and I backpedal a few steps before turning and running for my life, the trophy tight in my hands. I zigzag around tables, with Goon's bull-like grunting close behind. I hear other footsteps too, and know that the rest of the lacrosse team is salivating a the chance to kill. kids leap up to watch the excitement, and I race for Potatoe's table.

It seems apropos that this prank/ heist book is being published on April Fool's Day. I recently attended a Sourcebooks preview webinar and, while I jotted down most of the titles to check out/ order, this one rose to the top. I guess all the mg prank/ heist novels I've read in the past year have had an influence. I requested an arc and received it. Thanks, Sourcebooks!

Waiting on Wednesday: Sting by Jude Watson

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles we can't wait to release.

Saw this on FB and found this link:

Sting by Jude Watson. Scholastic Inc., September, 2016.

Synopsis: Rule number one for cat burglars is: Never do a favor for a friend. So why is thirteen-year-old March McQuin dangling upside-down twenty feet above a stone floor in the middle of the night? Along with his twin sister jules, he's set on stealing a set of stunning diamonds. It should have been an easy job, in and out. Except another thief got there first. March and Jules are lucky to escape with their lives, and one measly stone.

Now the botched heist has created a world of trouble. The stone they grabbed was the Morning Star, one of a trio of famous sapphires, and it's cursed. The theft puts the twins and their friends in the crosshairs of Interpol, the FBI, and a vicious adult gang of international criminals known as the Top Cat gang. And worst of all, the only way to break the curse and set everything to rights is by pulling off two more impossible heists...and stealing the other two sapphires in the set.

I really enjoyed Loot and look forward to this sequel.  

Arc Review: One by Sarah Crossan

One by Sarah Crossan. 391 p. Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, September, 2015. 780062118752.

Sixteen-year-old conjoined twins, Tippi and Grace have been home-schooled until now. Finances have always been strained due to their medical condition; but thanks to the recent unemployment of their alcoholic father, their mother has to work. So they will be attending school for the first time - as juniors. It's hard enough being the new girls. I couldn't imagine what it must be like for anyone like Tippi and Grace - until I read this powerful verse novel.

It has been awhile since I've been gut-punched by a book. Spare and lyrical, this is an intense story of sisterhood, family and friendship. The sisterhood and twin-ship of Tippi and Grace are deepened as well as complicated by the fact that they are conjoined. The story is told through Grace's point-of-view. Grace is quieter, more bookish and introspective. Tippi is fiery and edgy. Grace often relies on Tippi to set the tone, but also balances Tippi's fire when it threatens to overwhelm her. 

The anger they want to feel for their father's alcoholism is overpowered by the guilt they feel over the financial strain their care has placed on their family. They also feel guilty that their sister, Dragon has to work to pay for her ballet lessons. She is a gifted dancer and there's just no money for any extras, especially a trip to Russia to dance at the Bolshoi. Grace also suspects Dragon may be anorexic.

At school, two best friends and defiant outcasts, Jon and Yasmeen take the twins under their wings and shepherd them through the day. Grace realizes that these two are their first friends. Soon Grace and Tippi are doing what "normal" teens do - cutting class, lying to their folks, getting drunk and, for Grace, at least, having a crush. But normal can't last for long.

Do not read this book in any sort of public place such as the subway or the faculty room (as I did) or folks will witness your ugly cry. Sometimes, I become so inundated with arcs that gems become lost in a sea of gems. I hauled a bag of arcs into my library last week and when a voracious eighth grade reader came in to find a new book, I let her have at my bag. She found One and took it home for the long weekend. When she returned it, her face was filled with such emotion as she tried to explain how wonderful but how terribly sad the book is. I set the book aside to read for myself.

We have bonded over this book. I am so happy she found it and shared this under-the-radar gem with me. I cannot wait to share it with my students who love sad, gut-punching books. I hope this book gets the time to develop the readership it deserves.

