Forgive our distraction — the office has been buzzing with scandal all week. First it turned out that Bolton may have embellished his resumé (although he insists he really was a secret agent prior to working at Powells.com, some have muttered that he may only have read a few Ian Fleming novels). Now comes speculation that Fup may not actually be a female. At this point we don't know what to believe.

POWELLS.COM INTERVIEWS: MARILYNNE ROBINSON
Marilynne Robinson's first novel, Housekeeping, was immediately described as a modern classic and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Twenty-four years later, her second novel, Gilead, won both the Pulitzer and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and has received almost universal praise. Ron Charles of the Christian Science Monitor marvels, "There are passages here of such profound, hard-won wisdom and spiritual insight that they make your own life seem richer....Gilead [is] a quiet, deep celebration of life that you must not miss." In this exclusive interview, Robinson talks with Powells.com about the research behind the novel, poetry, and the history of the Middle West. Read more and save 30% on Gilead.

SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS: SMALL STEPS
In his first major novel since Holes, Louis Sachar explores issues of race, the nature of celebrity, the invisible connections that determine a person's life, and what it takes to stay on course. In addition, Small Steps features the return of Armpit and X-Ray, two beloved characters from Holes. School Library Journal raves, "Sachar is a master storyteller who creates memorable characters," while the Los Angeles Times gushes that Small Steps features "Sachar's trademark humor, way with insightful relationships and deft hand with outrageous plots." Get your signed first editions before they disappear.

ORIGINAL ESSAY: DAVID MASIEL
Following his wildly praised debut, 2182 Kilohertz, David Masiel's second novel, The Western Limit of the World, is another riveting sea yarn. "My introduction to sea stories didn't come from literature," writes Masiel, "but from my paternal grandfather, who was a river pilot and a tanker captain." In this original essay for Powells.com, Masiel explains the inspiration for his seafaring work: "Though his stories were based on truth, it was somehow understood that the truth was always worth bending for a good story." Read the essay and save 30% on The Western Limit of the World.

POWELLSBOOKS.BLOG
If you haven't been keeping up with the Powells.com blog, you've missed all kinds of bookish excitement, from the James Frey and JT LeRoy scandals, to Dave's reaction to Consider the Lobster, the new book of essays by David Foster Wallace, to Alexis's essay on children's literature, "Are You Listening, Oprah?" And exclusively on PowellsBooks.blog, our own Kevin Sampsell interviews Trinie Dalton, author of Wide Eyed and Dear New Girl or Whatever Your Name Is.

REVIEW-A-DAY: WASHINGTON POST
We're delighted to present our newest Review-a-Day host, the Washington Post Book World, whose complete, unedited book reviews will appear each Friday on Powells.com. Recent reviews have included Anita Brookner's Leaving Home, reviewed by Ron Charles, and The Brooklyn Follies, reviewed by Jeff Turrentine. Sign up for our Review-a-Day newsletter and get them delivered to your inbox each day!

COLLEGE PROWLER: 30% OFF
College Prowler offers campus reality guides — for students, by students. Get the lowdown on the top 200 colleges from current students who give firsthand reports on the issues that matter to prospective students, from the best party schools to Greek life and even (if anyone's actually interested) the best academic schools. For a limited time, save 30% off all College Prowler guides at Powells.com.

Confidential to Beth: Thanks for the surprise treats! We couldn't find an email address with which to contact you directly, so we wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful we are for your package.

GUEST BLOGGERS: CAROLE RADZIWILL AND JUSTIN TUSSING
The latest guest on our blog is Carole Radziwill, author of the memoir What Remains. Next week we'll welcome Justin Tussing, author of The Best People in the World. Recent guests have included Elissa Minor Rust (The Prisoner Pear), Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer author Warren St. John (who wrote the New York Times' JT LeRoy exposé while blogging for us), and Laurie Notaro (The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club). Don't miss a scintillating word!

