OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I am closing in on four years of blogging. Keep The Wisdom was launched on July 1, 2005. After 425 posts I am venturing into something slightly new here. Some years ago I decided to get my ducks in a row lifestyle wise and began working towards aligning my activities to what I most enjoy in life: reading.

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made and not surprisingly it is working out quite well. I work in an independent bookstore, I am a member of five reading groups, I publish my blog, I make time to practice writing almost everyday and will soon have some pieces ready to submit for publishing, I am well into writing a memoir about reading and best of all, except for extreme emergencies such as my mother's recent illness and passing away, I read at least three books a week. I love my life!

A few weeks ago I read a post on Vroman's Bookstore blog about the value of blogs to independent bookstores and how simple it was to link one's blog to a bookstore. So I have done just that. I don't know how long we will have independently owned neighborhood bookstores with friendly knowledgeable staff who can help people find just the right books. After all , this is the United States of America and one hopeless task in this country is to try bucking progress. I am not a purist and I will unashamedly buy books just about anywhere I can find them. But my all time favorite place to shop for books is in a small, cozy shop like the one where I work.

You may have noticed a few changes to the blog. I finally stopped putting it off and learned a few technical skills (a big shout out to Patrick at Vroman's) so now I can post images of the covers of books I review. I can also provide links to other blogs I enjoy reading. Best of all I, if you read about a book here and feel compelled to read it yourself, you can now click on that cover and send in an order for the book to the store where I work. OK, already, you ask, WHAT STORE IS IT?

ONCE UPON A TIME is located in Montrose, CA, in the foothills of Los Angeles. It is family owned and carries a wide selection of books for children of all ages, carefully chosen fiction for adults; a fabulous selection of great books, fiction and non-fiction, from years gone by; travel books, cookbooks, poetry, greeting cards and unique gifts. The store has been in existence for 40 years and has an aesthetic and charm all its own. If you click here: ONCE UPON A TIME, you can visit the store's website.

Over on the side of this blog are directions for how to order. If the book is in stock you will get a call within a day letting you know you can come in and pick up your book. If it needs to be ordered it will be there in from two days to a week. We don't do mail order at this time but I have a feeling that will be coming in the near future.

Here on the blog, along with the usual reviews I plan to add news about store events, reading groups, new titles as they come in and reviews of picks by other staff. I am hoping that you will use the comments feature at the bottom of each post to hold forth with your opinions and thoughts. Most of all, I hope to see you in the store and meet you in person.

Do let me know how you like the new changes and ask any questions or make any suggestions that you have. Most of all, keep reading!