Randomly

A round-up of positive things to think about after yesterday:

From Mitali’s Fire Escape, a list of children’s and YA books to talk about and think about yesterday’s anniversary, and the deaths in 2001, and Chicken Spaghetti answers the question of how art has helped her make sense of the worst of it. Via Book Moot, we’re pointed, by way of a fabulous quote, to the New York Times interview with Katherine Paterson, who discusses the characters she writes. Characters with difficult lives, Paterson notes, are more the norm than not. Somebody has to write about them. Hear, hear! Read the first chapter. (My apologies for the NY Times membership thing, but you only have to register once.)

Via Not Your Mother’s Bookclub, more entertaining novel stupidity: Name Your Very Own Bestselling YA Novel! The first lines say, “Need some extra cash? Why not write a Young Adult novel? They’re so easy, why, they practically write themselves! All you need is a title, and you can watch the money roll in… “Um, yeah. My title is The Not-So-Terrible life of a Braless Vampire. Ummm… don’t ask.

Those of us who were sad when Cody’s in Berkeley closed down can have a little happy moment: Cody’s can now be found at the Oakland airport. It’s not perfect, but decent books from an independent source at an airport? Sweet.

A not-so-positive note I meant to mention earlier: what is with this James Frey thing? People who bought his book before he told the truth about its fabrications are now eligible for refunds? If everyone who lied had to pay people in cash, we’d have no poverty, and the presidents would be broke. Is this overkill? The power of Oprah? A one-man example? What? Does anyone else think this is a bit much?