• They say that life imitates art.  So what happens when life precedes art by a month or so?  I recently read and greatly enjoyed N.D. Wilson's upcoming fantasy novel 100 Cupboards, due on shelves everywhere in December.  If Mr. Wilson's name sounds familiar that may be because I've been pumping up his Leepike Ridge with all the power my noodle-like arms will allow.  Back to 100 Cupboads, then.  In this novel a man decides to sell tumbleweeds on the Internet to people who will pay big money for them.  He does so on eBay for a time but eventually loses his bidders because someone else in the world is willing to offer certification that their tumbleweeds are better.  Pretty silly, eh?  Well, somebody let Mr. Wilson know that a piece came over the AP today, and it's all about a woman who sells her own tumbleweeds.  Because his new book hasn't come out yet, few will find the correlation all that interesting.  You better go out and read 100 Cupboards when it hits bookshelves just to make sure, though.

• Ever wanted to smell like your favorite character?  Who hasn't?  Yes, the line between fiction and reality grows more and more tenuous with every passing day. Accompanying a picture that looks like what would happen if Neil Gaiman was midway through morphing into Alan Rickman, we have a full range of American Gods scents. It boggles the mind, does it not? Think of the applications above and beyond Mr. Gaiman. What if you could smell like Mrs. Coulter? Or dabble in a bit of Twilight? Just think of this: Edward Cullen body spray. Oh, like someone isn't already working on that. Honestly. Thanks to Susan Moorhead for the link.

• From Cynopsis Kids: "With David Yates set to return to direct Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, he helmed this year's HP and the Order of the Phoenix. The cast will include two noted actors Jim Broadbent who will play Horace Slughorn, the Potions Professor, while Helen McCrory takes on the role of Narcissa "Cissy" Malfoy, mother of Draco Malfoy, who is described as having a look on her face as if she there was something smelly under her nose. The cast will also feature a number of young newcomers. Additionally, Bruno Delbonnel comes to the Harry Potter movie, serving as Director of Photography."

McCrory, should you wonder, played Tony Blair's wife in The Queen.

• You know that people have gotten serious about creating graphic novels for children when people like Francoise Mouly get in on the act.  Ms. Mouly is the wife of Art Spiegelman and just happens to also be the New Yorker's art director too.  I had the pleasure of hearing about her newest creation, TOON Books, at the CBC party last week, but was advised to zippa me lips until the official announcement was made.  Essentially, it's easy reader comic books.  A quick flash through my own personal memory drives and I realized all too quickly that these are sort of lacking in the libraries of America.  You've got your Babymouse, your Owly (wordless, mind), but for stuff along the lines of Frog and Toad, you're up a tree.  The books may be nice.  I got a chance to glimpse at Agnes Rosenstiehl's Silly Lilly and it reminded me of nothing so much as Little Nemo meets Harvey Comics. In a good way.

• SLJ has just released its Best Books of 2007 list.  It did well in the Schlitz department but was sorely lacking Taylor-wise.  And honestly, who goes with There is a Bird on Your Head when My Friend is Sad is still an option?  Curiouser and curiouser.  Guess I'll have to polish up my own list soon. 
  

• Well, it had to be said. Thanks to Shaken & Stirred for linking to it.

Speaking of Shaken & Stirred links:

I always had my suspicions.  Perhaps I'll indulge in more SAT words in my spare time.  Guess I should make it required reading for my homeschooler bookgroup too.