Last week, author Ayelet Waldman sent a casual e-mail to five of her friends, asking them to donate books for a fundraiser for Barack Obama. Within seven days, she’d received hundreds of books, including some from acclaimed and award-winning authors.

From the LA Times:

First editions from Stephen King and Billy Collins. Books from Anne Tyler, Tobias Wolff, Lisa See, Jodi Picoult, Jonathan Lethem, Dave Eggers. From Jamie Lee Curtis and David Leavitt and Judy Blume. Greil Marcus donated books each arrived with a limited-edition companion CD. While we talk on the phone, she opens a package with three books from Erica Jong and a note from the author.

There are no similarly book-themed McCain fundraisers on the horizon, but something tells me that books won’t top the list of donated items for auction if such an event does take place.