Booktagger Blog

Recession reading

2009-07-05T22:38:00.004+10:00

Part of my bookshelf.

One library in Sydney, Stanton Library, was recently reported in the local council news to have increased in popularity this year, possibly due to the economic climate:

"In the first three months of this year, there were 13% more visitors to Stanton Library and 6500 more books borrowed than in the same period last year. Another 1460 new members have joined the library."

Have you altered you book buying habits due to the economic climate? How?

So far this year I have:
+ purchased second-hand books for the first time
+ swapped and borrowed books much more than usual
+ used discount offers emailed to me from bookstores
+ cleaned out the bookshelves and boxed fifty books to sell

Dewey Decimal Digs

2009-06-27T21:43:00.012+10:00

Previously, I have blogged about The Library hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand. A perfect holiday destination for sun, sand and reading. However, if you are a booklover seeking to travel to a more fast-paced and cosmopolitan location, Library Hotel in New York is the one for your itinerary.

Each of the ten floors in the building is dedicated to a different category of the Dewey Decimal System. Each of the six rooms located on each floor contain books from one of the topics of that category, with artwork to compliment the topic in the a classical modern environment.

Facilities in the hotel also follow the literary thread, such as the writers' den, bookmarks lounge and poetry garden.

In 140 characters or less

2009-06-24T17:03:00.008+10:00

After adding Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert to my currently reading bookshelf I received a tweet from @Librarylandlady directing me to this amusing synopsis of the book:
Crybaby abates her insecurities by traveling around the world. How nice for her. The End.

I am only a tiny part into the book, and enjoying it, but it did seem quite apt.

The edited version of the book came from @tweetlibrary, where books are condensed to 140 characters or less.

I was going to include the edited versions of all the top books listed on Booktagger. However, our list is totally comprised of Stephanie Myer or J K Rowling titles, of which I could only find one edited version:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. Kid knows magic, sucks at life. The End.

Take a look at the Booktagger list of most popular items on shelves and post an edited version of one in the comments, or tweet it to @booktagger (I'm sure tweetlibrary wouldn't mind hearing from you too). Or maybe compose one of the last book you read.

Reading in rhymes

2009-06-18T16:41:00.005+10:00

I love these reproduced vintage reading posters. The simple images and the expressions on the characters faces work so well. The text is, of course, reworked version of popular nursery rhymes.

My son loves acting out little Miss Muffet, as he loves to scare me with a pretend spider. He is also particularly intrigued with Wee Willie Winkie, whose taps can always be heard on the nights Oskar is taking a long time to settle down to sleep ;)

Book interiors for decoration

2009-06-15T21:55:00.007+10:00

Old hardback books can be difficult to recycle, due to the adhesives they contain. Artist Laura Cahill has found a novel way to reuse such books, by turning them into vases.

The books are cut to shape and wrapped around a test tube, so they can be used. I even found instructions online of how to make a version yourself. Unfortunately, hundreds or test tubes at work were thrown out a few month ago and I didn't know of this use for them at the time.

Laura also reused book to make this table and the base of a reading lamp.

Lit up for literature

2009-06-12T15:08:00.007+10:00

This colourful bus won the Library bus of the year award by the Swedish Librarian Society. It was designed by the company Muungano, and has also been nominated for advertising and graphic design awards.

The bus contains books and digital media. The interior is just as colourful and in the dark, which is a significant part of the winter in Sweden, it lights up like a lantern.

Big and cozy books

2009-06-11T13:50:00.005+10:00

I love seeing book-inspired furniture and these large and cozy pieces look very inviting.

Although the pieces look fantastic individually, the larger arrangements create great communal reading spaces and book spine pieces can decorate the walls to complement the overall theme.

The products are available from the aptly titled company Big Cosy Books.

Penguin Classics as notebooks

2009-06-03T22:55:00.007+10:00

A fan of lists and notebooks, in addition to books, these notebooks with Penguin classic cover are very appealing to me. The blank notebook contain 200 pages and include an elasticated bookmark and pocket. There are a range of covers, and the one portraying a collection of spines looks good too. And the matching pencils!

The range can be purchased from Notemaker, and I must comment that the link was found when I checked out the blog of one of our new Twitter followers, krissyb.

Recent reads

2009-06-03T22:22:00.006+10:00

Remember I blogged about reading the short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, on my iphone? I have now finished reading Emma by Jane Austen the same way and am still surprised that I found it even easier to follow than a paperback. I have now downloaded a number of other classics to consume through BeamItDown. I'm still unsure I would enjoy it as much with another ereader, as I love the autocue style.

