I think I’ve finally got down what I’m going to say at the event at my high school. Good thing, since it’s a week from today. After that’s over, I’ll come back here and post some of it.

In the mean time, I’ll try to keep from freaking out re: public speaking. I need to do some adventurous, thrill-seeking things this week to give me some perspective. Speaking in front of an audience is a lot less scary than, say, confronting a giant snake or zip-lining. If I could arrange a quick zip-line off of the Sears Tower this week…

(I’m not calling it the Willis Tower. Whoever Willis is, he can forget it.)

This event and the return of my teammate at work coincide on March 7. I’m so looking forward to March 7. The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train.

After March 7: writing! And some reading. I bought another e-book—this instantaneous shopping from your couch thing is going to be quite dangerous—and I conquered most of my chores and to-dos yesterday. So today might be a reading day.

You can tell I’m a book nerd by how glorious I think the phrase “reading day” sounds.

I read a book last week that you need to go get. Right now.

10. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter– Tom Franklin
I loved this book. One of the best things I’ve read in a long time, and I broke my no ratings rule on Goodreads.com in order to give it 5. It’s a mystery, but it’s also very literary. Great characters, Southern gothic settings, great description and a slow reveal on the past. I read it slowly to make it last, and that is my highest compliment. It’s up for a best novel Edgar award, and I hope it wins. I’ve only read one of its competitors, but still, you can tell: This one deserves an award. Got it from the library, so now I owe this guy some backlist purchases.

Greg had never heard of the way to spell Mississippi that this book title refers to. Maybe he didn’t spend as much recess time jumping rope as I did?

M-I-Crooked Letter Crooked Letter-I-Crooked Letter Crooked Letter-I-Humpback-Humpback-I.

What’s the last great thing you read? Taking wishlist recommendations for my birthday in March.