I knew that my lovely and talented cousin Alissa Nutting’s debut collection of short stories, Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls, was on its way from Starcherone Books this year.

I can’t wait.

What I seem to have regrettably missed, however, is that Starcherone featured Alissa not once but twice on its blog in August.

Click here and here to read all about the brilliant work she’s got in the oven.

I’m so proud of you, Alissa! You’ve been a great friend and confidante (who listens and gives great advice over Mexican food), and I can’t wait to see your wicked wits and ways with words splashed across printed pages.

I’ll post more details about Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls, including its release date, as soon as I’ve got them.

And I’m sure I can arrange an interview with the author when the time comes.

Okay. I just finished the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I’m ready to review it.

Big thanks to my grandfather’s big old blue recliner, in which he himself once read so many books, for its sterling assistance and comfort, and to the two days’ worth of Chinese food I picked up from You-A-Carry-Out-A yesterday on my way home from work to provide sustenance for the journey.

I’m going to talk about everything, including the ending, so now’s the time to go read about Indiana Jones or Batman if you’ve not yet finished The Deathly Hallows. Continue reading →

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is out tonight at midnight:01.

My friends Melissa and Mike invited me to the super-awesome release party at Destinations Booksellers here in New Albany tonight, which begins with a super-awesome Harry Potter-themed dinner at the super-awesome La Rosita Mexican restaurant at 7. (They have the best guacamole and the largest quesadillas ever.)

And despite how much fun that sounds, I’m not going to go because a) I don’t want to be around a bunch of Harry Potter fans who might be talking about the ending, which has already spread like wildfire online and b) I don’t want to go to jail for subsequently punching somebody’s 11-year-old in the face for ruining the book for me.

So I’ll probably run out to Kroger at 12:01 and snag the book for a whopping 40 percent off.

Maybe there’ll be some protesters there. You know, like those crazy people who burn Harry Potter books because J.K. Rowling had the nerve to get kids excited about reading again by writing a beautiful series of fun, adventurous books about friendship and hope and love and honor and believing in yourself.

If I’m going to punch anybody in the face over Harry Potter, I’d like it to be one of those people.

I’ll wear my Batman t-shirt, just in case.

What about you? Are you going to go out and buy it, too?

I’m going to try to read the whole thing this weekend. Review coming soon.