Texas Pages

The site One-Minute Book Reviews will be announcing its shortlist for the Delete Key awards -- which "do not recognize the worst books' but the worst writing in books (typically, individual lines or paragraphs)."

Among the nominees is the Texas-based Devil in the Junior League.

(On a kinder note, a story about the book from our archives is attached below.)

Authors Jo Barrett ("This Is How it Happened (Not a Love Story)"), and Lisa Landolt ("Good Man Hunting") had been scheduled to appear 2 p.m. Saturday at Borders, Lovers Lane at Greenville Avenue.

Turns out, it will be a solo gig for Ms. Landolt: Ms. Barrett is being rescheduled.

Tracy Chevalier talks about the changing nature of her audiences in an interview with Joy Tipping. Chevalier's 2007 novel "Burning Bright" has been attracting fans of the subject, William Blake:

"There's quite a few men who really love Blake, I've discovered, and they're always easy to spot," she says. "They'll usually be sporting a beard, looking a little eccentric themselves, of like minds with Blake. And they always ask some persnickety little detail about him. The women love it; we all giggle together when that happens."

Fans of whatever gender will find her at Arts & Letters Live tomorrow night.

That Oprah -- she sure can move books.

The Associated Press notes that since she announced Eckhart Tolle's “A New Earth” as her next book club pick, it has been "the fastest-selling pick ever" at Barnes & Noble Inc.

Full story below.

Is under way. As mentioned earlier, Shin Yu Pai is speaking this very moment; a few additional details are posted here.

Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson will be in town April 16, much to the delight of the state's librarians.

That's because the pair, co-authors of "Peter and the Starcatchers," will be appearing at the Texas Library Association conference at the Dallas Convention Center that week.

Other authors attending include Rosemary Wells, Elizabeth Noble, Kathy Patrick and first daughter Jenna Bush.

Now, the fee schedule for this conference would baffle even those of you who memorized the Dewey Decimal system as a child. (Don't play dumb -- I know you're out there.) I did contact organizers and asked whether members of the general public could attend and was told, yes: "If the author you are interested in is signed up to be in the authors area then an exhibits only badge is sufficient. If the author is a speaker at one of our sessions or programs then that you will need an attendee badge and possibl[y] purchase a ticket if they are speaking at a meal function."

If I can get clarification on that, I will post it.

Meanwhile, perhaps you could also sneak in as a ringer on a bookcart drill team. (I always knew those librarians had dark secrets about what they did in the stacks after the doors were locked.)