Yesterday I went shopping at Borders on 57th Street for a present for my son who turns 15 today. He wanted Season Three of Friends on DVD and a copy of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. Sounded pretty easy to me. I figured I would hit two aisles, select a couple of cards and on to the register.

Ha! What was I thinking? I was thinking logically and one cannot shop in a chain bookstore this way.

I went to the DVD section. Found TV. Found TV Comedy. Sounds right. I see a huge selection of shows I never knew were on DVD (okay, I live a sheltered bookish life). I paw through them and find one copy of Friends Season Five and no others. Of course, once I find the one copy, I am convinced I missed the others and paw through the entire rack again. No luck.

I grab Season Five, start thinking of a little explanation of why I am getting five, not three, to tell my son, and go to look for the book in the paperback section.

As I wander through the store on the way to paperbacks (and suppress the endless signage to buy four DVDs and get one free though I admit they had me thinking about this for a while), I see a HUGE display of television show DVDs. HUGE. With MANY shows that were not displayed in the DVD/TV section. There they have EVERY SEASON of Friends. I drop Season Five there, pick up Season Three, get that warm tingly feeling one gets when mission is accomplished, and then trek off to find the book. Now, I wonder WHERE will this be.

I cannot remember the author's name and I see everything is shelved by author name. It's Mark....Heller? Keller? Haddon? (Okay, I admit it, I am really bad at remembering the names of books and authors.) I grab my cellphone to call the office to ask someone there (I know I can just find a directory in the store, but somehow this seems easier. Of course, there is no salesperson around to ask.) The cellphone blinks "low battery" and the call cannot be initiated.

So, I think. Where would this book be shelved? I remember what the cover looks like so I do a quick surveillance of the paperback shelves. Do not spot it. Hmmmm...I know. I will go to the display tables! Sure enough there is terrific inventory of the book on a display table.

I grab one, find a card with a dog on it for my younger son that professes brotherly love (he will love the dog; loathe the message) and a killer card with...a lighthouse on it! My older son LOVES lighthouses. I feel like that moment where the announcer yells, "she shoots; she scores." Of course, since this NEVER happened to me on the basketball court, this is my version of scoring big.

I hit the register where there is one person ringing up and one person wrapping an amazingly big order. You can imagine the line.

While I wait on line I conceive The Bookstore Challenge. We start with 16 contestants and bring them to a chain bookstore. We give them a list of what to buy. We give them 15 minutes to find it in the store. The winner becomes --- a salesperson at the chain. Maybe even a manager. If they can figure it out, they can stock those shelves.

BTW...I am feeling rather guilty about one thing in all of this. When I put the Season Five copy of Friends on the stand-alone display this meant there are NO Friends DVDs at all in the DVD/TV/COMEDY section. There is a part of me (the too much do-right Catholic school training part of me)that wants to march over there today and take one of each season and move it to DVD/TV/Comedy. Another part says --- let the games begin! Another part says --- Amazon.com!

It's snowing. Big time snow. I have decided not to turn on the TV to watch the snow reporting, which consists of reporters in very ridiculous cold weather clothing standing in the middle of the street watching a) empty streets, b) streets with cars stuck on them or c) roadways where people are traveling slowly. These same reporters then measure the snow with a ruler and are gleeful when the ruler gets buried. Also, if they are stuck for an interview topic, they go to Home Depot where questions are asked about how many of the following are left: shovels(none), snowblowers (none) and rock salt (none). Then they interview customers who are very distressed that there is no snowblower/shovel/rock salt.

Now, call me crazy, but we have had the same shovel since we bought this house 15 years ago. WHAT do these people do with the shovel at the end of the winter that they always need a new one? Why not buy a snowblower at the start of winter? Why not lay in rock salt when you do holiday shopping? The list could look something like: buy tree, menorah candles, wreath, lights, rock salt.

Now another question --- where did they conduct snowblower/shovel/rock salt interviews before Home Depot? Note to future reporters stuck on what to report on ---go to Home Depot when there is ANY natural disaster. Remember the plywood status conversations conducted at Home Depots in Florida during the hurricanes? Missing from the tsnunami coverage was any mention of Home Depot. Did anyone else notice that?

I have decided I like the new governor in NJ. He declared a curfew tonight from 8PM to 8AM tomorrow. He said people should use this as family time and read and watch movies together. Gee, a public declaration that people should read. I like those politics.

After a whirlwind morning where the boys' haircut appointments were moved up an hour because "snow was coming" and three hours at my younger son's school Fun Fair (I was shocked the room did not empty when the first flake fell; maybe these people are realizing SUVs were meant to be driven in snow) following him around as he played games and basically ignored me once I bought him tickets, I engaged in my favorite snowtime activity: I hit the couch...and read.

