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Things you can buy that will prove your love of books, great books for kids of all ages, and two books we can’t wait for you to read.

Wear Your Books

Though many people are bemoaning the death of books and reading, there certainly seems to be a lot of book- and reading-related “things” you can buy. There are at least two companies currently making t-shirts for book lovers: Out of Print Clothing, which puts classic book jackets on shirts, and Novel-T, which creates a baseball style uniform shirt for famous characters from literature. If you’re looking to spend slightly more than the cost of a t-shirt (like $924,980 more) you can buy the Providence, RI house featured in H.P. Lovecraft’s story “The Shunned House.” Conversely, if you were hoping to buy the house that inspired Fitzgerald’s descriptions of Jay Gatsby’s residence, you’re too late. It was just torn down.

Kids’ Book Roundup, from Picture Books to Teens (7:28)

I gave books (and candy and toys) to my sons for Easter. Look! A Book! is by Bob Staake, who is a favorite author/illustrator of ours, He has created a fun and unique look and find book filled with pictures in his signature style. The Green Mother Goose by Jan Peck and David Davis, takes classic rhymes and gives them an eco-spin, and wait until you see the illustrations, which I just love! Ann just read a middle-grade readers book called The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone, a fantasy novel based on the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens, features three orphans who find themselves thrust into a world of magic. Ann thought it was a wonderful blend of Harry Potter, Narnia and Lemony Snicket. Divergent by Veronica Roth is set in a dystopic world in which the population has been divided into factions. The Mockingbirds, by Daisy Whitney, follows a group of students at an elite boarding school, dedicated to helping fellow students right wrongs. Alex, the main character, enlists the help of The Mockingbirds after she is raped. Finally, Ann and her family are eagerly awaiting the release of The Throne of Fire, book #2 in The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. Rick is doing many events in the northeast, so be sure to check out his calendar if you live up this way!

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (20:39)

Please Look After Mom is the first book by Kyung-Sook Shin to be translated into English, even though she is a bestselling author in her native South Korea. The novel deals with the disappearance of Mom and her family’s struggles to reconcile their perceptions of her with the woman she actually was. On a much lighter note, I just finished the audio of Tina Fey’s Bossypants. Hearing Tina read her story was both hilarious and moving. She manages to show us exactly who she is, and keeps us laughing the whole way. (And yes, I get to call her “Tina” since I feel like I know her now!)

*Don’t Forget our online chat about Something Missing by Matthew Dicks, on Thursday April 28 (full details here). Matthew will be phoning in halfway through the call to answer our questions!