Download This

From What Are Records?, a few gems for you; high-quality, free and legal:

What's Wrong With This Picture? - Lloyd Cole - Click here to download.

Today - The Innocence Mission - Click here to download.

When It's Raining - The Samples - Click here to download.

Parallel World - Glenn Tilbrook - Click here to download.

Bitch - Steven Lynch - Click here to download. This one will crack you right up and it's only one minute, 3 seconds.

What If That Guy From Smashing Pumpkins Lost His Car Keys? - Steven Lynch- Click here to download. Another fun one!

Eye Of The Hurricane (live) - David Wilcox - Click here to download. A classic tearjerker.

Freedom - Melissa Ferrick - Click here to download.

(NOTE: Be sure to right click to Save As on your hard drive, unless you're one of those Mac evangelists. I don't have a clue what you guys do.)

Random Stuff

My son was talking about an itchy spot on his leg and pointed it out to me. "It's right here mom, in my knee pit." After I laughed my ass off, I thought about it. Is there a name of the back of your knee? I don't think there is. I like my son's inventiveness.
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We saw Sky High today. It's a cute flick, but very formulaic Disney. Sort of The Incredibles meets a jocks vs. nerds teen flick. I picked the villain very early on, and my 8-year-old predicted another plot point about halfway through. High points are performances by Bruce Campbell and Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald (reunited from Kids In The Hall.) Hubby also made an early prediction that came to pass by the film's end. Disney is always going to be Disney!
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Since we don't have a pool and I avoid lake swimming around here (due to bothersome things like sewage spills), the kiddo and I took a 45 minute drive to Hanscom AFB on Friday to swim in the Olympic-sized enclosed pool. When we'd had enough pool fun, we headed to the ladies locker room to change. It's a typical locker room, with, of course, lockers, changing booths, and showers. When we entered, there was one person taking a shower. I wanted a quick showering off, so I instructed my son to change into his dry things and wait for me on the bench. I went into the changing room, peeled off the swimsuit, wrapped a towel around myself, took a quick shower, and returned to dry off and put on fresh clothing. That same person was still taking her shower as I got dressed. As I folded our wet towels and suits, I heard a loud, "YOO HOOO. I want to get out!!" coming from that shower room. OK, I get it. She saw my son and didn't want him to see her buck naked and dripping wet. No problem. I had him move to a bench by the door, where he could not see anyone's business. I kept folding and heard another, "Yoo HOOO!!" I turned around to see her head poking out of the shower area. "I'm naked. I want to come out and get dressed. Could you move over there?" She pointed toward the door. WHAT?? Isn't this a LADIES LOCKER room? I complied, but it irked me.

Why the hell do you strip naked and walk across the room to take a shower in the ladies locker room if you're that modest? Wouldn't you simply take your towel and clothing into the shower? It's got an outer changing area behind a curtain! And, by the way, there's no sign posted that says I have to leave the room if another woman's naked in there.
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Tomorrow is August 1. WHERE is the summer going?

Top 5 On Friday

Top Five "Weekend" Songs (Interpret as you like)

They need a weekend, don't you think?

Oh boy, this is going to be a mish-mash,since she said to interpret that as I like! But then, my weekends are a mish-mash anyway.

• Working For The Weekend - Loverboy - Sure, I poke fun of Loverboy now, but back in 1981, I could be seen dancing my ass off to this song. Of course, it was alone in the house. I had impressions to uphold, you know.
• Friday I'm In Love - The Cure - "Thursday I don’t care about you,it’s Friday I’m in love" Friday is just so full of promise, isn't it?
• I Don't Want To Work - Todd Rundgren - I don't really want to bang a drum all day, but I know I don't want to work either! Let's just go to the beach, eh?
• Saturday In The Park - Chicago - "People dancing, people laughing,a man selling ice cream" - Perfect!
• Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) - Pat Travers Band - I know it's a song about a pissed off guy who wants to punch somebody, but the music is just so "Let's PARTY!" - Click here* to download.

*Download available for 7 days only

On The Record

One More For The Road!

Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees



Released: February 1976
Purchased: September 1976

Album Rating: 5 Stars
Album Art: 5 Stars

Tidbits: This is Boz Scaggs' highest charting album. Reached #2 on the Billboard Pop Album chart, and #6 on the Black Album chart. Album contains 4 charted singles, and the song Lowdown scored the 1976 Grammy for Best R & B Song. Boz's studio backup consisted of top-notch session players, including David Paich (who co-wrote songs as well) and Jeff Porcaro, who went on to success in their own oft-maligned but much-loved band, Toto.

Let's peek in the wayback machine for a minute: It's September of 1976 and I'm fresh out of 9 weeks of grueling mental and physical shaping up at Navy boot camp in Orlando, FL. I'm single, I'm in the best physical condition of my life, and living in the barracks at NTC in San Diego while attending various schools to prepare for life as a Navy Radioman.

My best friend from boot camp, Lisa, lived in the same barracks, though she attended her dental technician school at Naval Station. We'd spend our evenings exploring the area near NTC, but most nights we'd end up at the Enlisted Club, sharing pitchers of 3.2 beer and dancing the night away. Boz Scagg's new album, Silk Degrees, was a favorite of the DJ's, so we danced to the Lido Shuffle, It's Over, and What Can I Say more than once! Sometimes we'd dance together (hey, they did it on Bandstand,) then fight off the crowd of lonely Navy guys who'd gather round our table. What is it about 2 girls dancing together that attracts the guys? I just don't know.

I actually purchased the album as an 8-track tape. I bought one of those cheap Panasonic models at the base exchange one payday.

My 8-track was just like this one!

This contraption and accompanying tapes took up most of my desk space, along with an alarm clock, photos of my family, and a few beer glasses that made their way back to the barracks from the Club. (We needed drinking glasses, that's all I'm sayin'!)

There were 4 of us assigned to each room, and every stinking one of us owned one of these 8-track players, though mine was the only blue one. I had to buy Silk Degrees so that we could jump around like crazy women and sing along in the room! I mean, just how many times could we sing along to Frampton Comes Alive? We needed to dance, dammit.

When I listen to Silk Degrees now, it brings back a flood of brilliant memories: Watching roommate Cathy singing We're All Alone into a hairbrush, listening to Harbor Lights at Ocean Beach at sundown, and cracking up at Lisa dancing to Lido Shuffle in an ape suit at the Club's Halloween bash. It's all good.

Even though it evokes the sound of that disco-ball age, Silk Degrees still sounds damn good today, at least to 48-year-old ears. Joe Wissert's slick production, ace musicianship by Paich, Scaggs, Tom Scott, Chuck Findlay, Jeff Porcaro, and Fred Tackett, and topped off by Boz's soulful vocals will make you feel like kicking off your shoes and dancing around the house!

The album art: 5 stars, you ask? Yes, it's just a simple photo of Boz on a bench by the beach. Notice the female hand at the far right? When you turned the album over, Boz was gone, but the hand is still there. That was brilliant!

Click here* to download Lido Shuffle. Now get up and dance, dammit!

Click here* to download the ballad, We're All Alone.

*downloads available for 7 days only.

Gumbo: It's What's for Dinner

Gumbo's good. I guarontee!

Although it requires a good deal of time standing over a hot stove and constant stirring, I find making a roux for gumbo is relaxing in the summertime. (Easily said by a woman whose house is cooled by central a/c, right?) I follow Emeril's recipe very loosely, since I throw in whatever I happen to have in the fridge. Today I found some smoked sausage and shrimp, so that's what the gumbo is to be. There are a couple of ears of leftover native sweet corn, too, so they're going into the pot. It's not the classic okra, but I hate that anyway. Besides, the flavor is in the roux!

I have my well-seasoned, 17-year-old cast iron pan and my special wooden spatula to perform this roux making ritual. Oh yes, like brewing a cauldron of potion, the preparation of the roux is the whole show here! I was never formally taught by a cajun cook, but I did watch Justin Wilson's old show on PBS, and our family friend Harry, a Cajun country native, sent me instructions in email 5 years ago. I will share his recipe with you:

Subject: Gumbo
Step No.1 (The most
important one) in making gumbo.
Have a bottle of your favorite wine ready.
Pour a glass and start drinking it before proceeding any further in making the
gumbo.

