Support Indie Booksellers with Your Gift Shopping This Year
If I were one of those gazillionaire writers who civilians mistakenly believe that all published authors and writers are, I would buy each and every one of you a gift for Christmas or Hannukah.Since I can't play Santa to you all myself, I figured this year I'd share some nifty places to shop, so that you can relay them to either Santa Claus or Saturday Night Live's Hannukah Harry.
I am lucky to live in Austin, Texas, for many reasons, inlcuding the ability to stroll through Book People, which was named Best Independent Bookstore of the Year by Publishers Weekly in 2005. If you can't get there in person, here is the link to their website, where you'll find not only tons of books, but one of the most irreverent selection of gifts you've ever seen.
I've never been to Powell's, but that's only because I've never been to Portland, Oregon. Like many of you, I've heard a lot about this great indie bookstore. Fortunately, those of us who don't live in Portland can still shop at Powell's online. You can immerse youself in their vast collection of new and used books and a nice gift recommendation page.
We book junkies find ourselves anywhere the books are, including the national chain, Half Price Books, which not only sells us new and used books, but buys the books we've actually decided to part with. My local Half Price Books won me over with a knowledgeable staff, big overstuffed purple chairs, and the most incredible coffee I've ever had in my life. The flavor is called Mudslide, and when I asked one of the bookstore employees who made this coffee, he told me about a nearby San Angelo, Texas roaster called DeCoty Coffee Company. Here's a link to the DeCoty site so that you, too, can enjoy their Mudslide coffee -- comfy purple chair and books not included. My favorite, Mudslide, is a delicate blend of chocolate, coconut, and vanilla, but they also have many other varieties and products to choose from.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah!
Peace to All, and to All a Good Book!
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Feature
Nina L. Diamond's Annual Christmas Carol Parody
Deck the Halls of Publishing and Sing Along
Holiday Greetings! Here, dear readers, is Nina L. Diamond's annual Christmas Carol Parody, this year sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas...
(What Your Agent Gave You On) The Twelve Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
A cartridge and publicity.
On the second day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the third day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Eight days of Larry King,
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Nine lackeys ranting,
Eight days of Larry King,
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Ten tours, no sleeping,
Nine lackeys ranting,
Eight days of Larry King,
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Eleven papers hyping,
Nine lackeys ranting,
Eight days of Larry King,
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my agent gave to me
Twelve Pulitzers coming,
Eleven papers hyping,
Nine lackeys ranting,
Eight days of Larry King,
Seven contracts winning,
Six readers raving,
Five Oprah Picks!
Four Caller IDs,
Three red pens,
Two blurbs I love,
And a cartridge and publicity!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
* * * * *
Nina L. Diamond is a journalist, essayist, and the author of Voices of Truth: Conversations with Scientists, Thinkers & Healers. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Omni, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and The Miami Herald.
Ms. Diamond was a writer and performer on Pandemonium, the National Public Radio (NPR) satirical humor program, for its entire run in Miami and select markets nationwide from 1984-1998. As an editor, she works frequently with other authors and journalists on both fiction and non-fiction.