Blue Willow-Houston

I have a favorite book store in Houston--it has all the right combination of independence, helpful staff, location, good suggestion and signed books. What more can a bibliophile ask for?

The Blue Willow Bookshop a definite stop when I go to Houston for business. I found it by happenstance--driving around, looking at the somewhat dismal strip malls that clutter Houston. Finding such a wonderful place was a total surprise --and has added to my too big reading pile.

I am a book whore. There is not enough time to read all the interesting books out there and for a long while I have been out of control--buying for the desire to read, not the need of a new book. I put restrictions on in 2009--more like a moratorium--that I would only buy signed first editions that I really wanted to read.

This helped until I found Blue Willow -- they offer a lot of author signings...and I walked out of there in November with too many signed, really interesting books. And got on the mailing list, of course.

This trip I was in town two nights. And Blue Willow had two author nights. Drat. What is a book whore to do but prostrate.

John Grogan, who wrote Marley and Me is now writing children's books about Marley. He is charming, as are the books. The signing was early so that kids could attend and he had them spellbound. His discussion on what the values are in the book was interesting--I just thought it was a cute book about Marley and The Kittens . Listening to him talk about the message of acceptance made me pause. And buy the book for my grand niece.

Elizabeth Berg talked the next night. She, too, is charming. And smart. And pretty. And completely at ease with her devoted audience. Her books are popular, a bit 'soft' for me but enjoyable. Just listening to the thought process is fascinating to me--how the ideas come and how the characters develop. When I got back home I found another signed hard cover book by Elizabeth from when I lived in Cincinnati and lived two miles from Joseph Beth Booksellers, still one of my favorite bookstores of all times. I don't remember going to her reading, but I am sure I did. I went to many at that bookstore. Loved Cincinnati-great bookstore, great yarn shop and the world's best coconut chip ice cream all within a two mile radius. It was a good thing.