There are numerous recipes for making gumbo: Probably the most important part is making the roux' (pronounced "roo" as in kangaroo). How big of a gumbo pot are you going to be using? Mine is large enough for about 5qts of water, 1 whole cut up chicken, 1 or 2 packs of chicken breast, and 2 lbs of cut up sausage. When you start adding everything in the pot fills up fast. I think mine is a minimum of 15 qts.

Harry's Gumbo recipe: In the large pot add the 5 qts of water and begin heating. You don't want to add roux to cold water because the flour and oil may separate on you.

The Roux:
1 cup flour and 3/4 vegetable oil
Mix the flour and the oil in a heavy iron pot until it is thoroughly mixed before you turn on the fire under the pot. After it is mixed. turn the fire on medium to low, stirring constantly. Stir all over the bottom of the pot to be sure that no particles stick to the bottom. As you stir, the roux browns slowly. Don't cook your roux fast, because as it reaches the done point, it will be too hot and burn. When you is a rich dark brown, cut off fire immediately, while continuing to stir.
Some people tend to like a blond or peanut butter colored roux, so feel free to make it that way if you like. Cajuns tend to like it dark. and so do I-- if you feel comfortable that you won't burn the roux, cook it until it's a dark. reddish-almost but not quite as dark milk chocolate. There is a fine line between being perfect and burnt. I push mine to the limit. The roux, when finished, almost smells like roasted coffee ... yum! To cool my roux
I'll add my onions and bell pepper to the roux at this time. So add 2 large chopped onions and 1 chopped bell pepper. (Nat's note: I also add 2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped fine.) Have them chopped before you start cooking the roux. You won't have time to chop them they need to be ready to add immediately when roux is done. If done properly this smells wonderful.
The roux should take about 25 to 30 minutes of cooking/heating time once the fire is turned on. Since roux is cheap oil and flour I'd practice making it at least once before you go for broke on the big day. Also I add my red pepper and salt early in the making of the roux. Don't have clue on how much because I just shake away on the red pepper basically to cover the entire top of the roux fully. Go light on the salt.

Add roux to the heated (almost boiling) water. Let cook on low/sommer for about an hour before adding remaining ingredients.

There you have it! The rest of the ingredients can vary, including the offensive okra, shrimp, oysters, andouille or other smoked sausages, crab, fish, roast chicken, duck, or critter du jour. Instead of water, you can use stocks or a mix of water/stock. I like to use half chicken stock/half water when I'm making chicken/sausage gumbo. Harry's Gumbo is very liquid, but I like mine to have a thicker consistency, so I cut back on the water/stock. Tonight's gumbo was spot on, and I used 3 qts liquid to one batch of roux. Experiment!

Traditional accompaniments are rice, hot sauce, and a nice crusty bread. I like to have an ice cold Abita Beer, too! Now if you'll excuse me, the gumbo and beer are ready!

It goes with gumbo!

I'm Always Stealing Stuff From Paula

Paula at Ultrablog posted a link to this site, where you can invent your own vanity plate!


Here's mine:

You can also use this site to generate your very own church sign:

And you can create your own candy hearts:

Cuz I'm A Woman, W-O-M-A-N

I can wash out forty-four pairs of socks and have them hangin out on the line, but you'll have to pay me.

Good Morning America aired a story this morning about Kathy Thompson, an Indiana woman who is seeking a divorce from her low-down, lazy-assed scalliwag husband (Ok, so I added the adjectives. What's a little embellishment among friends?) That's not news; it is a common occurence in our times. The news is that she's got her hand out to the court, demanding back pay for all of her housewifely duties and troubles, to the tune of half a million bucks. They were married for 5 1/2 years, so hard-working Kathy wants roughly $100,000 per year in back pay for her services. HOLY CRAP! I had no idea I was worth that much in pay! I've been hitched for 22 years, so I'd be due over 2 mil for my varied services to the man of the house! Wow!

