Howdy

Last night I finished that Le Guin young adult novel. What a satisfying book. I think I might follow this news series for a while. I am definitely going to read the first book in the series since it features two characters that play a major role in this book. From what I have read they are in their teens in the first book. I wonder if that will be a motif in these novels, a character or characters from earlier novels interacting with teens that are the main characters in later novels? That would be a great idea. Instead of a linear series of books you can explore a world through story and show younger readers that adults were once teens like themselves. It's also a good way to show how fleeting is youth.

Today I went to a nearby retirement community to deliver a book talk. It was received well but I feel like a screwed the pooch this time out. I said "um" a lot more than is acceptable. I need to have better notes next time. I used these same books for a program last month that went well and I thought I was ready. I need to remember to bring notes because they bail out when I get nervous and lose my place. If I look down for a second at my notes and take a swig of water I can move on smoothly. Without notes I jump around too much and the presentation loses its flow. I don't like making notes but going without doesn't work that well.