Powell's Books Wants Your Two Cents

I know you. You like to talk about books with me. Every time you come to the Library, we share what we've read lately, and why we liked or did not like particular books.
Well, I just discovered that Powell's Books will PAY us to do the same on their website:
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/contest/dailydose_contest
They're fiendishly clever. Each day, they pick a regular person's comment about one of the books Powell's sells, feature that comment on their website, and that person gets a $20 gift certificate for books from Powell's. Hmm. I think I might actually try it. Let me know if you win. I'll let you know if I win, too! Twenty bucks isn't bad for a 30-second book blurb.
(and no, I don't own stock in Powell's Books. I just like to win stuff...and I know you like to win stuff too. I'm talking to you, Mary Ann! Yes, and Susan too! And Marina! And Richard! And at least forty other people I don't have space to type in here! But you know who you are. Do it now!!!)

Thank you, Melissa Marr!

Several weeks ago, while scouring the internet in my never-ending quest for all things fascinating and wonderful in the land of books, I discovered that New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr was offering a small number of copies of her books to schools and libraries, first come, first served. So, I sent her an email request. She responded very kindly and positively, and today...she visited the Library to present the Young Adult section with autographed copies of her books Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and also a copy of Love Is Hell, a book of short stories by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. Melissa even donated three T-shirts, and Ink Exchange temporary tattoos. Such generosity!

Wicked Lovely spent 11 weeks as a New York Times Bestseller, (going up to #2), was an LA Times fiction bestseller, and is on Amazon's "Best Books of the Year So Far" list (one of only TEN in the children/teen category).

I was completely surprised that she visited in person (I had thought that she would probably mail the books to us), but not too surprised to grab the nearest Melissa Marr fan and take a picture for this blog!
(l-r: Melissa Marr, Keira Richardson (holding the Library's new copy of Ink Exchange.)

Melissa is from this area. She grew up in Hollidaysburg and frequently visited our local libraries, and in her own words, "H-burg Library gave me hours of joy growing up."

You can visit Melissa Marr's website at www.melissa-marr.com. Her next book, Fragile Eternity, is coming out in April.