I'll show you mine if you show me yours

<--This is what my nightstand looks like at this very moment... now that I've removed the alcohol and hidden my meds. Seriously though, it hasn't looked this photogenic maybe ever. I thought it was worth sharing. Maybe I can show you the insides of my purse in a month or so. And then my medicine cabinet after that. Who knows, maybe I'll work my way toward the garage. NONE of these books came from the trade show, incidentally. But allow me to dish on what I've got here: The top one there was written by Trudy J. Morgan-Cole, an extraordinary blogger over at Hypergraffiti. She is the only author who has ever visited/commented at my blog. Which felt like an honor BEFORE. But now that I've actually read one of her books -- The violent friendship of Esther Johnson.... I'm blown over with flattery. The person who, at times, made me HATE Jonathan Swift has stopped by here. Who broke my heart over sweet Becca's commitment. And poor, little rejected Bryan! And Esther. I could wax poetic about lovely Esther.... THAT author has linked to me. I'm a little freaked out!

Slightly further down is a novel called Black Widow White Lies written by Margaret Tessler. Margaret has edited Rosetta Stones for me, and so I'm reading her book next because I want to know more about the kind person who has taught me, for example, that blonde is feminine and blond is masculine. Plus, she's one of the nicest persons I've ever exchanged emails with.

I hold Willa Cather's novel My Antonia near and dear to my heart. It is ALWAYS on my nightstand.

I'm still researching on Thomas Jefferson because I'm convinced that he needs to play a role in my latest story.... which, FYI, is not the least bit historic. He's only on my nightstand because he's due back at the public library in two weeks and, therefore, MUST be finished.

I was at Wal-Mart about a year ago and over by the registers they had a bunch of books piled in one of those Take Me Because I'm About To Be Delivered To Another Wal-Mart book bins. I can't resist those bins. It's as if I'm afraid that if we don't support Wal-Mart books, they'll quit carrying them and then my little town might up and decide to quit reading altogether. So I bought All Is Vanity by Christina Schwarz and An Almost Perfect Moment by Binnie Kirshenbaum because Christina established herself with Drowning Ruth awhile back and so I thought this one might be good as well. And who could resist buying a book by someone named Binnie?? But I have yet to read either of them. Although they've moved from the bookshelf to the nightstand, so there's hope yet.

Lastly, what nightstand is complete without a box of tissue? Believe it or not, there's also a cute lamp behind those books. My alarm clock is a gift from Antonia. A hand-me-down, if you really must know. And my glasses. My scratched, spare, squarish glasses are necessary if I'm going to have books at bedtime.

So. What do you have??