In like a lion and out like a lamb is what I’m saying these days. The weather is looking up, spring is on its way and we are all smiling again! A big thank you is in order to Josh Stevens for writing my February column while I was away in New York. Speaking of New York, I had a fabulous trip with lots of work and fun in the mix. Two other booksellers from the Midwest region and I met with nine different publishing houses in the Big Apple to tell them about our stores, and just what we are doing in our stores to help sell books! It was fun to meet those who work on the other end of the phone lines, as well as hear what the other booksellers are doing. It was a whirlwind of a week filled with work, food and fun, though I am always happy to return home to Woodstock.

Of course, even though I had been concentrating on the preparation for the New York trip, we were still busy planning lots of events for the upcoming months. We are currently in the midst of our very first Scrabble tournament. Who knew this could be so much fun. We are learning a lot on how to run this and look forward to planning the next one. We will be posting the names and a picture of the winner very soon! On March 22nd, we will be hosting former trial attorney, Tom Keevers with his new novel which takes place in Chicago, “The Chainsaw Ballet”. March 29th, brings back the lovely Sharon Brossard with her 2nd book, “Finding Your Chicago Irish”. Sharon continues her trek with her love of all things Irish, as she helps us find the perfect Irish locations throughout Chicagoland!

Now to the books! I’ve been busy reading a few books set to release later this Spring and Summer. Elizabeth Noble, author of The Reading Group, has returned with “Things I Want My Daughters to Know”. I have not read anything of hers prior to this; though I must say I want to go back and do so now. Set in England, we are brought into a family whose mother has just succumbed to cancer, leaving behind a husband and four daughters. Through love, laughter, wisdom and hope, our characters learn how to move forward, repair the past and regain a sense of family without the one who kept it all together. I thought this was brilliantly written, as I ended up feeling as if I too, were a character in the book watching the story unfold. This book will be on sale in April. Chris Grabenstein has ventured into the wonderful world of children’s literature. (You may remember Chris visiting us in August 2006 with his series of mysteries that take place at the Jersey Shore). I was fortunate to visit with Chris during my trip to New York, where we caught up on all the wonderful things happening in his life; the next Ceepak novel, “Hell Hole” will release late July. Anyway, I just finished “The Crossroads” this morning. What a great read, spooky, fun with lots of fascinating twists. I especially love the how Chris handles our protagonist, Zach, relationship with his new stepmom.

Until next time,

Arlene