What a week! This was going to be the one where I got ahead on the War and Peace readalong and wrote several backlogged reviews, but the Borders bankruptcy news and a lot of IRL action through that plan off course. But that’s okay! It was an interesting week to be in the book world, and it is always good to stop, take stock, and think about why we’re all here and where we’re going, even when the catalyst is something as sad and scary as a major bookseller going belly-up.
I started the week with a preview of March releases I can’t wait to read (and no, I’m not ready to talk about the fact that March is now just eight days away), and I celebrated reaching the first milestone in the readalong with a new installment of The War and Peace Diaries about what happens when a book’s reputation precedes it. I also pondered a provocative quote from Hervé Le Tellier’s Enough About Love.
The Borders announcement left me thinking about the fact that where we buy our books matters, and I wrapped up the week with a list of five more ways to support your bookstore.
Balancing out Borders’ bad news was the very happy occasion of my friend Ellen F. Brown’s book release party for Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller’s Odyssey. The party was held Friday night at the Page Bond Gallery in Richmond’s historic Fan district, and it was a packed house.
(Please forgive the fuzziness—I took this while standing on a bench (in four inch heels) that I only discovered was on rollers AFTER I was standing on top of it.)
There was good wine and delicious ham biscuits (if you’ve never lived in the south, you may not know about the wonder of ham biscuits, but let me tell you, they are fabulous, and you can’t swing a cat in this town without hitting a party where they’ve being served), and Ellen looked gorgeous. And, of course, I provided my trademark service of making even very petite people look tall.
I’m spending the day lolling about on the couch, but tonight I’ll be getting dolled up (yep, wearing pants on a Sunday!) to meet Andrew Shaffer at his Highbrau event for Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love. Don’t get me wrong—I love meeting authors whose work I’ve enjoyed and hanging with book people (and Richmond’s are some of the best), but I could really use a week where nothing exciting happens.
You hear that, internet? I need a quiet week!
What have y’all been up to?
Related posts:
The Sunday Salon 1.30.11The Sunday Salon 3.14.10Get Thee to a Bookery! [or Borders Went Belly-Up. Now What?]The Sunday Salon 10.10.10The Sunday Salon 4.11.10 Filed Under Reading Life7 Comments -->Comments7 Responses to “”
bermudaonion (Kathy) onFebruary 20th, 2011 10:29 am Both you and Ellen look gorgeous and I hope her book is a huge success.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last blog ..Weekend Cooking- Classic Southern Desserts
Florinda onFebruary 20th, 2011 10:38 am “I provided my trademark service of making even very petite people look tall.” Heh. If we meet up at BEA/Book Blogger Con in May, you’ll get to be on the receiving end of that service. I’m under five feet tall and never wear heels taller than three inches. 
Today I get to start reading a new book – which I have not yet chosen! – write a review of the one I finished last night, and possibly go scavenge at a nearby, slated-to-close Borders (I want to believe that’ll help the stores that are staying open, which include the one in my town).
Florinda´s last blog ..Sunday Salon- On the Borders- in a changing bookstore climate
Charlie onFebruary 20th, 2011 11:21 am I’m going to have to look up ham biscuits, I’m intrigued! I’m in the UK where we lost all our Borders stores several months ago, but I would never have thought a similar thing would happen in the US. It is, as you say, scary.
Congratulations to Ellen!
Rebecca Joines Schinsky onFebruary 20th, 2011 11:46 am Florinda, I hope we get to meet in May and NOT only because it will be the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of the “making people look tall” service. I pretty much always wear big heels, so I’m ready to look giant next to you!
Kailana onFebruary 20th, 2011 2:24 pm lol I make everyone look tall, too, and I never wear high heels…. If I did I probably would feel tall once in a while.
Kailana´s last blog ..Six Sentence Saturday
Yvann onFebruary 20th, 2011 3:06 pm Eeek hectic week. I hope you get your calm week next week! And it’s very kind of you to provide the “comparatively tall” service.
Yvann´s last blog ..Sunday Salon – Back in the big lights
Sandy onFebruary 20th, 2011 7:26 pm That is a great picture of the two of you, and I’m equally impressed of the picture taken on the moviing platform in high heels! Well, as I expressed in my Sunday Salon, I totally fell in LURV with Goon Squad, which I believe was the book you raved about first. In my world anyway. Oh, how the hell am I going to write the review for that one?
Sandy´s last blog ..Sunday Salon- Literary Mood Swings
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