The more I ponder this, though, the more I just can't see how this would pan out. My "I Am Woman Hear Me Roar" side thinks this is fantastic and justified and screams, "You Go Kathy!!" My "Let's Get Real" side says, well, let's get real. What is the court to do? What about the soon-to-be-ex? Is he to counter with a demand for 1/2 payment for all rent/mortgages, utilities, food, cable tv, clothing, etc? Can you really break a marriage down into a tit-for-tat accounting? Should newlyweds start keeping records of these things, just in case "until death do us part" becomes "until he gets on my nerves?"

Take Me Back Tuesday

Name three songs that remind you of a car trip you have taken.

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles -Heard in the car on a fishing trip with my dad and grandpa. They always took my younger brother, so I whined about never getting to go along. Good thinkin', Nat! The car ride was the best part of the whole day! (I sat in the boat all damned day and had to keep quiet.)

The Warrior - Scandal - Heard over and over the summer of 84, to and from Alum Creek State Park to go swimming with stepdaughters, K and J, when they visited us in Ohio. I can still hear J singing along at the top of her 7-year-old lungs.

Angel - Sarah McLachlan - About 30 minutes after my mother-in-law passed away, I had to drive back to her apartment with our young son in tow. Precisely when I turned the ignition key, this song came on the radio. I broke down and cried the whole way across town.

Name three songs that are best heard in a car.

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Highway Star - Deep Purple

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - I'd have never included this until Wayne's World made it a classic head-bobbin' car tune!

Name three songs with cars in the title or lyrics

Ol' 55 - Tom Waits

Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen

Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys

Runners up: Chevy Van - Sammy Johns; Cadillac Ranch - Bruce Springsteen; Little Red Corvette - Prince; Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin; My Baby's New Porsche - T.Rex.

What's New This Week

If you're not paying attention, this is the last Tuesday in July! Here's what's new this week:

KJ Denhert/Adam Falcon - Song Writers Notebook

Brian Culbertson - It's On Tonight

Cameo - Gold - Word Up!!

Joan Armatrading - Gold

The Church - El Momento Descuidado - Acoustic and recorded in a weekend

The Dixie Dregs - Night Of the Living Dregs - rerelease

The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action - rerelease - Could be the pick of the week!

Fruit Bats - Spelled In Bones - Click here to download Lives of Crime from this new release directly from Sub Pop's site.

Natalie Imbruglia - Shiver

Bob Mould - Body Of Song - Yep Roc has a 30 second sample of Paralyzed from this cd here.

The Romantics - What I Like About You - rerelease

Del Shannon - various reissues

Joe Strummer - Walker (Bonus Tracks)

Last Girl On Earth in Providence

I think she's having too much fun, don't you?

Annie, Nat, and Deni after the show

Deni performing a sound check with her accordion.

Deni and Annie after the show.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 Songs Travel Songs

• Sail Away - Randy Newman
• Travelin' Light - Widespread Panic - click here* to download.
  
• City Of New Orleans - Arlo Guthrie, John Denver, or Steve Goodman
• Drive South - John Hiatt
• Sailin' Shoes - Little Feat

Runners Up: Drive - Incubus - click here* to download; Come Sail Away - Cartman from South Park - click here* to download and have a great laugh!; Sail On, Sailor - The Beach Boys; Space Truckin' - Deep Purple; Ride That Rail - Diane Zeigler; Travelin' Prayer - Billy Joel; Train From Kansas City - Neko Case

Cartman wants you to come sail away with him.

*downloads available for 7 days only, so grab Cartman while you can!

I'm So Lame: Another Quiz Post

Sure, I'm lame-o today, but these are fun. Right?

I made a Lyrics Quiz for you again! Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Dani's Birthday Mix

My friend and neighbor, Danielle, is turning 40 on Saturday. I'm going to miss her birthday bash, since I had plans to go see Last Girl's Providence, RI appearance. I do have gifts to send over, including a mix cd, which covers 40 years of hits (she likes top 40-ish music.)

Here's the playlist! (you can grab a couple of songs, too, if you like.)

1965:
Come See About Me - The Supremes
Let's Hang On - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers

1975:
One Of These Nights - The Eagles
Get Down Tonight - KC & The Sunshine Band
Love Will Keep Us Together - The Captain & Tennille

1985:
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
We Are The World - USA for Africa
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
What You Need - INXS - click here* to download.

