Booktagger Blog

40 degrees

2013-01-30T23:05:00.002+11:00

Sydney sweltered with two days above 40˚C this month, but within this country some life encounters these temperature regularly. How does life survive and thrive there?

This children's book on life in the Simpson desert resulted from the author volunteering with research conducted in the location by scientists from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney, where I completed my degrees. The link provides more on this interesting story, and the book is one I am looking to add to my shelves.

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Lance Armstrong's fiction

2013-01-22T03:37:00.000+11:00

Sydney's Manly library gave people a giggle with this sign on Saturday relating to the recently Lance Armstrong events. The photo was taken and posted on twitter by @Dane_Murray and interest has spread across the globe - with some media outlets seeing the humour and others missing it completely, such as The Guardian in the Uk that boldly announced once they discovered it was a "hoax".

Happy Monday

2013-01-21T04:12:00.000+11:00

Happy Monday readers,

I haven't made many posts in a while, so here are a couple of things from elsewhere:
+ gorgeous previously unseen images in Charley Harper's Animal Kingdom
+ the first library without books
Including some focused on the new year ahead:
+ coming attractions for the shelves
+ five movies coming out that are based on books

The last link mentions The Reluctant Fundamentalist is being made into a movie. This book was amazing. It was one of the best written books, with so many layers in the simple narrative. It was amazing how your feelings and opinions of the character changes as the tale progressed. I highly recommend it.

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Happy Monday

2012-07-23T16:58:00.000+10:00

From elsewhere:
+ our censored history :: the discovery of over 700 boxes of banned books
+ a discussion on digital vs paper books :: two gorgeous images included

Images: 1 / 2

Happy Monday

2012-02-20T06:23:00.000+11:00

Dear Readers,

I love this row of colourful books. I had the "Pond Life" book from this series when I was a small child and spend hours turning the pages slowly to see the images inside, as it was well before I could read. What a great series it must have been.

This weekend I spent many hours in the sky, flying home from New York to Sydney via LA. It was a welcoming sunny and warm city today and great to be seeing family with chocolate croissants and coffee in the park and excited children receiving their presents (including books of course, I was excited to find This is New York, from a great series I posted about previously).

Here are our great posts you may have missed:
+ clutches & handbags
+ on the walls :: artwork
+ hearts and books :: Valentine's day on the walls
+ last week revisited

Enjoy your week!

Image: 1

Clutches and handbags

2012-02-16T08:27:00.000+11:00

This gorgeous clutch appears like a copy of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mocking Bird, with a gold trim and Liberty print inside. If this option from net-a-porter is too pricey, there are a number of alternatives from Rebound Designs, which we have featured before, shown below.

On the walls

2012-02-15T07:08:00.000+11:00

These letters made of rolled book pages would make loved gifts for a reader, librarian or teacher if framed.

This last image was taken in a Kate Spade store. I love this idea, with objects added as illustrations, and I hope the quote is from a real book, because I want to know more about this girl.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T06:40:00.000+11:00

I adore this artwork that features 51 books on love, forming a heart.

Every heart has a story to tell. Or more ;)

You could easily cut and fold some book pages and make a card like this too.

Happy Valentine's Day Booktagger Readers
Wishing you a romantic day
xoxo

Images: 1 / 2

Happy Monday

2012-02-13T07:30:00.000+11:00

Happy Monday Readers! Today's post is brought to you from New York city, where I mentioned to you last week that Jeremy is presenting at the O'Reilly Tools for Change Publishing conference. It was snowing here on Saturday night and so beautiful.

Here are last weeks great posts of catch up on:
+ Valentine's Day book themed decorations
+ Laptop and device covers for book loves AND Scrabble players
+ More fun literary lamps
+ Retro reading posters feature fast delicious snacks

From elsewhere:
+ chandeliers and carved wood :: a hungarian library

Image: 1

Valentine's Day preparations

2012-02-11T06:51:00.000+11:00

Valentine's Day is only a few days away and presents a lovely excuse to create a celebratory environment.

These bookish garlands and bunting are easy to make, while the wreaths look like a more time consuming challenge. I made a similar heart garland last year that hung horizontally and kept it there for months!

Images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Scrabble lovers

2012-02-10T06:23:00.000+11:00

A laptop cover for those that love both Scrabble and books (also available in other forms)!

Images: 1 / 2

More literary lamps

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000+11:00

These lamps made from drilling into old hardbacks remind me of the simple circuits we used to create in physics class.

This lampshade was created with a quotation on it that may shine onto your walls.

More literary lamps were featured on our blog here.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3

Tasty snacks

2012-02-08T19:45:00.001+11:00

Dear Booktagger blog readers,

The last week has been so busy. On the weekend we spent a lovely four hours with friends swimming at the pool before getting ready for the week ahead. Work is busy again after the relaxed lull in Australia that extends from Christmas through to Australia Day, and my son loved his first trip to the school library where he borrowed a book on sharks. Jeremy and I are preparing for a week away in New York, where he will speak at the Tools of Change conference.

Ahead this week are a number of posts, from book themed Valentine's Day decorations to more on our popular topics of book themed jewellery, laptop covers and literary lamps.

In the meantime, I hope you love these tasty snack inspired book posters available here.

Happy reading,

Rebecca

Happy Monday

2012-01-30T06:49:00.000+11:00

Happy Monday readers! Today's retro school library poster will remind you that the school year commences in Australia this week. If you are a parent or have some children you are close too, how are you going to encourage their reading this year?