Friday Memes: One by Sarah Crossen

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

One by Sarah Crossan. 391 p. Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, September, 2015. 780062118752.

Publisher synopsis: Tippi and Grace share everything—clothes, friends . . . even their body. Writing in free verse, Sarah Crossan tells the sensitive and moving story of conjoined twin sisters, which will find fans in readers of Gayle Forman, Jodi Picoult, and Jandy Nelson.

Tippi and Grace. Grace and Tippi. For them, it's normal to step into the same skirt. To hook their arms around each other for balance. To fall asleep listening to the other breathing. To share. And to keep some things private. Each of the sixteen-year-old girls has her own head, heart, and two arms, but at the belly, they join. And they are happy, never wanting to risk the dangerous separation surgery.

But the girls' body is beginning to fight against them. And Grace doesn't want to admit it. Not even to Tippi. How long can they hide from the truth—how long before they must face the most impossible choice of their lives?

Carnegie Medal–nominated author Sarah Crossan gives us a story about unbreakable bonds, hope, loss, and the lengths we will go to for the person we love most.

First line: Since this is a novel in verse, I will post the first poem:

Sisters

Here
                      We Are.

And we are living.

Isn't that amazing?

How we manage
to be
at all.

Pages 56/57:

The Cafeteria

As we enter the cafeteria,
Yasmeen and Jon
dance around us,
                  one in front
one behind
so we are no
                  quite
                  seen.

Mom, Dad, Dragon, and Grammie
have been doing this for years,
hiding
us
as best they can
from ridicule
and camera phones,
because there's nothing worse
than a click-click-click
and knowing that in seconds
you'll be famous via
someone else's social feed.

We order chipboard pizza,
a Sprite with two straws,
and sit
                     at a corner table
                     with Yasmeen and Job
talking over
other voices and clinking cutlery,
not about how we live
                    -the logistics of conjoined pissing-
(which is how I thought the whole day would be)
but about movies
and music
and books
and beer
and the new school year
and the islands of Greece
and coral reefs
and our favorite cereals
and Satan.

We have perfectly silly conversations
and by the time the bell rings
I am starting to wonder-
have we
found ourselves
                two friends?      

Review: The Queen's Hat by Steve Antony

The Queen's Hat by Steve Antony. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., August, 2015. 9780545835565. (Finished copy provided by publisher for review.)

Set aside the improbability that any sort of wind could cause QEII's hat to fly off her perfectly coifed head and just dive into this merry romp. The queen is off to visit someone special at Kensington Palace, when said hat flies away. Her guards are in hot pursuit following the queen and her beloved, sweater-clad corgi. As the wind whooshes the hat around, over and through a variety of London landmarks, young readers will giggle at the increasing mayhem. 

There is plenty of white space. The palette is comprised of muted purple, black and bright red. Energy and visual humor abound. The endpapers are clever and all-in-all, the book is attractively designed. This should make for some story-time fun.  

Waiting on Wednesday: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles we can't wait to release.

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier. 254 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., September 13, 2016. 9780545540612.

Publisher synopsis: Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake -- and her own.

I have multiple copies of all Reina Telgemeier's books and they are usually out for the year. So excited for this.

Non-Fiction Monday: Glow by W. H. Beck

Glow by W. H. Beck. 32 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, December, 2015. 9780544416666. (Borrowed from the public library)

I zipped across the street to the public library from work at lunch time recently to pick up a novel I was considering for a read aloud. As I zig-zagged through the shelves toward the juvenile fiction section, I spied this cover on the "New Books" shelf. Now that's an eye-catching cover! Once I snagged the book I needed, I grabbed the book I wanted and decided to postpone beginning my read aloud to share Glow with my students.

My small group was instantly intrigued. Their attention grabbed by the dramatic photos set on a black background. Sometimes, they want to rush through books. Not so this one. They pored over the photos.

