Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the internet… I’m baaaaacccckkkkk! I don’t think I’ve taken a 2-week hiatus since I started this blog, but the last few weeks have been cuh-razy. I’ll save the full recap for my end-of-the-month post next week, but this week we’ll talk about: Here we go: Tucson Festival of Books Tucson Festival of Books, affectionately known as TFOB to the regulars, is the third-largest book festival in the USA. (Or so I’m told–I don’t have a citation to support this statement. Why yes, I am an academic. Why do you ask?) It’s held on the University of Arizona campus every March, and it is HUGE. I took not a single picture of the festival itself (bad blogger!), but if you’re curious, check out the festival site linked above. Note also that the site links to videos of some sessions. So. many. books. So. many. authors. SQUEEEE!!!! There were tents set up all along the UA Mall–authors, publishers, writing organizations, but also Science City (a whole area of the festival with hands-on science-y things), food vendors (shout-out to Tucson Tamale Co.’s green chili and cheese tamales… soooo good), and community organizations of all sorts. Highlights include: Looking at solar flares through two different telescopes Hanging out with some seriously cool venomous reptiles, like this Western Diamondback (at least I think it’s a Western Diamondback–I really should take notes at these things) And this Gila monster: Can I have a pet Gila monster? Pleeeaaaassssseeeee????? And that rattlesnake looks like he’s mugging for the camera. Long-Suffering Husband and I also hung out with some non-reptiles. Here’s me looking like a dork while meeting Karen Odden at the Tucson Sisters in Crime booth: And Long-Suffering Husband, meeting one of his favorite authors, Jonathan Maberry: I also moderated my first-ever author panel with David Quammen, who talked about his wonderful book, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus. And I got to sign copies of Trouble in Tucson, an anthology containing my short story, “Adam Carmona and the Case of the Saguaro Ripper” (read more about that story here) – the first time I’ve ever signed an autograph in my entire life. I’m trying not to let the experience go to my head, but I kind of feel like one of those guys in the old Grey Poupon commercials: Left Coast Crime Two weeks later, my head deflated a bit and the book-related fun resumed with Left Coast Crime, a crime fiction fan conference. It was held here in Tucson this year, so I decided to go. It was a blast! I participated in my first-ever author panel, called Packing it All in a Short Story, with Gay Kinman, Stephen D. Rogers, and Kate Thornton, moderated by Alan Orloff. Once again, not many pictures–I was too busy meeting other authors, attending panel presentations, and eating–but I have a few. View from the pool at the El Conquistador resort: Dinner with members of the Sisters in Crime Guppy Chapter at El Charro (I’m the dork with the bushy hair at the far end of the table): At Faye Snowden‘s table at the awards banquet: Why am I incapable of looking normal in pictures? Anyway. When I wasn’t fangirling or looking like a dork, I was acquiring a ridiculous amount of books. I bought several at TFOB, but Left Coast Crime was a whole other level of book acquisition. You get a bag of books when you register (donated by authors), and people leave the ones they don’t want/already have on an exchange table. Near the end of the conference, people were leaving lots of books on the table, probably because they woudn’t fit in their luggage (note to self: next year when I have to fly to attend this thing, bring an extra suitcase). I, being the big-hearted soul that I am, was happy to take some extra books so other people wouldn’t break their suitcases. And of course I bought some books too. Here’s my total haul from both events (plus 3 books not shown because they’re on my nightstand in various stages of being read): Yep, I came home with almost a full shelf of new books. Have I read my other books? Of course not. However: I’ve finally figured out that acquiring books and reading books are two separate hobbies. The memery It’s a free-for-all this week. No theme, no order, no nut’in. Let’s do this. Sorry, Freddy, but I did warn you. I laughed way too hard at f*cktrumpet. I also laughed way too hard at this: C’mon, admit it. You just tried to make your hand do that. And if you’re my age or older, you probably gave yourself a cramp. Angry Alpaca is judging you so hard. I really want to send this next one to my colleague who serves on my university’s Animal Care and Use Committee: Yep! And finally: Goal achieved! It’s been another successful week here at Camp WTF. How about you? What’s going on in your life? This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share linkup hosted by Natalie the Explorer.