1995:
Hand In My Pocket - Alanis Morissette
Waterfalls - TLC
Name - The Goo Goo Dolls
Do You Sleep - Lisa Loeb - Click here* to download.

2005:
Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
You And Me - Lifehouse
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Speed of Sound - Coldplay


*download available for 7 days only

Former Child Star Central

Wanna know what happened to one of your favorite, perhaps now-obscure child stars? "Like who, Nat?" you ask. For you over 40's, perhaps you've wondered what happened to Dawn Lyn, who played Dodie Douglas on My Three Sons (did you know she was Leif Garrett's sister?) How about Corin Nemec of Parker Lewis Can't Lose? (He's another one of those Hollywood Scientologists.) Check out what happened to your favorites right here.

Scotty Joins Bones in That Enterprise in Heaven

How many blogs are going to proclaim, "Scotty has beamed up to the final frontier!" Ya think?

RIP James Doohan.

Take Me Back Tuesday, Part Deux (Yes, I Know It's Wednesday)

Since Andrea wasn't on vacation after all, I jumped the gun by creating my own "Take Me Back Tuesday" post. Oops. Sorry, Andrea. Here's the real deal, and it's so five years ago!

1. List 5 songs you enjoyed from 5 years ago.

Camera One - Josh Joplin Group
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - The Jayhawks
Yellow - Coldplay
Life Is Beautiful - Amy Correia
Leaving Town - Dexter Freebish

2. List 5 albums you enjoyed from 5 years ago.

Smile - The Jayhawks
Parachutes - Coldplay
Gung Ho - Patti Smith
Transcendental Blues - Steve Earle
Life'll Kill Ya - Warren Zevon


3. What concerts did you see if in any 5 years ago? If you didn't see any, what bands did you want to see?

John Hiatt at Springfest in Pensacola, FL
Poco and Firefall at Mayfest in Destin, FL
John Hiatt at Avalon in Boston, MA

Take Me Back Tuesday

Music Memoirs is on vacation, so I'm doing the asking today, and it relates to "What's New This Week."

Name 3 artists you run out and buy right away when they release a new one, without reading a review or listening to samples and your favorite album from each.

1. John Hiatt - Slow Turning
   
2. Patty Griffin - 1,000 Kisses
   
3. Wilco - A.M.
   

What's New This Week

Brand spankin' new this week:

Emmylou Harris - The Very Best Of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways

Ace of Base - Ultimate Collection

Frank Black - Honeycomb - Recorded just prior to The Pixies reunion tour last year. I hear it's country-ish.

Marjorie Fair - Self Help Serenade - Listen here.

John Mellencamp - reissues, including Dance Naked

Carly Simon - Moonlight Serenade - another release filled with standards.

Bruce Springsteen - reissues

Iggy Pop - A Million In Prizes: The Anthology

Donovan - Mellow Yellow; Sunshine Superman - reissues w/bonus tracks (UK)

Robert Palmer - The Very Best Of The Island Years - includes a live cut of Simply Irresistible

Today Is...

Marine Day in Japan, a day when the Japanese ceremoniously visit the ocean. Since I'm a water sign, I feel a connection to this bit of ceremony. Let's see; I'm over an hour away from the ocean, but Lake Quinsigamond is nearby. I could rush down to the shore and ceremoniously do what? Skip stones? No, I'll just post a photo or two:

My youngest at Crystal Beach in Destin, FL - June, 2000.

Sunset in Destin, FL (pre-Hurricane Dennis)

Artist Of The Day

Beki Hemingway



Click here to download Fort Bragg free from pastemusic.com. Beki also sings lead vocals on Jonathan Rundman's You Never Last Where You Land, live recording available here.

Reminds me of: Jill Sobule

Customer Tally - Harry Potter Midnight Release Party

Number of customers I wanted to maim: Only one "lady", who had a ticket for one reserved-in-advance book, which entitled her to 40% off, but demanded the same 40% off for a friend of hers who came along and had no reserve (and was going to get a regular 30% off price instead.) She became rather rude and loud, and, of course, got her way. [Back story here: We'd been taking advance orders for this book for months and have been telling customers that if they reserved in advance, they'd get 40% off the cover price. Without the pre-order, the sale price is 30% off retail. Every walk-in customer was told this on the way IN to the store last night, too. Each customer was given a ticket to turn in at the register, and each ticket was marked as a "reserve" or a "walk-in."]