I finished SPEAK SOFTLY, SHE CAN HEAR by Pam Lewis, which is a very well done debut psychological suspense novel. I look forward to sharing more about this one with you. Now I am halfway through ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AN ORDINARY LIFE by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Twenty pages in I decided that I have to meet this author. Reading her memoir has me reliving so many anecdotes from my own very ordinary life --- and laughing about them. These are the writings of a woman who had a life like many of the rest of us --- and makes us laugh thinking about it.

Here's one of the kind of thoughts she puts forth. When people ask how we are, what do we usually say? "Busy." We are busy busy busy. Now, ask a ten-year-old child what he did today and what do you usually hear? "Nothing." Think about it, and then try it out. Ask your child what he did at school. "Nothing." Ask your wife or husband or significant other what their day was like. "Busy." The book is filled with thoughts like this. The prose is arranged in encyclopedia style and the comments are short and very tightly written. Trust me that reading this book you will laugh --- and think. You will think about things like at what age "nothing" turns to "busy." I think it's somewhere between middle school and high school.

You can buy this one to give as a gift to many people. It's a great Valentine's Day present --- seriously. You will celebrate everyday life with the one you love with it.

Okay...back to reading and ignoring television. I have William Lashner's new one FALLS THE SHADOW (April release) next up. Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.

Warning: Do not read John Grisham's new one, THE BROKER, if you are hungry. I made the mistake of doing that this weekend. As his character, Joel Backman, travels around Italy, he eats. And Grisham does great descriptions of the food that he eats. And every time you read about the food, you will want to eat. I found myself salvating for panini and yearning for a warm mushroom salad, and let's not talk about both tortellini and tortelloni (he spells out the difference). Keep a pad and pen next to you as you read so you can note what foods you need recipes for!

Reading THE BROKER you can tell that Grisham is very sincere about what he says in the afterward about loving all things Italian. His enthusiastic writing shows how he embraces the country. I have read some reviews which said that this is not a suspenseful book. I disagree. It's mental suspense. Backman is playing to win --- and to save his life. To me, it works. Let's put it this way...I did not get much done this weekend until I finished reading this book. It was a perfect winter weekend read.

I found myself thinking a lot about how Backman the kingpin was very different from Backman the prisoner and how both of these came to aid Backman, the man on the run. Often I find myself thinking about that as I read --- how would this character get himself from point A to point B in this place given what his background has afforded him? I think this one definitely is worth reading.

BTW...last week I read that on American Airlines' six daily flights from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport to London THE BROKER will be given to First Class passengers as part of the book's worldwide launch by Grisham's publisher, Doubleday.

Business Class and Coach Class passengers will also have the opportunity to win a copy of the book by answering Grisham-related or AmericanAirlines Vacations(SM) trivia questions posed by the flight attendant such as "How many New York Times best-sellers has Grisham written to date?" or "What is the most popular vacation destination book through AA Vacations?" Now WHY does nothing like that every happen on the flights that I am traveling on?

I did not watch the Tsunami Aid Show this weekend. I confess that I am a tad weary of celebrities who these days seem to dash and swoop in for every political and social cause. Call me callous, but it really makes me crazy when they talk and say some version, "We must use our celebrity for a greater purpose," while I get the distinct impression they often feel they are smarter than most Americans and the impact of natural disasters and political discussion can only be given credence by their being a part of it.

That said, I did read about a promotion that a number of authors are doing to promote Tsunami Aid that I did embrace. In an unprecedented publishing move, the world's leading writers are coming together to publish the first chapters of their new works in a single volume entitled NEW BEGINNINGS that will appear from Bloomsbury on March 3rd, which is National Book Day (though I admit I never heard of National Book Day before I read this release). All proceeds of this unique venture will be going to the Disasters Emergency Committee fund. Authors who have already agreed to takepart include Alexander McCall Smith,Ian McEwan,Maeve Binchy,
Margaret Atwood,Marian Keyes,Mark Haddon,Nicholas Evans,Nick Hornby,Paulo Coelho,Scott Turow,Stephen King,Tracy Chevalier and Vikram Seth.

BTW...to further demonstrate my theory about celeb-obsessed America, I read last week that People magazine went on newsstand early for the first time in their history with the cover story on Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's breakup. Call me crazy, but I think in the magazine's history there has to have been another story more gripping than this to warrant an early on sale.

Happy Monday; Happy Martin Luther King Day. Be sure to count the celebs tonight telling us the IMPACT Martin Luther King had on their lives. This is for any of you who doubt that there is a reason for this to be a National holiday and needed it explained to you!

Last night I went to a screening of Hotel Rwanda. People who had seen it had urged me to see it with a quiet intensity that I rarely hear connected to a film. (I think the last time I heard this was when people were talking about Life is Beautiful.) Everyone told me to be prepared to cry; no one told me to prepare to be stunned by what I was seeing on the screen.

