The Texas Library Association Conference: Amazing Wonderfulness Comes to an Abrupt End

Imagine this: Thousands of people, all of them either talking books or reading books or carrying books or looking for books. A beautiful place, acres and acres, with tables and boxes and shelves and stacks of brand-new, shiny books. People openly covet your "Read" t-shirts. People are envious of the author signatures you have obtained. You've discovered a brand new line of early literacy books and you can't wait to share the summer reading program at HEB with your coworkers back home. "Would you like this free book?" is a common question. You tote pounds of books home to share with your students and fellow teachers and patrons of our Little Libraries. There are authors everywhere, talking about their latest books, autographing books, giving away books.

It's Book Paradise. It's the Texas Library Association Conference.

You know it's paradise when the opening session speaker is Rick Steves. Did they ask Rick Steves to speak just for me? 

I was thrilled to see the latest Narwhal and Jelly book. My students will be, too.

It's only in paradise that you can snap a photo with Selena, right?

All the authors. Left to right and spiraling to the center: Dan Santat; Deborah Hopkinson; David Wiesner; Roxie Munroe; Jennifer L. Holm; Juana Martinez-Neal; A. C. Gaughen; Kenneth C. Davis; Jane Yolen; Christopher Paul Curtis; Kami Garcia; and Jen Bryant.

Where is your photo of all the lovely books you collected at TLA, I hear you ask. I apologize, but this photo of my jumbled bags of books is the best I can do:

Why? Well, this happened:

All good things must come to an end, and, unfortunately TLA came to an end for me with a literal bang, with a close encounter with a sidewalk. My left thumb tried to help, and I ended up spending my last hours in Dallas at Baylor University Hospital. It could always be worse; it was dislocated, and the bone shot through the skin, but nothing was broken. A sharp pop and the bone went right back into place, and now I'll spend time healing from bruising and stitches. Still, thank you, Fairmont Hotel driver, David, who saw me into the hospital, and district librarians who left the conference early to get me home.

What are you reading today? 

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week. 

 It is now being hosted here.

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is now being hosted at The Book Date.