The Flood

So, in the last few days of December my apartment flooded.  Let me tell you, that is a lovely call to get while you're on vacation.

I've been very fortunate and didn't lose much of my stuff to water damage.  However, you'll never guess what soaks up water like a sponge and was all over my apartment.  Throwing out three bags of books didn't do much for my desire to write a book blog.  I'm still kind of sad about it.

Some of it is losing several books that I took special trips to get signed.  I lost my copies of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, both signed by John Green.  Do you know the kind of lines you have to go through to get Green's signature?  (Fortunately, he is a signing pro and keeps people moving.)  I also lost my signed and doodled copy of THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY by Adam Rex, just as I wanted to read it again in preparation for Home.  (Plus the doodle of JLo was ridiculously cute.)  I also lost my signed copy of THE PEOPLE OF PAPER, and Salvador Plascencia doesn't do many appearances.

Some of the books I lost weren't signed, but were favorites, and I'm sad about having to replace them.  LOSERS IN SPACE by John Barnes, which never came out in paperback, and UNSPOKEN by Sarah Rees Brennan, with the pretty silhouette cover.

I've got my apartment basically back in order now, aside from the fact I need to buy new bookshelves.  (No, I don't think I'll buy the cheap particle board ones again.)  It just hurts to lose your stuff.