The story takes place in Rwanda in 1994 during the war between the country's Hutu and Tutsi people, following the assasination of the country's Hutu president. The extremist Hutus use this death as a reason to kill the Tutsis. This movie is the story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager at the 4-star Mille Collines hotel in Kigali, who is a Hutu married to a Tutsi. He manages to save more than 1,200 Tutsi and moderate Hutus refugees by offering them sanctuary at the hotel. He uses charm, wit and sheer brains --- and bribery --- to ensure the safety of these people, who include his family. His sheer tenacity and single-minded commitment to his cause will keep you riveted to the story. This is an everyman who took on a huge challenge --- and won.

There is a book from Newmarket Press coming in February that is a companion to the book called HOTEL RWANDA: Bringing the True Story of an African Hero to Film. Last night as I left the theatre I found myself standing under a street lamp in the rain reading the book's opener, which was penned by the film's director, Terry George. What had not been made clear to me in the movie is that Rusesabagina's campaign was not a one or two week effort; it was sustained over more than three months. It made what I had just witnessed even more stunning.

I confess to knowing little, if anything about this conflict. It made me realize how ignorant I can be of what is going on in the much larger world that surrounds me. Two years ago on his birthday I took my son on a tour of the UN. I recall stopping and looking at a map of the world where they had marked all the places in the world where the UN had a presence. I remember seeing Rwanda marked on the map. Seeing this film I have a whole new take on what the words UN Peacekeeping force actually mean.

I urge you to see this film. And to read the accompanying book to fill in the backstory, to see more about the people who were inspired to make this film and to read more about where Rwanda is today.

All the holiday decorations are stored away --- and I have yet to find a stray piece around that we missed. I am sure that you can relate to that --- you think you are done packing things up and then bam there's an overlooked piece of "Christmas celebrating" stuck on a shelf somewhere and it looks really out of place in January.

Over the holiday I got Aqua Tunes as a holiday present, which is a waterproof pack/earphones for keeping a Walkman or other audio device dry while swimming. I now am addicted to listening to music while swimming! Instead of the half mile I had been doing each time I went out to swim, I am now swimming a mile. The difference --- something to do besides count strokes. I am the ultimate multi-tasker and this gives me a chance to do two things at once. Often I will do...one more lap...or five...or ten...to enjoy a song I like. I am planning to try listening to audiobooks this way. I figure I may swim an extra chapter --- or two. Will keep you posted on this.

Yesterday we stopped by our local Borders store so my son could pick up a book he needed for school. I am happy to report that he told me that the checkout line was wrapped around the store. I love seeing people on lines buying books. I stayed in the car and curtailed my usual modus operandi of making recommendations to those on line and also assessing what people have in their hands. You know, me as book voyeur. Reason: wet hair from swimming.

As planned, I spent the weekend reading THE SAME SWEET GIRLS by Cassandra King. This book hooked me from the first few chapters. I had loved King's THE SUNDAY WIFE, but I love this one even more. The characters are complicated women, each with their own stories to share, as well as their powerful combined story of friendship. King has great form creating dramatic tension as she tells readers just enough about each character to keep them looking for more. I have enough questions for her after reading this book to see if there is an interview with her available, or interview her. Will keep you posted.

Great line on Desperate Housewives last night: "Please do not mistake my anal retentiveness for affection."

Off to read the Grisham review in the Times --- book is on sale tomorrow --- and to get the week in gear! Happy Monday.

It's early Saturday morning. Today I need to take down the Christmas decorations that have been up since Thanksgiving weekend --- and yes, I am procrastinating as I write here. In the busy-ness of this week I forgot to mention the latest turn in the Andrea Yates case in the newsletter. Last February I read Suzanne O'Malley's book, ARE YOU THERE ALONE, The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates. We also interviewed O'Malley as part of this feature. Her comments about the non-Law and Order episode from both the book and her interview stayed with me. I saw her on Dateline this week and then went back and read our feature. If you would like to see what she had to say and read more about this book, click on Suzanne O'Malley on the Authors link on Bookreporter.com.

Okay...look out Christmas trees, here I come!

Yesterday they were calling for snow here last night. This triggered a flurry of emails in my box cancelling every event in town last night due to weather. This always humors me since I live in a town where 90% of the people drive SUVs. I guess they drive them because of the cargo space instead of road handling. A couple of years ago one of my friends was debating whether to buy an SUV or a minivan. Her line was a classic --- "I have my master's degree and now I am debating whether to drive a bus or a truck." By the way, mere flakes of snow arrived, but hey, we were prepared!

