ROBIN HOBB

It's hard to get a signed book these days.

But The Signed Page, managed by Shawn Speakman, is making it a bit easier.

If you would like an autographed copy of the Illustrated Editions of Assassins Apprentice and/or Royal Assassin and/or Assassin's Quest, you can order them from The Signed Page. Illustrated by Magali Villeneuve 

Also available, Wizard of the Pigeons, to be published in December by Grim Oak Press.  It is illustrated by Tommy Arnold and signed to you by Megan Lindholm.

And in a very special offer, The Folio Boxed Set of the Farseer Trilogy.  This is a massive edition of all three books in a very sturdy box, with illustrations by David Palumbo.  The signed editions of this set sold out within hours of being offered by Folio.  But The Signed Page has obtained some, and I will happily dedicate or simply autograph them as you wish.  

Follow this link to The Signed Page for these signed books.  And many others!

If you are a reader who thinks of your books as your 'library' rather than as your stack of books, you are probably already aware of The Folio Society.  For many years, they have been crafting heritage editions of beloved books.  Often they reissue replicas of classic, long out of print, beloved editions.  For example, their forthcoming offering of Grimms' Fairy Tales with the Arthur Rackham illustrations. Or a lavish edition of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.  

So I am honored to join the ranks of authors whose work has been recognized with a Folio edition.  In my case, it is The Farseer Trilogy that is now available as a Folio boxed set.  These ones are illustrated by noted artist David Palumbo.  The three books of the trilogy are protected by a sturdy red case that matches the covers of the books.  I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that they have that wonderful 'new book smell' that we all cherish!

David and I had jointly signed 250 copies of this beautiful set.  Those instantly sold out on the first day they were offered.  But the unsigned edition is still available.  The Farseer Trilogy in this boxed set will last your lifetime and, like other Folio editions in our family library, will be something you can pass on to your children and grandchildren.  

I feel honored to see my work in this form.  I hope you will look at some of the other available titles on their website. 

Here is a link to the Arts and Collections review with an image of The Fool as conceived by David Palumbo.

I feel like I side-slipped into a different reality this year.  Perhaps you all went with me?

I have returned to first grade.  That is, my 7 year old grandson and I began by trying to keep up with his online school work.  It was such a disorganized experience that I was relieved when the school year was over.  I think that someone in first grade should have a 'one click' experience to acquire and complete school work.  I won't go into details about my frustration with that.  Suffice it to say that we thought we were submitting his homework, but it wasn't going anywhere.  And I consider myself computer savvy.

Now, for the summer, we are reading together daily.  He reads out loud to me from a book on his reading level.  Then I read to him from something that I feel has beauty of language and excellent story telling.  My theory is that if he needs to hear a wide vocabulary, and the lovely rhythms of English (yes, poetry, too) in order to develop his ear and his own way of speaking.

In math, I am tired of bundling numbers into tens and ones, but I know this is the system he will be using if/when we have school again.  So on we go with that.  But it did lead to an interesting discussion of other systems beside base 10. He refused to believe that binary existed until we looked it up!

Outside the house, there are the correct names of plants, flowers and birds to be learned.  An explanation of why the wind switches direction in the evening.  He has cared for ducklings and chicks.  There have been a lot of board games, which are good for learning to take turns, and also learning how to lose as well as how to win.

I hope he will be ready for second grade, when and if it convenes.  I am many years away from my elementary school experiences and it's hard to guess what levels of expertise the school will expect.  

I have only sympathy for parents with multiple children in different grades.  Some school systems seem to be dealing much better than others. What do parents do when they have no wifi, no tablets or computers?  In my state, the Everett schools issue each student a computer.  No such luck in Tacoma.  Let alone in the little towns.  

I think this school year will be a turning point in education. Which direction it will turn in, I do not know.

So as far as the writing goes, my time has been vacuumed away. Megan Lindholm has been using the keyboard more than I have.  She just had a very short story published in the July-August issue of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine.  "Generations.'