Just back from a whirlwind weekend in Roanoke, Va., The trip was mainly for a big-band holiday party (awesome Sway Katz) , but it included a pilgrimage to the Green Valley Book Fair near the Shenandoah Valley town of Mount Crawford, about two and a half hours from Baltimore.

If you haven't been to the fair, you're missing a slice of book heaven. Drive down a couple of narrow, country roads, past cow-filled pastures to a group of buildings filled with tens of thousands of discounted books. Like $1.99 for Oscar Hijuelos' The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and few books more than $5.

The fair is open sporadically; the next one is June 28-July 13. I'll post again closer to the date, with photos, so all can witness the glory.