PUDDLY VOTING REMINDER
Don't forget to vote for the 2006 Puddly Awards. Just tell us your favorite book of the year and you could win a $250 Powell's Card for yourself and two $100 cards for your friends. Hurry — voting ends February 1st!

RARE BOOK SALE
You only have till the end of January to take advantage of a whopping 30% off all titles in our spectacular Rare Book Sale. Browse our selection of more than 10,000 books, broadsides, pamphlets, and manuscripts — you're sure to find something you want!

NEW IN STORES
New to Powells.com shelves: Stephen King's latest novel, Cell, combines zombies and cell phones for a white-knuckled thriller. Anna Deavere Smith offers insight and advice for actors, writers, and artists of every kind in Letters to a Young Artist. And Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik's popular online comic strip, Penny Arcade, makes its print debut with Attack of the Bacon Robots.

DVDs
Get free shipping on all DVDs from Powells.com, including these new titles: In Her Shoes, based on Jennifer Weiner's bestselling novel, starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine; Broken Flowers, with Bill Murray, Sharon Stone, and Jeffrey Wright; and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride, featuring the voices of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

In our next edition:
An interview with Ross King and signed first editions of Judgment of Paris; an original essay from Haven Kimmel (She Got Up off the Couch); and the Puddly Award winners.

eBOOKS
New to eBook: Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III recounts his fourteen danger-filled months as America's proconsul in Iraq in My Year in Iraq. Richard Hawke's thriller Speak of the Devil offers "a rare combination of intrigue and intensity," according to Michael Connelly. And if you've ever wished that you understood money, pick up Dave Barry's Money Secrets to learn, among other gems, why it's unwise to use squirrels for money and how to keep your child from getting into an expensive college.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
In Why Do I Love These People? bestselling author Po Bronson shows us that we are united by our yearnings and aspirations: family is not our dividing line, but our common ground. Kiana Davenport's "lush, ambitious" (Publishers Weekly) House of Many Gods is a story of colliding cultures and ultimately of the redemptive power of love. In Waiting for Lewis and Clark, journalist and historian David Sarasohn chronicles the three years he spent during the planning of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. Max Barry, author of the bestselling Jennifer Government, returns with Company, a bitingly funny take on corporate life. The Tao Gal's Guide to Real Estate offers a readable, entertaining, and practical guide to buying a house. Check our events calendar for more!

FUP. STORE CAT.
"A cat in a hat!"

Every ten minutes, another customer says the words. It's a bit like having a parrot in the store, except the voice changes every time. Women tend to need the exclamation point more often than men — for whatever reason, the men are prone to mumbling — but it's always the same four words.

"It's heated," Lisa tells a shopper. "And the inside is shaped for a cat."

Ryan, Amber, Collier, and Jay have a bet going: How long before Fup gets tired of the attention and retires to the back office? Closest time wins; guess too short and you lose.

A half-hour passes. And another. Most everyone (staff excluded) passing by Fup's spot near the window feels an obligation to pet her. Each time she starts to doze off, the same four words ring out, and scratching typically follows. Which is nice, the scratching is, but now and then a guest crosses the line to pure pest. The man who wouldn't stop speaking to Fup in Seuss rhymes, for example — Collier was sure he'd drive her away, but no.

"That must be the most comfortable hat ever made," Amber complains as she's eliminated from competition. Ryan (who guessed ninety-seven minutes) and Jay (he said Fup wouldn't move till after closing) are all that remain.

POWELLS.COM BESTSELLERS (UPDATED HOURLY)

1. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes (Literature) 2. Psychological Science by Michael S. Gazzaniga (eBooks) 3. Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (Literature) 4. Modern Architecture Since 1900 by William J. R. Curtis (Architecture) 5. The New Best Recipe by Cook's Illustrated (Cooking and Food) 6. Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson (Nature Studies) 7. The Sea by John Banville (Literature) 8. State of War by James Risen (Politics) 9. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Literature) 10. On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Literature)