Out with the old...

...in with the new!

To celebrate the coming year, we've found a few fun crafts for up-cycling books (for ones that are falling apart and/or too well loved for donation!)

Photo Books: transform old books into interesting frames for your favorite photographs
Better Homes and Gardens

"Pretty Bird Wall Art": made with just Mod Podge and Sharpies
Blue Cricket Design

Bird Ornament: instructions in link
By Stephanie Lynn

Book Planter!
DIY Ready

Read This To Put A Chill on Your Summer Heatwave!

 What ever happened to the ships Erebus, Terror and the 129 souls that set sail for the top of the world confident that they could conquer the frozen landscape and find a sea route through the Arctic Ocean?

The Terror by Dan Simmons is a 600 + page turner of an historical novel that recreates the doomed Sir John Franklin expedition of 1845 that was charged with searching for the Northwest Passage.

If you are sweltering in the summer heat this is the perfect book to cool off with as temperatures are typically well below zero. And, as a result of Simmons' meticulous research, you will find yourself a part of the crew facing starvation, disease, and something not quite human that roams the ice. (Chills!)

Intrigued?

Take a look at the book review by David Masiel in the Washington Post:
The Thing on the Ice

Check out the author's site:
Dan Simmons Official Web Site

 

Links about the Franklin Expedition:
NOVA'S Artic Passage

Franklin's Lost Expedition


Check out this video from the NOVA program:




The story continues! 

This just in from BBC News dated 7/21/10:
Canadian Archaeologists Hunt Long-Lost Arctic Explorers


Enjoy!

Judging Book Covers . . .

Here is an interesting post relating to books/reading called 45 Beautifully Designed Book Covers from the blog wellmedicated written by Andrew Lindstrom (who happens to be a freelance web designer based in Vancouver, BC, Canada).


Have you ever chosen to read (or not read) a book based solely on its cover?

Miss Bun thinks that a cover wouldn't stop her from reading something she already wanted to read but it might entice her to try something she might not otherwise gravitate to. What about you?

Mr. Lindstrom has not posted to his blog in some time (who does that sound like?) but that shouldn't stop you from checking out his other graphic design related entries.

Enjoy!

Cats in the U.S. Navy?!? Shiver me timbers!

Who would have thought the U.S. Navy would be so classy as to have cats in their service?  (Most of us know that cats and libraries go together but who knew about cats and ships?)

Check out this article Cats and the Sea Services from the U.S.Naval Institute.

And then go check out this book at  your local library:

Henry the Sailor Cat by Mary Calhoun
to read about the time the Siamese star of High-Wire Henry goes to sea, climbs to the top of the mast, does a little whale-watching and helps rescue a man overboard.

Meow!

Library Cats Map!

Gary Roma of Iron Frog Productions (an independent film and comedy production company)  has put together a most interesting map of library cats around the world.

As of the last update there are an estimated 808 bibliofelines to be found in residence on the planet.

Miss Bun is not sure why books and cats go so well together but they do!

Library Cats Map

If you click on the map and then click on a cat's name in the following table you can see a photo of that particular literary kitty.


 

 Enjoy!
                                     

One of Harrisburg's Best Kept Secrets!

If you are a bibliophile living in Central Pennsylvania and have not heard of the Midtown Scholar Bookstore & their Famous Reading Cafe  you are going to want to sit down for this.

The Midtown Scholar Bookstore is part warehouse (stocking over one million academic & general interest books) which you can browse & order from online. (Note: if you are local you can request to pick up your purchases at the retail store thus avoiding shipping fees.)

The retail store (all six floors of it!) houses over 100,000 used & rare books, a great coffee shop & art gallery, plus is host to regular contemporary folk concerts & other interesting programs.Check out the website for info on book groups, readings & signings, writing groups & more!

Be sure to sign up for their mailing list or keep track of Midtown Scholar on Facebook & Twitter.

The store is located at 1302 N. Third Street across from the Broad Street Market in what was once a 1920's theater.

In fact, Miss Bun spent a lovely Saturday afternoon lunching at the market and then browsing at the book store where she found all kinds of delightful surprises on the very well organized shelves!

Midtown Scholar has been voted the region's "Best Independent Bookstore" for seven years. When  you visit you will know why!

Enjoy!

This Librarian Wannabe Really Does Rock.......Really!!!

Who knew that Keith Richards (yes, the one from the Rolling Stones!) has a thing for libraries and books.

Librarians the world over are rejoicing about this choice quote he has given us:

“When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God, and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser.”

You can read all about it in this Sunday TimesOnline article: It's Only Books 'n' Shelves But I Like It by John Harlow.

