Today

This morning at 7:00 a.m. it was nine degrees warmer than yesterday at that time. That is to say, it was nine degrees. This is inspiring in the manner that hiding under covers and not coming up for air until March (or May) is an act of inspiration.

If you live somewhere where it’s still acting like fall, or summer, or spring, I want you to know that I’m not jealous. I’m FINE. And I’m warm here inside my house with my heater pad and my furnace blowing and my fireplace a switch-flip away. So don’t worry about me. Even if you don’t see me step out of my house for eight months. Or so.

Okay, only kidding. Tonight I’m leaving the house! Really! I’m going to Salt Lake City to Ally Condie’s book launch for REACHED, the book we’ve been waiting for around here for A LONG TIME (a year, people — a whole year). The party is hosted by The King’s English, but located at Rowland Hall (843 Lincoln Street, which is close to 900 south and 900 east) because Miss Ally’s parties are TOO BIG FOR THE BOOKSTORE. Because, Ally herself is a remarkable woman, and her books are fantastic (which you probably don’t need me to tell you if you’ve read them, or the NY Times, or the Wall Street Journal, or Publishers’ Weekly, or any manner of reviews that say “Yes, MATCHED and CROSSED and REACHED are wonderful, lyrical, beautiful, heart-wrenching, adventurous, intelligent, mind-bending masterpieces.” [I’m paraphrasing]).

Hey, here’s a big idea. How about you can win a copy of REACHED? I’ll buy an extra one tonight and have Ally sign it for one of you. She has lovely, legible penmanship, which is a bonus in a signed book, don’t you know. Leave me a comment here, and you’re in for the drawing of the century! (Okay, that was a little dramatic. Sorry.) But it might help you get started on that Christmas book shopping thing, which I can’t quite bring myself to get into just yet… So, in order to win a brand-spanking-new copy of REACHED, just live in the US or Canada and leave me a comment. I’ll draw on Friday, how ’bout that? And if you win, you’ll be glad. (You’ll probably want to hustle out and read MATCHED and CROSSED before I get this to you.)