Some highlights: Mitch Albom reading from his new novel, which will be published in September. Picking up advance copies of Charles Frazier’s new novel, the long-awaited follow-up to COLD MOUNTAIN. In his office away from the Convention Center, Alan Greenspan talked about his memoir, still more than a year away.  People are wondering whether Greenspan can write in plain English, but it turns out he can speak in plain English, so there’s hope.  I chatted with Nelson DeMille about his new novel, called WILDFIRE.  Although advance reading copies were freebies at his publisher's booth, Nelson’s still tinkering with it—he is one of those writers who will keep working on a book until his publisher says “no more, it’s gone to press.”

I grabbed a few hours to stroll one of my favorite cities and, especially, one of my favorite spots on the planet, the strip of green running from the Washington Monument to the Capitol Building.   It was like walking back in history and helped put in perspective the agonizing over this years bestsellers that was going on at the Convention Center.  Nevertheless, when I was done I couldn’t wait to start reading through the new books I had stuffed into my backpack.

--Larry