Twin narratives maintained their attention. The larger font tells a simple story, while the smaller font adds more information. Pages at the end feature thumbnail photos of each animal with further information such as scientific name, size and the depth at which each lives. Some of the scientific names are followed by pronunciation in parentheses, some not. While not a definitive source for research, this lovely volume will definitely pique interest in the wonder of bioluminescence.

I will be purchasing this for my own library. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves: ALAMW Edition

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

So I went to ALA Midwinter last weekend and came home with this:

Actually, I added two bags the morning after I took this picture. The bellhop piled 10 bags onto his carrier in addition to our luggage upon checkout.

Ordinarily, I do not choose quite so many arcs when I go to conference. I learned after my first gluttonous experience on the exhibit floor (coincidentally at ALAMW the last time it was in Boston) to be judicious. I felt so guilty when I realized that I would never read everything! So I usually make a list of arcs I'm most interested in and leave some room for surprises.

But.

This time, I was driving so the cost of shipping arcs home was zero.

And.

I have a seventh grade student that I am running out of RA ideas with. She is an incredibly voracious reader! She's also very fast and quite picky in addition to being rather conservative in her taste. I am basically going to haul the bags in and let her have at it.

Here are the first bunch of books - the ones I have near the top of TOM, the tbr pile, in order of release:

Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein. 278 p. Random House Children's Books, January, 2016. 9780553510416.

To Catch a Thief by Varian Johnson. 256 p. Arthur A. Levine Books/ Scholastic Inc., January, 26, 2016. 9780545722391.

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart. 240 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., February, 2016. 9780545665834.

Jacky Ha-Ha by James Patterson. 364 p. Little, Brown and Company, March 21, 2016. 9780316262491.

Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung. 272 p. Arthur A. Levine Books/ Scholastic Inc., April 26, 2016. 9780545782289.

Red: the story of Red Riding Hood by Liesl Shurtliff. 288 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, April 12, 2016. 9780385755832.

Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. 208 p. Disney/ Hyperion, April 5, 2016. 9781484701525.

OCDaniel by Wesley King. 304. p. Paula Wiseman Books/ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, April 12, 2016. 9781481455312.

Booked by Kwame Alexander. 320 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, April 5, 2016. 9780544787711.

Wishing Day by Lauren Myracle. 336 p. Katherine Tegen Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, May 3, 2016. 9780062342089.

Trouble the Water by Frances O'Roark Dowell. 288 p. A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/ Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, May 3, 2016. 9781481424639. 

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart. 352 p. Delacorte Press/ Random House Children's Books, May 3, 2016. 9780553536751.

Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher. 343 p. Little, Brown and Company, May, 2016. 9780316267649.

Lucy and Andy Neanderthal by Jeffrey Brown. 220 p. Crown Books for Young Readers/ Random House Children's Books, August 2, 2016. 9780385388351.

That's part of what's new with me. What's new with you? 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we share the titles we can't wait to release.

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd. 240 p. Scholastic Inc., February 26, 2016. 9780545552745. 

Publisher synopsis: Everyone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.

For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she'd do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn't want to let her mother down.

But when Emma's dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task--finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town's cemetery. If Emma fails, she'll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that's been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?

With her signature blend of lyrical writing, quirky humor, and unforgettable characters, Natalie Lloyd's The Key to Extraordinary cements her status as one of the most original voices writing for children today.

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander. 272 p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 26, 2016. 9780544633889.

Publisher synopsis: Since her twin brother, Eddie, drowned five years ago, sixteen-year-old Elsie Main has tried to remember what really happened that fateful day on the beach. One minute Eddie was there, and the next he was gone. Seventeen-year-old Tay McKenzie is a cute and mysterious boy that Elsie meets in her favorite boathouse hangout. When Tay introduces Elsie to the world of freediving, she vows to find the answers she seeks at the bottom of the sea.

Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee. 261 p. A Caitlyn Dlouhy Book/ Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 8, 2016. 9781442482425.

