MotherReader

I was all set to break out of my doldrums with an exciting new idea for the blog. I’m going to update my ABC Storytime with reviews of Cybils-nominated picture books and give away the reviewed books to one lucky winner. A mini-ABC Storytime library! Fun!

But then Amazon had to have go and have some Issues. Well, crap. Because while I defend my right to be an Amazon Associate against the argument that Amazon kills Indies, I was having some serious concerns about linking dozens of books to Amazon with all that going on.

And I don’t like arguing. I don’t want to talk any more about whether the book should have been pulled by Amazon or whether that’s censorship. The book was self-published for the Kindle, but was against Amazon’s own policies for digital content. I don’t know how it got through in the first place, but Amazon can certainly remove a digital book — that it is in essence publishing — when that book violates its own standards. That’s not censorship or a threat to free speech. Nor do I believe that action opens up Amazon to removing other content just because a group of people find it objectionable. The book wasn’t removed because a lot of people complained, but because a lot of complaining people brought to Amazon’s attention a horrifying mistake. Certainly, they stalled with their knee-jerk censorship response. But I’m sure after the head honchoes sat down with the lawyers, PR folk, marketers, and probably a psychic or two, they realized their error and took it down. Done. Now, if the government steps in to ban the book, then we can talk about censorship or free speech. Looking forward to it.

But anyway, that put me behind on starting my new feature, and the weekend is always such a wash, so look on Monday for instructions on how to win twenty-five picture books! (Yeah, I’m not doing X.) In the meantime, I updated the links on my 105 Ways to Give a Book if you want to start some early shopping. And now that I can support Amazon again — whew! — I can point out this wonderful list for book-buyers. I’ll be updating it with more ideas and new books after Thanksgiving — as is appropriate.

I think I did a decent job of wrapping up my favorite Harry Potter posts from the kidlitosphere, but I totally missed one outside our area of expertise until today. See, I haven’t been reading my Just For Fun blogroll, and that is a punishable crime. My funny favorite blogger Defective Yeti has a hilarious post from the point of view of the Amazon warehouse employee. Please, go and read it.

Need a sample? Well, the phrase “who doesn’t know Hogwarts from genital warts,” pretty much cracked me up. (Oh, while you’re there, check out his take on the CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate. If you’ve ever looked at comments on YouTube, you’ll lol.)

As it turns out, I probably screwed up. I was supposed to write an article for The Edge of the Forest, and I could not get over my writer’s block. I mean, I finally did, but I think I sent it in too late, and I feel kinda bad. The whole thing leads me to wonder about being a real writer, like Pinnochio wanted to be a real boy. What do you do if the inspiration won’t come?

At this time, I take a nap. I find that thinking about what I want to write as I’m resting makes the ideas flow together in interesting ways. Of course, the problem comes if I actually fall asleep and forget the whole thing. Or if other ideas keep intruding on my meditation. I’ll want to think about my article, and instead I’ll wonder if Paris Hilton shopping a kids’ book will make the whole children’s publishing industry silently implode.

Generally, my nap technique works, but apparently not always. So I need some writer tricks. Anyone want to share?

As a token of my appreciation for your inspired help, I offer tidbits from the area in which I excel: bargain shopping. Sometimes at work, I’ll scroll down the lists of bargain books at Amazon. It’s fun when I’m at the reference desk, because it’s a totally mindless thing to do and I can stop at any point to help someone. Of course, it’s always a great reminder of what’s out there — or what’s been out there. Summer is a great time for shopping, because lots of the Christmas books are half off or more, and they dump all the extra Mommy and Daddy books from Mother’s and Father’s Day. Then the list is filled with fairly random titles as well — some good, some... not so much. Here are my picks.

Every once in a while, different books from the Mo Willems collection go on discount. A week later, the titles are back on the inventory list at regular price. I have no idea why this happens, but I take advantage of it to put away presents for friends and family. Right now you can buy Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! and The Pigeon Finds a Hog Dog for $5.99, and Leonardo The Terrible Monster for $6.99.

Remember all the fuss about Cathy’s Book? No? Well, in my opinion, it turned out to be a pretty decent teen book with lots of paper stuff — notes, napkins, photos — tucked in a front cover pocket. Now this title can be yours for $5.99.

It looks like I was too late for the bargain Mommy books, but not too late for this funny story: My Dad’s Job, priced now at $4.99. This book was written by Books of Wonder owner Peter Glassman and cleverly illustrated by my New York City escort, Timothy Bush, and shows a boy’s misunderstandings of his father’s work stories.

I managed to score a complete Dragonology set for about $12, in what could only have been a computer pricing error. You can buy one book, Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons, for only $4.00. Not a bad gift idea. If the kid in your life isn’t quite ready for the small text of that series, try the younger series from the same company. It features a lot of the same little fun stuff on the pages, but is geared younger. I bought Knight: A Noble Guide for Your Squires at $3.60.

This would be a good time to mention that I am an Amazon Associate, and thus get a small referral fee if you buy a book from that site after coming from here. For instance, I’d collect a whopping $0.36 if you buy either Pigeon book. So, not enough for me to reeeally make money on these recommendations. However, if you wish to support my site in general, you can do so by adding one click to your normal purchasing and it won’t cost you a penny. Before you do any Amazon shopping, stop at MotherReader and click on any book to take you to the Amazon website. Now shop as you wish. You don’t need to buy the book you clicked on, or even a book for that matter. MotherReader is listed as the referral site for whatever you buy, and the small bits that Amazon pays help me justify the enormous amount of time I spend on this blog. Many other blogs are also Amazon Associates, and the same deal goes for them. So I’d just say that if you’re doing Amazon shopping anyway, stop at a supporting site and help out your unpaid blogger friends.

Okay, that ended up long and off my original topic, but I think it needed to be said. To review: I’m looking for writer tricks to write what you’re contracted to write, I’m suggesting bargain books to put away for birthdays and holidays, and I’m explaining the whole Amazon Associate thing for anyone who was unclear on the topic. Carry on.