Link-Madness Continues

Yeah, I know it's Wednesday and I usually write something more substantial, but there are a bunch of links I missed and lots to do at home. So check it out:

*Shelf Awareness on Tuesday noted that it seemed to be indie bookstore weeked for the Associated Press, with not only the story I linked about niche bookstores hitting national papers, but this article (here in USA Today) about indie store struggles and successes. More optimistic facts from Oren Teicher; more head-shaking pity from the reporters about those poor indie bookstores. But this does give some good attention to the good stuff that's going on in good stores. The AP really likes that photo of the guy next to the "Invasion from Mars" poster, huh?

*You've probably already heard that everyone's favorite radio voice Garrison Keillor is opening a bookstore in St. Paul, but here's the whole story from Bookselling This Week. This is only one of many stories of bookstore openings, anniversaries, and other milestones this week, but it's fun to have a famous name inolved. I wonder if you'll be able to actually walk in and say "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch" to the man himself? (Wait, is that even him who does the Writer's Almanac?) In any case, I love the description:

Store signage will read "Corner Books" and beneath that, in smaller letters, will be "G. Keillor, Prop." The store's tagline, created by Keillor, is "Live local. Read large."

* I found a new cool bookstore blog purely by accident: Downtown Books in Memphis, TN is doing the Blogspot thing. The 9/11 post links to an article in the Memphis Daily News about the store's inception. Good bookish writing, very cool store.

* It's been a while since I mentioned my hero among bookstore blogs:Atomic Books in Baltimore, MD. It's quirky and local and the whole staff is involved. When I have a store, this is what my blog is going to look like. But when, oh when, am I going to make it to Baltimore and visit all the cool bookstores there???

* Oh, and hello: Kiran Desai has just won the Man Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss. Hooray for her! Since David Mitchell didn't even make the short list this year I hadn't been paying much attention to the buildup to the prize announcement, but it is always exciting to have a new book-of-the-year to discuss. I haven't read Desai's book, but by all accounts it's a heartbreaking but fabulous thing. Take a look and report back.

Okay, off to make some yummy soup and wait for the delivery guys from the Container Store to deliver those delectable organizing contraptions that are going to change our lives around here. Enjoy the day.

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