Posts from Booktagger blog last week:
+ Australia Day and Jessica Rudd
+ New York, New York
+ Interesting pieces

Interesting links:
+ Fifteen authors' estates
+ Punctuation marks you may not have encountered
+ Why you should never put two spaces after a full stop/period

Australia Day

2012-01-26T21:26:00.000+11:00

I am not sure what the last book I read by an Australian author was, but I do remember reading Jessica Rudd's Campaign Ruby last time I was on a long haul flight and anticipate Ruby Blues will get me through part of my next one. While unashamed to refer to her novels as chick lit, I read an article by Jessica today that gave another interesting perspective on her writing:

"Writing commercial women’s fiction about politics is, to my mind, as serious a business as it gets. Why can’t a discussion of democracy and all its woes thrive in the context of wardrobe malfunctions and dating dramas as much as it does in the sexual escapades and sporting prowess of commercial men’s fiction? The fact is, if we want more women to get involved in politics and to have strong voices in the public policy process, we have to make it relevant and accessible."

Happy Australia Day readers!

New York City

2012-01-24T07:29:00.000+11:00

Next month I will be in New York city with Jeremy, who will be a panelist at the Tools for change publishing conference.

Please post any suggestions you have on books you loved reading on the plane,

bookish places to see and any other suggestions.

Unfortunately, I have missed what looks like it was a fantastic exhibition at the New York Public Library. The library celebrated its 100 year anniversary last year and held an exhibition that finished on December 31. There were 250 artefacts on display that related to the library's history and collection. You can view some spectacular images of the exhibition and read more on the library here.

Funnily, I just donated about fifty books to a charity shop last week, one of which was a NewYork city guidebook, unfortunately.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Happy Monday

2012-01-23T20:24:00.001+11:00

Catch up on what you has missed:
+ telephone box libraries
+ our last happy monday with interesting links

Interesting links:
+ biblio lego
+ bookshelf blog :: with a book on the way
+ read what the national year of reading is about

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Telephone box book exchanges

2012-01-18T21:18:00.001+11:00

Red telephone boxes were around the streets when I was a little girl, but quickly morphed into more modern metal cubicles with little privacy or protection from the elements when I was a teen. As their use declined with the increasing popularity of mobile phones, they disappeared completely from everywhere except areas of the greatest pedestrian traffic. That was in New Zealand, and seems their depletion is slower in the UK.

Recently, many old red telephone boxes are being purchased from British Telecom (BT), for small sums of around £1 as part of their Adopt a Kiosk scheme. A village in Somerset came up with the idea of transforming one into a book exchange as part of a competition in 2009 to find an innovative use for old phone boxes. They didn't win, but went ahead with their plans anyway. The finished product solved the problem created when their mobile lending service was cancelled. Announcing they had the smallest library in the world they sparked a trend with over fifty dotted around the country.

Do you want to learn more?
Britain's smallest library
Derbyshire telephone box book exchange opens
A list (with photos) of phone box libraries

Images: 1 / 2

Happy Monday

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000+11:00

A relaxing weekend that involved a movie (Iron Lady) and shopping for a birthday, food and sale items. I have to post the most recent children's books I have bought later this week. Wishing you all a happy start to the week.

Links to catch up on include:
+ literary lamps
+ the vanilla scent of old books

Interesting links:
+ how make a secret storage books for you bookshelves
+ fantastic movie of the secret life of books

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Old book smell

2012-01-13T20:41:00.000+11:00

The smell of old book is also described in this recent article from Australian popular Science.

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Literary lamps

2012-01-12T15:41:00.000+11:00

On a bedside table, a desk or above an armchair you may have a lamp for when you read early on dark winter nights or late on summer evening. But is your reading lamp a true literary lamp like these?

The lamps below can even be stored easily by folding them so they resemble closed books.

If you are really keen, the sources for the first two images link to "how to" tutorials.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Happy Monday

2012-01-09T07:59:00.031+11:00

Dear Booktagger blog followers,

I hope you have had a happy weekend. It ended in an amazing storm here in Sydney after a warm and sunny weekend, signalling the end of my long break and the start of work again this week. Like the poster above states, my breaks will have to be in books for the next while. I have missed my daily commute over the last couple of weeks, as with children that is my usual reading time.

Please catch up on the links below and enjoy some of the new year themed interesting link included.

Popular posts and those you may have missed this week:
+ embroidered book covers
+ a year in pictures
+ the art of folding books

+ read in 2011
+ book-themed prints

Interesting links:
+ lists of books for 2011 :: Pulitzer prize winners to the NY Times best 10
+ a great list of bookish resolutions
+ Instant love :: a book on making the most out of the instant film revival

Embroidered books

2012-01-08T22:07:00.002+11:00

Penguin Threads are a series of rereleased classics by Penguin books: The Secret Garden, Emma and Black Beauty that have been available since around last November.

The covers were commissioned and the embroidery performed by artist Jillian Tamaki. I reread The Secret Garden in recent years and only read Emma for the first time recently. I think I read Black Beauty as a child, as I remember taking it out of the library after loving the television series.

I found some other amazing embroidery book covers as part of an online Feeling Stitchy competition.

Here are some of my favourites, all of which are books I have read:

The Great Gatsby in 2000.

Pippi Longstocking over and over during my childhood.

The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

Images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

A year in pictures

2012-01-05T10:16:00.003+11:00

After a blogging absence I started posting on Booktagger blog again in October, here are the main posts since then in pictures. Links to the posts are provided at the bottom.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16

17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32

The art of folding books

2012-01-03T08:34:00.002+11:00

One of the most popular posts on this blog is folding books, featuring a display of handing books folded in different designs.

I have also featured a post on artist Lisa Occhipinti who folds books to transform them into art pieces and home decor items.

Lisa has published a book, The Repurposed Library, containing 33 crafts you can do from books, the trailer below shows her in action.

This link is to a pdf you can use to make the decoration above without destroying a book. The pages contain a preview of the book Hana and there are instructions on how to fold the heart shape decoration.