When I was 17 years old and Keith Richards was facing possible imprisonment for a heroin conviction in Canada, I  prayed on my knees every single night for him until the Judge finally said Keith wouldn't have to go to jail, he'd just have to do that charity concert -- it was the first time in my life that I believed God had actually listened to me when I prayed. (And yes I am that devoted to the people I love, whether or not I actually know them.)

So you can well imagine how excited I am to know that Keith's memoir, LIFE , will be shipping out to me sometime this coming week.

And loyal readers of this lofty blog no doubt recall how much I idolized the late Jim Carroll, and thus can well imagine how excited I'll be the following week, when Jim's posthumous first novel, The Petting Zoo , ships out to me, as well.

But these exciting things, as exciting as they are, can in no way match the excitement over the other books that will be arriving in my mailbox sometime in the next couple days. Read 'em & weep, baby dolls; read 'em & weep!