BEA

Today is the first official day of Book Expo America being held at the Javits Center in New York. For Those of us who love books and authors, BEA is the Superbowl. Meg Cabot spoke this morning at the Children's Book and Author Breakfast. Those of you who have been following me from the beginning know how I feel about Meg Cabot. Man, I wish I was there. I feel like the kid who goes to the Garden to watch the Knicks and says to himself 'one day... one day'. For a complete listing of the BEA schedule go here BEA website.

While I am not at BEA, hob-knobbing with book lovers and authors, I am still going to spend some time today talking about one of my great loves--books. I took a few books with me when we went on vacation--to Atlantis in The Bahamas. It was a beautiful place, but it rained every day we were there, which is why there are no photos of me outdoors. The rain gave me plenty of time to read... and discover my favorite new (new to me) TV show, Jon And Kate Plus Eight.

The first book I read The Brightest Moon of the Century, is the first novel by my friend and fellow USC Professional Writing alum, Christopher Meeks. It follows the life of Edward from childhood, until he has children of his own. My favorite part is when Minnesotan, Edward, and a friend decide to manage a mini mart in a trailer park in Alabama. They take the job without ever having visited the place, and go to Alabama looking for adventure... And boy do they find it. This is a terrific read, a fun yet touching book. If you'd like to purchase the book or see some reviews Click here: Amazon.com: The Brightest Moon of the Century: Christopher Meeks: Books

Another book I read is the Pulitzer Prize winning. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Wow! What a truly amazing book. It's the sad story of overweight day dreamer, Oscar, and the de Leon family from The Dominican Republic, now settled in New Jersey. I bought this book last year and just go around to reading it. I caution you that at times it's quite sad, but it is the best book I've read in a long time. Click here: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz - Penguin Group (USA)

And so with vacation over, and books on the brain, I head off to do some writing of my own.

Sleep tight, don't let the zombies bite.