Book Birthday Bacon Parties

I remember a couple of years ago, watching all the YA authors talk to each other on their blogs and Facebooks and feeling a little like the new kid in school. The other kids don't gang up and pelt you with pickles or anything, but you're still left feeling a little scared to go up to someone and say, "Hey. I've got Mrs. Frankenstein for science, and I hear she's pretty crazy."

But you do it, because most of the experts tell you it's necessary (except for the ones who tell you it isn't, and how confusing is THAT?). And you realize that a) Mrs. Frankenstein really IS crazy--she's got a monster in her closet, and b) those kids (or YA authors) aren't so exclusive after all. They're happy to talk to you. You begin to laugh at Old You for getting so neurotic over it in the first place, because yes, the big authors ARE busy, and maybe they take a long time before they say something back because they're trying desperately to build a time machine and get CAUGHT UP FOR ONCE. But they're nice.

And you realize that this is one of the BEST PARTS about working in kidlit these days--people don't have their heads shoved up their hind parts. There's always a noteable exception, of course, but by and large, the people who I've met in this business have been the kind of people I'd gladly invite to dinner parties, except I don't throw them. But the next time I throw a bacon party, y'all are on the invite list.

And today, I'm throwing virtual bacon parties for some of the nicest people I know in kidlitdom! Today's book birthdays include:

Kim Harrington's CLARITY, the subject of much cover envy on my part!


Rachel Hawkins' DEMONGLASS, the source of my desire to run around maniacally and shout, "AMAZEBALLS!"


Lisa and Laura Roecker's THE LIAR SOCIETY, the source of my sudden, inescapable desire to dye my hair pink!


Huge happy book birthdays to them! Are you planning to read any of these? Because you SHOULD.

OH, and that's not all. I'm currently drooling over uber-nice Stasia Kehoe's COVER OF GORGEOUSNESS, which was just released. Is this or is this not SCORCHING HOT?