Summary: A mish-mash of things we want to tell you about. Connecting with a stranger over the shared love of an obscure book. Raves for Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo, and History of a Pleasure Seeker by Booktopia VT author Richard Mason Odds and Ends(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/inmybook-112x300.gif) Segment one this week is a cornucopia of bookish news: * Check out this line of bookmark greeting cards: In My Book (http://www.inmybook.com/index.php), with lovely illustrated fronts that can be detached and used as bookmarks, has been around for over ten years. They are new to me, but not a new line of cards as I mistakenly say in the podcast. They're very cool and you can probably buy them at a store (http://www.inmybook.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7&chapter=10) near you! * Many folks attending Booktopia have started a The Sense of an Ending (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11804738-the-sense-of-an-ending) read-along. They'll read the book now, then discuss it at the Booktopia events (so far we have attendees for VT and MS reading along). We've decided to expand the event into a sort of "One Podcast, One Book" and we encourage you all to read the book and share your thoughts at our Goodreads group (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/111194)! (For more info on the three Booktopia events, click here (http://booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com/).) * Last week I told you about Quiet (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet) by Susan Cain, who will be joining us at Booktopia VT. Since being published, Quiet has been anything but. It's been getting tons of attention and Susan is scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report (http://www.colbertnation.com/) on 2/16. Set your DVRs!(http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/library-book-184x300.jpg) * A recent article (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/03/julian-barnes-defence-of-the-book) in The Guardian alerted Ann to The (http://www.profilebooks.com/the-library-book-out-now/)Library Book (http://www.profilebooks.com/the-library-book-out-now/), a very cool sounding collection of "famous writers on libraries real or imagined, past and future; why libraries matter and to whom." It's a book that's only available in the UK, as far as we can tell, but we're sure hoping it will published in the States so we can check it out as well! * Some folks are using The BOTNS 12 in '12 Reading Challenge (http://booksonthenightstand.com/12-in-12-reading-challenge) as a way to visit 12 bookstores they've always meant to see in person. In that vein, we'd love for everyone to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and briefly describe your favorite bricks-and-mortar (i.e. physical) bookstore. Kindred Spirits (12:00) Ann has been geting back into knitting, and recently discovered 2 Knit Lit Chicks (http://2knitlitchicks.com/), a podcast that is half about knitting and half about books. When Barb, one of the women on the podcast, recommended The Sex Lives of Cannibals (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11077.The_Sex_Lives_of_Cannibals) by J. Maarten Troost, Ann actually cheered out loud. It was that exciting moment when you find out that someone else shares your love of a less-than-well-known book. For me, it happened recently when someone friended me on a social networking site and his favorite book listed was Pfitz (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1292596.Pfitz) by Andrew Crumey, a book I sadly thought I was the only person in the world to have read. In the comments below we'd love to hear what obscure book would make an instant connection between you and another fan. And Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (21:44) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/beautiful-forevers-201x300.jpg) (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pleasure-seeker-180x300.jpg) Behind the Beautiful Forevers
