Great birthday today (starting with Gwenda "Screaming Banshee" card!), lots of cool presents, a beach fiesta decorated dining room (including three fake palm trees!) and very good chicken and rice followed by chocolate cake. We are off to Seattle for appointments tomorrow but I will be back with a real post for Thursday AM. Things you should know:

Garry Trudeau's two collections on BD and the Iraq War are first rate - not political at all but directly about war, the impact of war injuries, and post traumatic stress.

If you know a Bradbury fan you must buy them the illustrated version of The Homecoming - Dave McKean makes this wonderful story that much better. It's a stunner.

There is a whole world under ground in NY and now I know because of this killer book. (Wouldn't it be awesome to have a job where you go to wicked cool historic places and photograph them?)

Al Gore is in my house.

Post Secret is just as great in book form.

Reviews to follow on London Calling and Let Me Finish - both enjoyed for very different reasons.

Reading Ophelia - so.much.to.think.about. I love this book, and I love that someone thought enough about this much maligned character to write about Hamlet from her perspective. (This is the last book for my piece on reinventing the classics for Bookslut.)

Finally, speaking of Bookslut, the November issue is up. My column is on "kids at war" - more on that, and my reviews in this issue and the amazing features Jessa is running, on Thursday!