Censorship Sucks, I Hate Shopping, and ...

Happy Thanksgiving. But seriously, I do hate shopping.

Regardless, I was thrilled to find this site, where book-lovers can buy buttons and stickers and even t-shirts that proclaim, "I read banned books."

Because a genuine ho-ho-happy holidays spirit never catches up with me until my Christmas shopping is done, I tend to rush through stores, online and off, before Halloween. This year, I'm behind schedule, and taking a different tack - one that, I hope, results in giving more gifts "made in the USA" than made in China. It ain't easy, but fortunately, I've found many books that are printed in the USA. Ditto for Post-it notes, and a lot of specialty paper items. Go figure. Or go write.

My favorite gift items this year are show tickets. I suspect the US exports more "entertainment" than anything else, so I feel like I'm supporting the home team with my purchases of DVDs, movie theater passes, and tickets to local and regional theater productions. Plus, it's nice to get out with the family to be entertained.

Heaven knows I could entertain myself for years with all the books on my shelves and at the library, but let's face it, once the kids hit a certain age, we just don't do a lot of reading to each other. Sigh.

Speaking of books for the read-to-me set, though, those certainly make great gifts. To make bookish gifts extra-special, I've enjoyed picking ones penned by local authors and getting autographed copies. Ohio authors you might be lucky to catch at area bookstores:

LeeAnn Blankenship, author of Mr. Tuggle's Troubles (Boyd's Mill Press, 2005)
Jeanine Garsee, author of Before, After, and Somebody in Between (Bloomsbury, 2007)
Annette Sheldon, author of Big Sister Now (Magination Press, 2006)
Joan Arbogast, author of Buildings in Disguise (Boyd's Mill Press, 2004)

If you've got favorite local authors, speak up!