Excerpt from "Blonde Faith"

Last update: November 2, 2007 - 4:02 PM

By Walter Mosley ($25.99, Little, Brown and Co.)

"I was driving past palm trees, coral trees, eucalyptus trees ... a whole arboretum of trees of every species. That was Los Angeles, too. We were a desert with all the water we needed, a breeding ground for the contradiction of nature. Any seed or insect or lizard or mammal that found itself in L.A. had to believe that there was a chance to thrive. Living in Southern California was to lie waking up in a children's book titled 'Would Be If I Could Be.'

"But the desert was waiting for all of us. One day the water would stop flowing, and then the masters of that land would reclaim their domain."

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Here are some of Books Editor Laurie Hertzel's favorite sites and blogs. Got a literary link to share? E-mail Laurie.

Twin Cities Literary Scavenger Hunt Home page for the scavenger hunt, which runs now through Dec. 26.
Reading Minnesota A blog that features Minnesota writers, illustrators, publishers, bookstores, and reviewers.
Talk of the Stacks An author series from the Library Foundation of Hennepin County.
Poets & Writers The website for Poets and Writers Magazine--podcasts, author interviews, and writing resources.
Creative Writing A place to keep apprised of writing competitions in the United States.
Gather Minnesota Readers The Website for Minnesota Public Radio's books blog.
The Loft Literary Center The Website for the Loft, a local place for writers and readers.
Good Reads A way to track what you're reading, and what your friends are reading.
Lost Manuscripts Just what it sounds like - a blog (sporadically updated) devoted to missing and destroyed manuscripts.
Maud Newton Very hip, reviews, links, a little attitude.
bookreporter.com A plethora of online book reviews and reading guides.
Rain Taxi Rain Taxi Review of Books.