Publisher synopsis: Sylvie and Jules, Jules and Sylvie. Better than just sisters, better than best friends, they’d be identical twins if only they’d been born in the same year. And if only Sylvie wasn’t such a fast—faster than fast—runner. But Sylvie is too fast, and when she runs to the river they’re not supposed to go anywhere near to throw a wish rock just before the school bus comes on a snowy morning, she runs so fast that no one sees what happens…and no one ever sees her again. Jules is devastated, but she refuses to believe what all the others believe, that—like their mother—her sister is gone forever.

At the very same time, in the shadow world, a shadow fox is born—half of the spirit world, half of the animal world. She too is fast—faster than fast—and she senses danger. She’s too young to know exactly what she senses, but she knows something is very wrong. And when Jules believes one last wish rock for Sylvie needs to be thrown into the river, the human and shadow worlds collide.

Writing in alternate voices—one Jules’s, the other the fox’s—Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee tell the searingly beautiful tale of one small family’s moment of heartbreak, a moment that unfolds into one that is epic, mythic, shimmering, and most of all, hopeful.

Purchased: 

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. Unabridged audiobook on 3 compact discs, 2 hours and 40 minutes. Performed by David Baker and Cynthia Bishop. Full Cast Audio/ Brilliance, February, 2015. 9781501237553.

Publisher synopsis: In 1985, southern Sudan is ravaged by war. Rebels and government forces battle for control, with ordinary people—people like the boy, Salva Dut—caught in the middle. When Salva’s village is attacked, he must embark on a harrowing journey that will propel him through horror and heartbreak, across a harsh desert, and into a strange new life.

Years later, in contemporary South Sudan, a girl named Nya must walk eight hours a day to fetch water. The walk is grueling, but there is unexpected hope.

How these two stories intersect is told in this fascinating dual narrative, performed by David Baker and Cynthia Bishop, with the assistance of dialect coach James Achueil...who actually made the same journey across Africa when he was one of the “Lost Boys of the Sudan.” This true story is an amazing adventure with a wonderful conclusion. Great for classroom discussions, it is literature drawn from the real world!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Unabridged audiobook on 6 compact discs, 7 hours. Performed by Bahni Turpin with Robbie Daymond. Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, September, 2015. 9781101916377.

Publisher synopsis: If you love Eleanor and Park, Hazel and Augustus, and Mia and Adam, you’ll love the story of Maddy, a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly, the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken. This innovative and heartfelt debut novel unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. 
 
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
 
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Unabridged audiobook on 12 compact discs, 15 hours, 27 minutes. Performed by Jay Snyder, Brandon Rubin, David LeDoux, Lauren Fortgang, Roger Clark, Elizabeth Evans, and Tristan Morris. Brilliance Audio, December, 2015. 9781511343527.

Publisher synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone.…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction–if they don’t kill each other first.

What's new with you?

ALA Midwinter - Boston Baby!

Well, I made it in spite of my darling husband. Seriously, I love him dearly and we've been married going on 31 years but he doesn't travel well. 

I taught two periods this morning and dashed out at 10:30 with the intention of hitting the road at 11. He was just heading out to run last minute errands. Sigh. An hour later and I was still waiting. Sigh. After two false starts we hit the road with the dogs. He forgot his coffee, his computer and his notes for sightseeing. SIGH! 

The coffee was remedied. He can use my computer and there's plenty to see here. We are meeting my son and his girlfriend for dinner at their favorite restaurant. Then they will tag along with me to a publisher event for Cassandra Clare at the Top of the Hub. I thought they could take in the view and either hang out or skedaddle. Turns out, Julia's a fan! She not only has good taste in men but authors as well.

We dropped the dogs to board in Connecticut. It was just a tiny detour and they'll have fun. Like camp. 

When MK researched the room I booked, he squawked because it didn't have a view. I never considered that since I head out to conference in the morning and return in the evening to face plant in my bed! But since he's sightseeing and his knee is bothering him, the upgrade is a small price to pay for his comfort. The room is fabulous!