Number of customers I wanted to hug: Almost all the rest of them! So many great, enthusiastic kids in costumes!


Number of times I was questioned, "Do you know when the next one is coming out?": NONE! I was truly amazed at that.

Number of people in costume: Who can count? I know we had over 350 people with reserves, who had tickets. I'd say 25 percent of them were dressed up. And almost ALL of the children had some sort of costume, or at least a lightning bolt painted on their foreheads.

These are some Good Elves who came to help us out in the kid's section last night.

Best costume: My co-worker, Micaela.

This is Micaela! We asked her if that seat was unused.

Overheard: "No, this isn't a witch hat, it's a WARLOCK hat. GIRLS are witches!" Said by about a 10-year-old boy to his grandmother

One of my managers, Rebecca, in her witch costume. She's a girl, of course.

My night? I worked "the floor" during the evening, helping customers find books and music, handing out removeable Harry Potter tatoos, assisting with craft activities, and just generally filling the role of "floater." At 10 to midnight, I fought my way through the crowd to man the register. 5 of us had been hand-picked by the management due to our fast, efficient way of handling that task. Our tally when we reached the end of the line at 1:20 am: almost 400 transactions, totaling over 8400 bucks. Not bad for 80 minutes!

How To Get Big Hair

In this post, MommaK remarked that she used Rave Hairspray to obtain maximum volume in her younger, big-hair days. If you're so inclined to maintain such a style in 2005, here's the 411. (I have never done big hair, nor will I ever, unless, of course, I have only 6 hairs left on my entire head and I need some volume.)

By Request

Another quiz, as requested by Last Girl On Earth!! (This one's pretty easy, I think.)

I made a Quiz for you! Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Take Nat's Music Quiz! Amaze Your Friends!!

I made a Quiz for you! Take my Quiz! and then Check out the Scoreboard!

Top 5 On Friday

Top Five Songs With One Word Titles


Tempted - Squeeze

Melt - Phil Roy - click here* to download.

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Imagine - John Lennon

Time - Pink Floyd

Runners Up - Jane - Barenaked Ladies; One - Three Dog Night; Nightswimming - REM; Substitute - The Who; Persuasion - Richard Thompson; Monday - Wilco; Chickamauga - Uncle Tupelo; Peg - Steely Dan; Rain - Patty Griffin; Luka - Suzanne Vega; Horses - Patti Smith; Yellow - Coldplay; River - Joni Mitchell; Help! - The Beatles; Grace - Jeff Buckley; Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band

*download available for 7 days only

Artist Of The Day

James Blunt

Click here to visit his site. When you open this page, there's a lovely surprise...the background music.

Not much available to download, but this demo, Out Of My Mind, is excellent as it stands. iTunes has one song available, You're Beautiful. (and so is the song.)

Reminds me of: Ellis Paul or Angie Aparo.

We Are Not Afraid

Saw it on GMA this morning and had to check it out.

After the London bombings, one guy posted a photo of himself holding up a handmade sign proclaiming that he was not afraid. Almost immediately, he began receiving shots from others all over the world. There are now 80 galleries containing some photos of all sorts of folks (and animals) announcing their fearlessness. Have a look at them here.

My challenge to you: Send in your own shot proclaiming your lack of fear! See the site for guidelines, but I'll tell you now that the photos should not be anti-religion or political.

*photo from We Are Not Afraid site.

Too Many Harrys?

I spotted the headline Too Many Potter Books at Home? Sell One Back in Excite's entertainment news this morning and wondered why people would sell their dearly-loved copies of Rowlings' series after reading them time and again. We'd been taking orders for the new one, due out on Saturday, for MONTHS, and folks are just crazed in anticipation. Readers, even adult readers, are eager to get their hands on the next installment. In fact, I'm sure that I'll have to answer more than one "When's the next one coming out?" question over the course of the next few weeks.

What I didn't realize until I read this Reuters article is that people are buying more than one copy of the new book so that siblings can read the book at the same time.