If anyone out there actually reads this blog, I must apologize for neglecting it for so long. Since January, I've been reading a 1000-page historical novel about Cleopatra which has been slow going. I have learned some fascinating things about the Egyptian and Roman world of Cleopatra's day, giving me a new appreciation for historical fiction. I hope to finish this book in the next week or so, at which time I'll finish and report on another book I've also started--The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, this year's Newbery award winner. So stay tuned... more to come!