Having trouble keeping up with the pace for National Novel Writing Month? Katy Metcalf has a message for you: Everyone has all sorts of homework and sports and plays and other fantastical things that you spend 25 hours a day doing. There's never enough time, so make time! Check inside for her tips on doing just that.

"Though I'm still a bit behind on my word count, I don't really think that finishing the novel is the most important part of NaNoWriMo, at least not for me," writes Stephanie Overmier. "Every writer I've talked to says that one of the best things you can do to improve your writing skill is to write every day, and that writing is a habit that you have to get into."

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, scheduled to open in Orlando in the spring of 2010, is just the latest example of Pottermania. "I have to say that I am really surprised and confused by all of this," writes Revathi Maturi. "It's one thing to love a book and be a fan, but it's another to spend time on sites where you pretend that you actually go to Hogwarts."

"So, now National Novel Writing Month has officially begun, and we've kicked off with a bang," writes Katy Metcalf. "Or, at least, a passably loud squeak. There are tons and tons and tons of Uni students participating, which I am thrilled about, including our nine-member support group. And, so far, no one's dropped out. So, thus far, everything is going well."

[Updated with audio] Why wait any longer to write that novel you've had percolating in the back of your mind? Do it now! National Novel Writing month begins this weekend, and it offers the perfect excuse to take time out of your busy schedule to flex your literary muscles. The challenge: Write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Check inside to meet four current Uni students who accomplished that feat last year.

When it was released in mid-September, "The Lost Symbol" became the fastest-selling adult novel in history. According to Katherine Allen, it's easy to see why. Chock-full of conspiracy theories, mystery, excitement, and action, Dan Brown's followup to "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons" doesn't disappoint.

In mid-August, former Uni student and self-proclaimed “Manga Lord” Aaron Kelter donated his entire manga collection to the Uni library, which amounted to 241 books. The cataloging and shelving took several weeks, but the process is now complete. Check inside for more about the donation that has Uni manga fans rejoicing.

Elaine Gu never thought she'd say this, but she's become a "Twilight" convert. Yes, the saga about teenage vampires has transfixed her. What is it about Edward Cullen and the other characters that she finds so appealing? Read on for clues to the lure of this mega-smash movie and novel series.

An edgy follow-up to last year's Big Read success, "The Maltese Falcon" has landed in C-U. Will you be a part of this month's festivities? Follow the clues to the bookish fun. Highlights include a Virginia Theatre screening of the 1941 film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel, starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade.

Eleni Yannelis thinks everyone should read a work by Tolstoy. Her own favorite is "Anna Karenina." So naturally she was intrigued when she came across "Tolstoy Lied," an upscale chick-lit novel whose delightful protagonist seeks to disprove Tolstoy's famous opening line about all happy families being alike.

Originally published in France under the title "La Salle de bain," Jean-Philippe Toussaint's 1985 debut novel "The Bathroom" finally came out in English two months ago thanks to local publishing house Dalkey Archive Press. About an obsessive academic, "The Bathroom" has a unique style, like all of Toussaint's books, that would appeal to Uni students.

Movie theaters will be filled with "Twilight" fans this coming weekend when the much-anticipated film version of the best-selling novel debuts. The four-novel series about a high school girl and her vampire boyfriend has sold millions of copies — and attracted just as much derision. In the face of all the haters, Eleni Yannelis has come out of the closet to defend "Twilight" and its sequels.

How would you feel if you got kicked out of school for something you wrote on your blog under a pseudonym? Catherine Sanderson was blogging under the pseudonym "Petite Anglaise" in 2004 until her employers recognized her photo on the blog and fired her. Sanderson sued her employers and won two years worth of salary. She made headlines, her blog received many visitors, and eventually she got a book deal. Eleni Yannelis reviews the result.

From Coldplay to "Mamma Mia!," Eleni Yannelis offers her picks of the summer's best music, movies, and books. Some are sure to become classics, and a few are just right for that much-needed brain chill.