Red Skirt

A couple of days ago I was walking around my cute little downtown, getting a lay of the land. I snuck into an adorable little bookstore. I could have spent forever in there! Plus they have a wall where authors sign their name/do an illustration. The best one was the author of Amelia's Notebook, who drew a sketch of Amelia. So cute!

While I was there I saw a sign for a book talk and signing to be held the next night. Not having anything to do and looking for a little culture, I signed up. I also bought the author's book and Thirteen Reasons Why (which the lovely Busy Bee Lauren highly recommended.)

So last night I went back, not having read the book, to hear the book talk, because I love to read and I love to meet authors. I don't usually pass up the chance to get a book signed either. (My sophomore year at Grand Valley I went to the Community Reading Project Author talk and signing without having read the book because I heard about it just the day before. I was one of like two people there who hadn't read it, but I'm still glad I went...)

I decided to dress up a little bit, well, dressed up compared to the shorts and tees I've been wearing to work in my classroom. I wore a cute purple plaid dress that Momma altered so it's not so low cut, a black and white polka dot headband, some cute gray peeptoe shoes and a fun beachy, wicker bag. (My camera is still out of commission, sorry for all of the pictureless blogs!)

I walked into the bookstore, with my book clutched in my hand (actually it was in my purse) and I was seriously the youngest person there by probably at least 20 years. Now, the author is a Michiganian. Her book is called The Red Skirt and is about her life as a nun and her decision to leave the convent. So I guess I should have figured that most of the audience would be older women, but it was still weird. Another young woman about my age did come in, albeit with her mother. It turns out she was a former student of the author!

The talk was very interesting, mostly about how she decided to write, her writing process, trying to find a publisher. Which was nice, especially since I hadn't read the book yet. She was very careful not to give too much about the book away, which I appreciated.

Then I waited rather impatiently in the book signing line. Lots of the people actually knew the author, which led to some lengthy conversations. Luckily Big Sis was texting me to keep me from being too bored (Sidenote: Can we discuss the fact that Google Chrome does not recognize texting as a word...)

When I was second in line, Patricia, the author, looked at me and said, "Oh, I know you. What's your name? I know you, right?" Cue me being awkward and saying I didn't think we knew each other and no I was not a former student. I'm just a twentysomething to enjoys going to book talks on books she's never read to get an autograph from an author I've never read, for fun! :)

We were chatting when it was my turn and I mentioned that I had just moved to town. She said, "You are going to make great friends here. It just takes time." It was so sweet. She didn't know me at all, but she really lifted my spirits with her comments. She also wrote a lovely note in my book about the adventures I'll have and wishing me luck.

I haven't read the book yet, but from what everyone around me was saying it's excellent!