Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Links about Reading

First, this made me sad: due to a loss of funding and broadcast rights, Reading Rainbow will leave broadcast schedules on 28 August 2009.

The Reading Rainbow series has not been in production for several years and PBS had taken it out of the weekday feed schedule last fall to make room for the new literacy-based shows. WTVP continued to air the series at that time.

Neither PBS nor producing station WNED, Buffalo were able to fund another cycle of renewals, nor were they able to identify a new corporate funder. The series will continue to be available to educators via non-broadcast distribution and off-air educational rights will remain in effect for a year following the last broadcast of each episode.

I never thought of LeVar Burton in reference to Star Trek or Roots - he was the “Reading Rainbow” guy. How sad.

Time is almost up for Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction 2009!

The last days of the biggest charity auction in romance land are here - and there’s still some fantastic items up for bid. From an adspace over at Dear Author which is, as of this writing, going for over $400.00, to a proposal critique from Angie James currently priced at over $300.00, there’s opportunities out the yin-yang. I love the Web services donations and the Once in a Lifetime page is drool-worthy: sailing? Three nights on a beachfront in Mexico? An African safari? Dude. Wow.

There are also two Smart Bitch items up for auction: our Prize adspace, which is the only ad in the middle column, and an author interview.

Bid early, bid often, because time is running out.

The Bitchery Rules

Awhile back I posted a message from Moreena, a reader whose daughter was undergoing liver transplants. The family stayed at nearby Kohl’s House in Chicago, which was sorely lacking in the romance department.

Moreena wrote in with an update that made my day. I can’t even tell you how awesome I think you guys are. Srsly. Y’a'll Rule.

...we went to the Kohl’s House a few weeks back, and they were thrilled with the response they got from your readers. Let’s just say I almost miss being at the place, just for the fun bookshelf that now stands by the first-floor elevator. Also, one of your readers sent in VCR-DVD combos so that every floor can play the old VHS movies, which is a real bonus since the man who donated all those VHS movies had some rare gems (like Penelope Pitstop! Hay-yulp!). So a great big huge thank you to you for getting the word out, and to your readers for helping out.

Happy New Year and thank you to the wonderous Bitchery. And Moreena, may your daughter’s new liver fall totally in love with the rest of her metabolic system like a Greek Tycoon with his… read more »

Where to Donate your Romances

Every now and again we discuss women’s shelters, Goodwill, libraries and other places that eagerly accept your used and gently worn romance novels. I’m always on the lookout for places to send my never ending pile of romances, so I was thankful to Moreena, who wrote me with a great location that might need some romances in stock:

I know occasionally you all are looking to pass on books, and I’m thinking that maybe some of your readers are, too. I usually give mine to the library for book sales or to Goodwill, but I was recently in the hospital with my 8-year-old daughter (liver transplant #3 *shudder*) and noticed that the supply of books for adults at the Kohl’s House for transplant families was running low. I thought of writing to you because on our last stay I bonded with a gigantically pregnant woman over our love of Nora Roberts for de-stressing reading distraction. She was spending the last few weeks of her pregnancy at the Kohl’s House since her baby was going to need to go straight to the NICU at Children’s Memorial. Stress!