Would you like some books with that tote bag?

Over On Salon.com Laura Miller takes a look at BEA. This year’s Book Expo America attendees snatched up totes, celebrity autographs — oh yeah, and some books.

“I think this could be good for everyone, in a way. What with the price of gas, everyone I know is riding bicycles more, and even the teenagers I know are backing away from Facebook and MySpace and all that stuff, saying they want something more substantial. Who knows? This recession could be a blessing in disguise for books and for people in general.”