I have a lot (TONS!) of things to do today because I am hosting the family for a Mother's Day BBQ on Sunday. The house is a wreck, flats of flowers need to be planted, a bird's nest in a bad spot in the shed should be relocated, grass must be mowed, and the yard has to be cleared of piles of wood being stored for next winter. There's a chance of rain for this afternoon and tomorrow, so the outside stuff has to be handled ASAP.

While I'm out working my butt off, here are a few bookish things to keep you busy:

• Our discussion of The Wasp Factory is still going. If you've read the book, please feel free to drop in and leave a comment. However, the thread contains huge spoilers. I wouldn't recommend reading through it before having finished the book.
• Interested in starting your own online book club? Check out Curling Up, a new forum site for people who love talking books.
• I Feel Pithy Book Blog is running a book drive to benefit the Oasis Youth Shelter in Ft. Myers, Florida. Find out more about it and, seriously, consider making a donation by purchasing an item from the Amazon wish list. Between now and July 13th, your donation will be matched by the owner of the blog. Get your give on.
• I've been meaning to post about Library Thing's UnSuggester, but Bookninja beat me to it. If you hated The Da Vinci Code or wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole, you might want to read some of these books. However, considering its sales numbers, I bet it's on a lot more bookshelves than the 12,000+ Library Thing members who have admitted to it.
• Speaking of bad writing, poor John Grisham. Looking at the top 20 most available Bookins books, he has the honor of having 10 titles on the list. His books are clearly not keepers.
• According to Stephen Colbert, we are winning the war on reading. "People are going to read what Oprah tells them to read and they are going to like it." Guest Salman Rushdie says he no longer needs to worry about the fatwa and brings Paris Hilton's memoirs to the world's attention.
• Are you a frustrated writer? Maybe a video called "How to Write the Great American Novel" will help. After watching it, I'm now considering becoming a novelist. I regularly have to remind friends/family of my genius and get plenty of sleep, so I must be qualified.
• Plotastic is a blog run by an aspiring novelist who needs some ideas. He's conducting a poll to find out what you think his book should be about. He should watch the above video. If I understood it properly, alliteration and cowboy chaps are more important than plot.
• And don't forget. Our discussion of Tom McCarthy's Remainder will begin on May 21st. Shouldn't you be reading it instead of this?