I’m not sure if it’s the winter weather, the Borders gift cards burning a hole in my wallet, or genuine excitement, but I’m really anxious to buy Atomic Lobster. For some strange reason, I have kind of an obsession with books and movies about older people. While other girls are dreaming about baby cribs and baby furniture, I’ve been busying enjoying Cocoon, Boynton Beach Social Club, and soon - Atomic Lobster.

The main character is a sexually active 91-year-old named “Edith Grabowski”. Talk about a perfect name. When you add in the geriatric roadtrip and detective action, I’m sold.

Have you ever been strangely into the idea of a book like this when it really makes no sense?

So we’ve already mentioned that John Updike’s latest will be coming out on 6-6-06, but he’s definitely not the only one releasing that day. I just wonder how many are strategic and how many are accidental…

Undead and Unpopular by Mary Janice Davidson - I’m sure it’s a terrible read, but I think the name is super cute.

Candles Burning by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell. Publishers Weekly says it, “moves at a hypnotic pace, like an Alabama water moccasin slipping through black water.” Oh, those crazy journalists who wish they were novelists…it does sound like the kind of book someone named “Tabitha” would write, though.

The Rapture: In the twinkling of an eye, countdown to the earth’s last days by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins. No thank you. Seriously. I bet this totally sells out down at the local Wal-Mart.

The End of California by Steve Yarbrough. There’s a Piggly Wiggly on the cover, and that’s always cool.

High Plains Tango by Robert James Waller. It’s a continuation of The Bridges of Madison County…be still my heart. If I were 80, this might be the highlight of my year. I still can’t figure out why the release date was listed on June 6th, though. It doesn’t seem like the kind of book you’d want to associate with any of that 666 silliness…Amazon is selling it already, though.

You know, I was going to go on, but it seems like most of the titles I’m seeing on the list are about vampires and I’m getting bored just entering in the links.

Let me just sum this up by saying that the only June 6th release that looks like it will be worth buying is Maddox’s The Alphabet of Manliness. If you don’t know who that is, check it out at The Best Page in the Universe. The page alone makes me want to give him $9.