Up until last year I hadn't read any Jane Austen, and one of my reading goals is to get through them all. I received The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler via Book Relay a couple of years ago and hope to read it once I know am able to appreciate more of its subtleties, which I know were lost on me in the movie.

Yesterday, I also finished The Associate by John Grisham. I enjoyed it until close to the last chapter. While the ending probably portrays reality, I usually enjoy how an author cleverly packages everything up quickly and unexpectedly. I don't mind some open endings, but there were just too many. So many that I will speculate this is the first book John Grisham will write a sequel for, and I am guessing it will be called The Mole.

Unicorns and balloons

2009-05-29T13:37:00.005+10:00

Jeremy wants to design a series of t-shirts based on books he reads. The first available for purchase depicts an analogy described in Tribes by Seth Godin, that we both read recently. The relevant passage from the book is below. If you can relate to being the unicorn, maybe you have spectacular ideas you can develop and soon a tribe will follow.

"The balloon factory isn't really a bad place to work if you rationalize a bit. It's steady work, with a bit of a rush around New Year's. The rest of the time it's quiet and peaceful and not so scary. Except when the unicorns show up. At first, the balloon factory folks shush the unicorn and warn him away. That often works. But sometimes, the unicorn ignores them and wanders into the factory anyway. That's when everyone runs for cover. It's amazingly easy for a unicorn to completely disrupt a balloon factory. That's because the factory is organized around a single idea, the idea of soft, quiet stability. The unicorn changes all that. The balloon factory is all about the status quo. And unicorns (leaders) change the status quo."

Jeremy and my reviews can be found here on Booktagger. Although, I need to edit mine as there now exists an appreciation society for me on Facebook, albeit a small one, so maybe a I have become a unicorn.

Turn your read books green

2009-05-27T22:48:00.008+10:00

The phrase reduce, reuse, recycle is not quite fitting for book lovers, as we may not want to reduce the books we buy. Often we reuse books by using libraries, borrowing and lending to friends and family, and purchasing from second-hand bookstores. You can also upload a list of books you want to read and those you have to give on BookMooch. (I haven't yet tried BookMooch, but often used a similar service called Book Relay, that is now defunct.)

Producing books means cutting down trees, 30 million per year in the United States alone. But, you don't have to stop buying books to prevent this...

Why not plant trees to replace those that are turned into your volumes? Tonight I visited Eco-Libris and gave money toward planting trees equivalent to five books. They have even sent me five cute stickers to place on my redeemed books. (You could just plant your own, but my balcony would too soon become a forest.)

The book book shelf by design studio not tom was built from books destined for the bin after not finding new owners at jumble sale. When you are finished with a book try to pass it on to another reader, but if you cannot, this could be a fun item to replicate.

How else can you make your read books green?

Curly comparisons

2009-05-25T20:56:00.006+10:00

Designed to hold pieces of knowledge, you books and other treasured object, this bookcase is named the Wisdom Tree.

I love the tendril-like branches, and can't help thinking if it were mine, I would have to place my book Goatsperson and other tales by Michael Leunig on one. Doesn't the Wisdom tree remind you of his style, also seen in Curly Car painting below.

On holiday at the library

2009-05-23T21:33:00.004+10:00

I just found the location of my next vacation. The Library in Koh Samui, Thailand.

This gorgeous hotel, named The Library, knows that a good vacation is one where you can read. So the team aims to help you accomplish this.

There is, of course, a library filled with books, and the theme continues with many picturesque locations to read at, a restaurant called The Page to dine at and Reader sculptures.

Harmless spills

2009-05-21T21:15:00.006+10:00

If your favourite genera to read is crime, then this looks like your perfect bookmark. Called the liquid bookmark it really does look like liquid running down your page.

The liquid bookmark is available in red, white or black. So, you could also read a cookbook and have it appear like you have spilt your milk.

Each bookmark has a unique pattern, formed when the silicon it is made from is pored. The bookmarks are available for purchase from design boom.

Yes, I'm a scientist

2009-05-20T23:15:00.004+10:00

I found this bookcase by a Swedish designer, Smansk a few weeks ago and liked that it resembled the double-stranded appearance of DNA. That is is also hot pink, and made from lego-like pieces that probably also made it attractive.

Lately, I seem to keep finding things I like in pairs, so tonight I discovered the alpha-helical bookcase, named myDNA, that even has a rotatable version.

Stories for your bed

2009-05-19T06:54:00.001+10:00

These bedtime stories are for your bed. You can read them too, but the emphasis is on the bed, not the story.

First up: not just an ordinary duvet, but made of multiple layers you can remove as you read, this is a gigantic bedtime story (found at Geek sugar.

