See you next year, NANOWRIMO

A few things to note:

1. It's officially December, which means the 2006 National Novel Writing Month bonanza is dunzo. And we'd like to know: did any of you participate? Does anyone get something worthwhile out of this thing? Is it just bullshit pressure to pump out drivel for 30 days? Or is it a magical literary bender of creativity? Discuss. Or just be quiet.

2. Word Up was majorly displeased with the complete disregard for heinous, dismal, gray November weather. How the fug are we supposed to buckle down and brood over Robert Frost poems when it's 66 freaking degrees out? Unacceptable.

3. 24 shopping days to go. What books should we buy people as holiday gifts? Is it appropriate to force-feed our favorites on them? Is buying someone a used book with cool things underlined in it tacky and cheap? Or unique and thoughtful? The thing is, we fucking hate hardcover prices. If we knew how to create one of those swank INTERNET polls, we'd put one up here, but as it is we'll just beg for responses.

4. Best of 2006 book lists. Start thinking about them, because we haven't.