What better way to bid a bloggy farewell to Sharon than to address a few of her favorite things -- hot publishing deals, hot young New Yorkers, and YA fiction? To those ends, we contacted our (best) friend and author Lauren Oliver (indeed, she's hot), who recently got a "significant deal" (that's publishing lingo, not my own) for two young adult books.

Truly, life gets more amazing every day.

Cecily von Ziegesar, author of the Gossip Girl YA book series that was then adapted into the BSE, is working on her first adult series, according to Hyperion. Due out in 2009, the series (first book is called "Cum Laude" -- really??????) will be about a group of young adults who meet during their freshman year at a small college in MAINE.

I finally got around to reading my May email update from Goodreads.com, one of several social networking sites for book nerds like me. (I use it primarily to keep track of my own current reading habits / progress; I’m less interested in reading/writing reviews.) Since I joined about a year ago, the site has continuously improved; recent updates include the ability to purchase books directly from your “To-Read” list, and an addictive, reader-formulated book quiz.