If the good Lord's willing and the Creek don't rise, y'all can see me (and a lot of better, funnier, more famous people) read live at the Double Door (1572 N. Milwaukee in the city of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, Mayor). It's a "Funny Ha-Ha" blowout extravaganza, and although it's 8 bucks, it's well worth it to hear the likes of Mark Bazer, The Onion AV Club's Nathan Rabin, Kevin Guilfoile, and Wendy McClure tell great jokes. Plus, Schadenfreude (who you might know from their show on WBEZ) will be doing sketch comedy. The perfomances start at 9; the doors open at 8; the drinking will go on for some time afterwards.

You'll note that this daily blog has actually turned into a daily blog the last two days, because I've finally made it back from a month eating nice food, sleeping in fancy hotels, and meeting fascinating people who care about books.

Authors should not complain about book tours, because

1. A lot of very good authors don't get the chance to go out and meet readers and independent booksellers, and
2. Anyone who complains about getting to eat out of the minibar for free is a total jackass, and
3. Honestly. How jaded and self-important do you have to become in order to complain about having a job that allows you to make up stories, write them down, and then fly around the country eating six-dollar Snickers bars in comfortable beds while watching Oceans 12 on Pay-Per-View?

So, yeah. No complaints here. I had a hell of a lot of fun, and now I'm happy to be home again and writing.

One of the biggest highlights of the trip was my visit to Blue Valley Northwest High School, which is either in Kansas or Missouri (I forget), and whose students are just the kind of people I was thinking of when I wrote Looking for Alaska. My visit to BVNHS also happens to be the only event from which I have pictures. Thanks to Pat Owens for the photographs.

Trying to think of a clever inscription:

And doing a Harvey Pekar impersonation with Mr. Elliot Kort:

I've been fortunate that Looking for Alaska has received very good reviews so far. And I feel that it is selfish of, for instance, the city of Des Moines to share its kind thoughts about Alaska only with residents of Des Moines, so here are some links to recent reviews:

The Philadelphia Inquirer was very nice. They called the book "funny" and "moving," and the review is altogether nicely written. And yes, I'm kissing ass in case the same person reviews Katherines.

The aforementioned Des Moines Register also treated me with kindness (scroll down; the review of Alaska comes just after they tear apart the new Joyce Carol Oates effort). Allow me to quot them directly: "Green's first novel captures the joy, tumult, and depth of teen friendships with intensely real characters." If you were trying to make it onto the back cover of the paperback, Des Moines Register, I believe you have succeeded.

And the Birmingham News, my hometown paper, recently wrote a feature about me, which I thought was very well done. Sarah liked it also, although she rather wishes her name hadn't appeared (first and last) in the newspaper. She called me at seven o'clock in the morning and said, "The paper says I'm your girlfriend!" and I said, "Yes, well, you are," and she said, "I know! But you don't have to go bragging about it to newspaper reporters!"

But I do, Sarah. I do.

Yeah yeah yeah. My "daily blogging" has, over the course of the last month, involved absolutely no blogging. But in my defense, I've been on tour, and now that I'm back, I'm going to start updating regularly.

But this post is strictly informational:

Tonight at 7 PM (i.e., Thursday the 14th of April), I'll be reading from, and signing, Looking for Alaska in Naperville, Illinois at Anderson's Bookstore (123 W. Jefferson in Naperville; easily mapquested). Anderson's is one of the best independent bookstores in Illinois, and I hope you'll join me.

Tour notes soon.