Secondly is Shakespeare, a Romeo and Juliet duvet from Hahn Smith Design.

Suspense suspended

2009-05-18T06:15:00.002+10:00

These book mobiles and other book-related good were created by artist Lisa Occhipinti.

This one, with its chocolate brown cover embossed with gold is an undated city guide to Florence Italy, the place Jeremy and I met, so would do well hanging in the Booktagger apartment.

I love the title of the book below on the left, Chocolate Days, Popsicle weeks, and its bright green inside cover shown in the image underneath. Similarly, I think I would have continued taking calculus at university if my textbook had been the one in the two images below on the right.

Book mobiles can be purchased online from the Etsy store theshophouse, which features other beautiful book-related objects and jewellery pieces too.

Watch before you buy

2009-05-17T21:54:00.001+10:00

Books worth their hardcover prices and anticipated best-seller positions increasingly have an entourage of promotional material, including a trailer.

Below are two lesser seen trailers I love. One for the children's book Rita and Whatsit and one for 100 Days of Monsters, a book associated with the website Daily Monster.

Do you have a favourite?

Tweetbook

2009-05-12T22:38:00.002+10:00

Reportedly the first book of tweets to be published, My Life in Tweets, is a self-published hardback documenting the first two years of author James Bridle's Twitter posts.

A modern alternative to a journal, you can download your own using an available script.

The author, James, runs booktwo.org, which exists to report, catalogue, investigate, stimulate and debate the future of literature.He can also be followed on Twitter as booktwo, which allows you to read James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Bedtime stories

2009-05-11T20:45:00.007+10:00

I don't know how I missed this event last year, and almost missed it again. To coincide with the London Bookfair, that ran from 17-25 April, Damian Barr was a reader in residence at the Andez Hotel in London.

Wearing a uniform of striped pajamas, Damian provides a book reading service to guests of the hotel. He will read from a selection of books and has three rules: he sits on a chair (not in your bed), will read for a maximum of one hour, and never does voices.

This year, the menu focused on food-related books, although Damian also provides bibliotherapy, where we will consult with you before prescribing a text for your needs.

Outside of the Bookfair event, the pajama-clad man, Damian Barr, is a journalist for the Times who also writes plays, authored a book on the quarter-life crisis, is a radio host and enjoys discovering new lifestyle trends, people and places.

Booktagger update

2009-05-07T22:27:00.003+10:00

A new update to the on Booktagger means you can view your recent activity in the form shown below. You can do this by choosing the blue tab with your username on it.

You can view the recent activity of your friends too, by selecting the tab with you username "+ Friends" or on "Bookshelf View" for seeing the bookshelf view you are familiar with.

A feature that has always been on Booktagger, but remains elusive to some, is the "Theme" tab shown in red font. I just changed mine to galaxy. Other options a wood grain, brushed metal or urban.

Smart girls are cool and crafty.

2009-05-06T23:20:00.006+10:00

Here are some cute bookish crafts you can purchase or maybe make some yourself.

First up some giant paperclips that can be used as bookmarks. This is a great idea as they won't keep slipping out of your chapters and getting lost in your over-sized handbag.

Buttons made from vintage books. I'm going through a swan phase at the moment, so like that one in particular.

Smart girls read books. And they're cool. And you can get it all on a keychain.

Holding up the bar

2009-05-05T12:24:00.005+10:00

The Swan & Edgar opened in London during April with decor that included a bar constructed out of books. The volumes, donated by locals, book shops and even large publishers has resulted in a diversity of books clustered together, ranging from dictionaries and classics to Mills and Boon.

Continuing on the literary leaning, book reading events are planned for the venue.

Read the review a Booktagger reader forwarded on here.

Author signing

2009-05-04T19:51:00.005+10:00

In this photo Barack Obama signs books at the in Costa Mesa Town Hall in California. I would love him to autograph my copy of Dreams from my father.

What do you think he is writing? His signature is brilliant, even without an additional message.

The photos are from The Official Whitehouse photostream on Flickr, with all photos published under Creative Commons.

Which book are you?

2009-05-03T18:58:00.000+10:00

I took an online quiz and, apparently, I am Animal Farm by George Orwell.

My result read:

"You are living proof that power corrupts and whoever leads you will become just as bad as the past leaders. You're quite conflicted about this emotionally and waver from hopelessly idealistic to tragically jaded. Ultimately, you know you can't trust pigs. Your best moments are when you're down on all fours."

Well, I have read the book and do sometimes look around me, jaded, wondering how those around me hide their trotters ;)

Take this Book Quiz to see which one of sixty-four books you are.