August 11, 2008
Upon entering a bookstore, I let out a little content sigh…I am home.
The shops of my choice have books to the ceiling, ladders and a selection of antique leather bound volumes so beautiful that they can only be described as art. Finding these shops is not an easy task in and of itself, but I long for the days browsing them once found.
BUT, my heart truely skips a beat when across the shop I see a glimmer of gold gilded pages; the sheen, effort, and love that goes into producing such art humbles me, and I love to run my finger up the edge of the pages. Even mass produced books with gilded pages give me the same, albeit smaller rush of emotion.
I am an equal opportunity book lover as i do have many mass produced paperbacks, which I consider junk food for the brain. They are the perfect escape after a long day. Through books I can try on lives as I would shoes, and travel to far off lands. I can be wealthy, poor, migrant or native.
So thus this blog and website are borne, to document my obsession, wishes, and love of gilded pages.
My undying thanks to my mother, who read me more stories then I could count, and to my teachers, for the gift of reading.
September 7, 2008
“Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers” benefited from a late surge in public support to win the title on Friday of oddest book title of the past 30 years, The Bookseller magazine said.
The book — a comprehensive record of Greek postal routes by Derek Willan — grabbed 13 percent of the 1,000 international public votes cast to chose the oddest title from the winners of the annual competition that began in 1978.
It beat “People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead” and “How To Avoid Huge Ships” into second and third places with 11 and 10 percent respectively.
“The posties pulled off a real shock here. The pre-tournament favourite was the prize’s first ever recipient - “Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice,” said Horace Bent, custodian of the annual Diagram Prize.
“Right from the off, it was Gary Leon Hill’s “People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead” that set the pace. It topped the polls for over three weeks,” he added.
Another early favourite “How To Bombproof Your Horse” also failed to feature in the final count.
The prize was dreamed up initially at the 1978 Frankfurt Book Fair as a way of avoiding boredom. It has since become an annual star. This year’s winner was “If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs.”
(Reporting by Jeremy Lovell; Editing by Matthew Jones)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080905/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_book&printer=1;_ylt=Arl5v4GQXJAC9WRRnaxC3C.ek3QF
September 1, 2008
This post is for anyone who reads it, as an idea to broaden our reading horizons, but to also challenge my darling husband to an ambitious date night challenge:
The idea is simple
One of us chooses a book we want to share with someone we love, it can be any genre or topic, just a book that is what you think you would enjoy reading. Here’s the challenge; find the book, buy two copies, one for yourself and one for your partner in reading and read the book together yet separately over the course of a month. I happen to read in bed when everyone is asleep.
Then, plan an evening or a day long date that centers around the theme of the book. Even if it’s hard to come by, books all have some tie in….Italian food, sailboats, machined parts, historic places. Creating a themed date is not expensive, it just requires creativity, so perhaps all of us could absorb the words we intake into our lives through each book more thoroughly this way and bring them to life, even in a small way.
Does the book have espionage as a theme ? Tour a local military history museum.
Does it take place in 1850’s England? High tea, full dress, and finger sandwiches.
A simplistic idea and far from perfect, but wouldn’t it make us savor each book more, and pay attention more closely to the story?
So, in the comments section, accept or pass on my challenge dear husband. (For my readers, he gets off easy on this, his books cost $10-20 more per copy then what I read)
What do you say dearest? Literature dates for two?
I hereby challenge not just my spouse, but all of us to share the joy or reading with loved ones.
August 24, 2008
I’m working on writing two reviews for two vastly different books, I shall post them within a week.
For tonight, I have finished “The Monster of Florence” which is true crime, and moved on to “The People of The Book”, a historical fiction about an ancient hebrew text, told from a preservationists point of view. Why did I pick this book as my next book? I had three chosen as candidates, the winner was chosen for it’s dedication page, which said simply…
“For the Librarians”
HOW could I not choose it as my next read? I’m three pages in, sipping merlot and counting my blessings. Good books, a roof over my head, and a handsome husband that doesn’t mind that I read till 3am.
I promise, two reviews in a week. That is my goal.
Happy reading!
August 18, 2008
Are any members of my household Harry Potter fans? No. Is anyone in my immediate family? No again, but we had to buy this volume for it’s unique structure.
Now, let’s just hope we can afford it once it’s billed, with Christmas soon following, it’ll be a stretch, but I think it may just be worth it. It’s not a Gilded book, but it is as close as you can get to a beautifully unique book without completely breaking the bank.
One day it may just make a fine gift for my nephew