We did put our SUV through the paces last week driving on the beach on the Outer Banks. The beach was empty so the boys got to drive. Note that when you are nine it is VERY cool to go to school and tell people that you drove on the beach in a whole different way than it is to do the same when you are legal to drive.

Bookish news....check out USA Today today for my comments about Jon Stewart's AMERICA. I looked through this book quickly when it first came into the office, but Tuesday I spent time reading it. I love smart and witty and this book is both. It also dissects politics for the game that it is. As you know I keep politics and my political views off these pages, but this book goes beyond politics and strikes a real chord about our culture.

While we were away celebrating the holiday Joseph Finder's PARANOIA arrived in bookstores in paperback. For all of you who wait for a book to release in paperback to read it, go to the store NOW and get this one. Want to know more about it? Then pop up Finder's page on Bookreporter.com. And heads up --- his next one called COMPANY MAN hits stores on April 12th. Mark your calendars. You are going to love this one. More on it in the weeks to come.

I currently am reading TOWELHEAD by Alicia Erian, which will be in stores on April 1st. It's a very intriguing --- and also disturbing --- novel about a teenage girl who is living with her Lebanese father in Houston. She is struggling with her awakening sexuality while living in a home grounded in old-world values. She is rudderless on what is right and what is wrong, but instead is working through each day with her teen instincts guiding her. I have a pile of "required" reading that is set to topple onto me, but this book keeps tugging at me to read another page...or a chapter...or two.

One more thought for the day. My new car has XM satellite radio. It's very cool to drive listening to cable news while in the car even as I realize that the same stories are replaying again and again. Drive time interest seems to last about 10 minutes and when you have a 60-minute commute you need to switch around or you will be able to recite Colin Powell's interview with Brian Williams in its entirety like the Declaration of Independence. Also, you have to remember that once you listen to the New York traffic and weather channel ONCE you CAN switch off of it. The other day I listed to them droning for 10 minutes and then realized....it's not changing! What was I waiting for? The accident to MOVE?

Happy New Year albeit a couple of days late. We had a dialup connection when we were on the Outer Banks, which can make it a bit difficult to get much done online! I am amazed at how much I am dependent upon the Internet for information and communication. I will be away and look up recipes on Epicurious.com, the news at NewYorkTimes.com and I always am researching things that I hear about as we travel. The creeping dialup had me wanting to hurl the laptop on more than one occasion.

Read a lot this trip. Enjoyed Lisa Gardner's new one ALONE, which will be in stores on January 11th. Gardner gets stronger with each title and this one, which is a stand alone, is really powerful. The protagonist is a woman who was abducted as a child and who escaped her accuser. He's out of jail and has an agenda. But who has put him up to it --- and why? Gardner has done her research for this one, which makes it even more compelling. She describes shooting so well that I want to ask her if she spent any time at a range during her research.

Next up was MOST WANTED by a debut suspense/thriller author, Michele Martinez. I met Michele at Bouchercon in Toronto, but regrettably did not have much time to chat with her. After reading this book, I will track her down. It's the start of a series where the protagonist is a young prosecutor, who is grappling with a new baby, a marriage on the rocks and a killer career....Literally. The action is fast-paced and very well-written for a debut effort.

Now I am reading Sandra Balzo's UNCOMMON GROUNDS. I know Sandy in her other life as a book publicist. Though she is an award-winning short story author, this is her first novel. The story takes place in a coffee shop called Uncommon Grounds in a small Midwestern town. On opening day one of the three partners is found murdered. Sandy's writing is punchy and quick and thus this was the perfect book to enjoy during the end of the eight-hour car ride yesterday. I am not a coffee drinker (prefer Coke), but love the descriptions of the coffees, lattes and other concoctions that are served. Starbucks intimidates me to order anything beyond hot chocolate with whipped cream, which I love.

One more coffee story since getting started the day after a holiday takes a while. When we were on the Outer Banks we stopped into Duck's Cottage in Duck for some of the best hot chocolate that I have had. It's made with Ghiradelli chocolate and is rich and heavenly. There's also a great coffee bar and a nice sitting area for lounging and sipping. In this store last year I met Jamie Layton, who is one of the people who runs the place. We talked books for a while --- her favorite website was ReadingGroupGuides.com, which warmed my heart --- and in the course of conversation I asked her to review for us, which she has been doing a great job at. I love looking around her store as she has a keen eye for what to buy and has a terrific selection for a small store. Regret we did not get to see Jamie this trip! We also enjoyed Island Bookstore, also in Duck, which is larger than The Duck News Cafe. I love when a small town has TWO bookstores, both of whom are very supportive of one another. Each has referred me to the other when they did not have what I was looking for!

For the record...the house we are renting on OBX in late March will have broadband. I went through the rental book and found a great house that has this as a feature!