By Kristi Spuhler for LitLovers
Get excited Margaret Atwood fans, get very excited! The renowned author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The MaddAddam Trilogy is penning a new work.

All YOU have to do is wait around for 100 years to read it.

Yes, you read that correctly. Atwood's putting the finishing touches on what’s sure to be another amazing book, but an actual copy won’t be available for public eyes until 2114.

We understand this might sounds a little strange to you—why would an author spend so much time penning her next work only to hide it away for 100 years? The reason: Atwood is the first author commissioned to take part in the Future Library.

This astonishing public artwork began with the planting of a forest of 1,000 trees just outside Oslo, Norway, this past summer. In 100 years, this forest will be used to print a special anthology of never-before-seen books penned specifically for the project.

While the forest grows, the Future Library’s creator, Katie Paterson, along with a team of literary experts from the Future Library trust, will approach one writer each year and challenge him or her to “conceive and produce a work in the hopes of finding a receptive reader in an unknown future.”

After they’ve been written, the manuscripts will be locked away in a specially designed room in the Deichmanske public library.

The room, which will be lined with wood from the forest, will display the names of participating authors and the titles of their contributed works, but the manuscripts will remain unavailable until they are printed at the completion of the project.

Atwood herself seems to be positively reveling in the secrecy of the undertaking, saying to Guardian writers:

It's part of the contract you can't tell anybody what you're writing. I'm finding it very delicious, because I get to say to people like you [the Guardian], I'm not telling. But I will say that I've bought some special archival paper, which will not decay in its sealed box over 100 years.

Though it looks like we’ll never know what’s in store for the lucky readers who haven’t been born, yet, one things certain—they’re in for a literary treat.

We can’t wait to see what writers are chosen next to submit their works. Which authors would you like to see get involved in the project? So...how does it feel not being able to read your favorite writer’s newest work?

For LitLovers of ALL ages: we couldn't resist sharing this gem—Three Little Horses by Dutch children's author Piet Worm (1909-1966). One of our readers, contacted us to see if we could help her recall the title of a favorite childhood book, one she remembers from her grandmother's house.

We were clueless (not for the first time)—but she persevered and graciously sent us the results. Thank you, Sue! Some text was lost when we brightened up the photo, but we added a bit more contrast so you could decipher some of Piet's story.

Here's Piet Worm himself. Is he climbing IN or OUT of his imaginative world here? (Lovely metaphor.)

If you have a favorite childhoold book, let us know. But, for heaven's sake, PLEASE don't ask us to help you recall the title. We don't like feeling clueless!

By Kristi Spuhler for LitLovers
Now here's a neat idea: a subscription service that identifies specific books just for you—and delivers them straight to your door!

The website, Just The Right Book, chooses titles—based on your personal reading preferences—and sends them to you once a month. Real books...you know, the ones with pages? The things we still love to hold in our hands?

This is how it works: head to the site and place your order for the type of subscription you want. As you navigate through the checkout process, you’ll be prompted to fill out a questionnaire about your favorite genres, titles, and authors. Once they have your reading profile, they’ll begin shipping you personalized novels on a monthly basis (or bi-monthy or quarterly—it's up to you).

For something more daring...there's Book Riot, another subscription service. This one requires a more open-minded reader—it's NOT personalized to your tastes but based on its own editors' monthly picks. Which means you get a surprise every month!—a package that includes the book (usually fiction), a description of that month's theme, author interviews, and other related articles.

So if you’re feeling adventurous give one (or both!) of these services a try. Think you could trust someone else pick your next read? And if you like it, a subscription makes a great gift, especially one from Just The Right Book, which has categories for adults, teens or kids.

By Kristi Spuhler for LitLovers
What if Ishmael  had a cellphone, or any phone for that matter? What kinds of messages would he receive?

That’s the basic premise behind callmeishmael.com—a site where readers call in to share powerful moments they experienced in a favorite book. Maybe the book inspired a new way of thinking or offered comfort during a rough time.

Call Me Ishmael is accessible to anyone, anywhere in the U.S. It's as easy as leaving a voicemail: just dial 774.325.0503, then go to voicemail. After listening to a brief message, record and share your story about what's made your favorite book special to you. Each weekday, "Ishmael" chooses one story to transcribe, record and upload onto the site.

Listening to readers share stories gives us a deeper appreciation of the power of books. It's a terrific way to celebrate literature's unique ability to shape our lives.

But don’t just take our word for it—give it a try yourself. Take a few moments to check out some of the transcriptions on Ishmael. And, of course, leave a story of your own.

So...what story would that be?

*Photo image courtesy of Billy Brown.