Has everyone read The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman? Discussion starts next week, so there’s still time. In fact, Kat, from Cross Eyed Kat, is leading the discussion, and she tells me that we can watch and listen to Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book himself online. Why don’t you pull up a needle and thread and have a listen? We’d love to have you join us in the discussion.

Remember, too, that May’s book is The Girls: A Novel, by Lori Lansens.

Now back to The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

I found an interview with Alexander McCall Smith on the Reading Group Guides website–my source for canned discussion questions.

In the final interview question, we learn that in addition to writing novels, Smith is a professor of medical law at Edinburgh University, and he plays in an orchestra that he co-founded.

This brings to mind the many childrens’ authors who have day jobs: librarians, booksellers, teachers, university professors, doctors, editors, agents, and on and on and on. Very few authors actually make a living writing books.

Meanwhile, someone on Facebook recently complained about the rising price of eBooks.

What do you think about this?

I’d say the cost of hard-copy books hasn’t risen much in my entire lifetime. The price of books–novels, anyway–has certainly not increased the way other costs have increased in recent years.