Plus you can get the hype on Mr. Richard's autobiography due out in October. (Needless to say, Miss Bun has a bit of a crush simmering at the moment!)

Kindle for PC???

      


Those savvy folks at Amazon.com are now offering a FREE Kindle version for PC:  Kindle for PC
So now all of us who can't afford a new Kindle can still buy their ebooks (all 400,000 of them!)  and read them on our computers.

And even if you have a Kindle with this application you can access your library, notes, marks and more from your computer.

One can't add notes or highlight, search, or zoom & rotate images on a KindlePC (like you can on a bona fide Kindle)  but these are evidently upgrades coming in the near future.

Pretty sly, Amazon.com!

P.S. Miss Bun has had an opportunity to play with a Kindle and found the whole experience rather fascinating. (She is waiting for the price to come down though, given current public librarian salaries and all, before taking the digital plunge.)                                              

Goodreads anyone???

 

 

 

 

 Have you ever wanted a better way to:

• Get great book recommendations from people you know.
• Keep track of what you've read and what you'd like to read.
• Form a book club, answer book trivia, collect your favorite quote
  .........Then Goodreads if for you!

Just what is Goodreads, you may ask? 

Here is the answer direct from their "About" page:

"Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world. We have more than 3,100,000 members who have added more than 81,000,000 books to their shelves. A place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in December 2006."

 Their mission?

To get folks excited about reading (on a global scale, no less)  & they do it by making reading fun again!

(What an amazing concept! Who would have ever thought that reading could be a pleasure?
[p.s. the sarcasm is all mine...A pox on all those reading-fun-suckers in the world!]


How it works:

Signing up for Goodreads is simple &  free.

"Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing."

Everyone starts out with three default shelves:  read, currently reading, and to-read but you can add other shelves as the spirit moves you.

If  you are at all intrigued you might want to check out their How It Works page for more in-depth info.

Take some time to explore what Goodreads has to offer. If you love books you'll be glad you did! Enjoy!

Mourning Robert B. Parker

 

Robert B. Parker, the best-selling mystery writer who created the character Spenser, died at his desk on January 19th at his home in Cambridge, MA. He was 77 years old.

Learn more about this talented writer and his career here:

N.Y. Times article 1/20/2010

Wikipedia Entry (includes book lists & links)

2004 National Book Festival Webcast

Check Out Kansas City's Community Bookshelf!

Whoa! Miss Bun thought she had died and gone to librarian heaven when she saw this photo for the first time!

Yes, Virginia, those really are giant 25 by 9 feet book spines set between two glass enclosed stairwells. There are 22 titles and you can find out what they are and how they were chosen here: Kansas City Public Library Community Bookshelf

While you're there be sure to tour the rest of the library's website. Looks like a busy, interesting place! Kudos!

Do You Know the Snowflake Man???

Wilson A. Bentley, aka "Snowflake Bentley", from Jericho, Vermont was only 19 when he made the world's first photomicrograph of a snow crystal in 1885. His process was so unique and innovative that professionals at first doubted his results and his veracity.


 "In 1898, at the age of 33, he began to publish articles of his findings and images. He published 49 popular and 11 technical articles about snow crystals, frost, dew, and raindrops, including the entry on "snow" in the 14th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica."

During his lifetime he filled nine notebooks with 47 years worth of observations and lived to see his book, Snow Crystals, published.

To learn more about this fascinating scientist & his work check out these links:

The Bentley Snow Crystal Collection of the Buffalo Museum of Science
(includes his photographic process, bio, photographs, notebook entries, articles & more!)

Wilson A. Bentley, The Snowflake Man
( by the Jericho Historical Society)

More resources below :

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

is the author's site about her 1999 Caldecott Award winning book that has good resources for classroom teachers & homeschoolers.

Kind of makes one look at the white stuff in a whole different way, doesn't it?

Enjoy!

Non-Fiction Books for the Ten and Up Crowd On Your Shopping List . . .

Here are some great book recommendations from an article in Bookslut by Collen Mondor.

(In case you were wondering: "Bookslut is a monthly web magazine and daily blog dedicated to those who love to read. We provide a constant supply of news, reviews, commentary, insight, and more than occasional opinions.") Find the article here: Nonfiction Books For Curious Readers  Then go explore the rest of the site. You'll be glad you did!

About "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

What would Christmas be like if this wonderful story had never seen the light of day? Go to David Perdue's site and find out how Charles Dickens saved this holiday.

Christmas and Dickens

(While you are there take a look around at all the other fascinating info on this author!)

And then, by the wonder that is the Web, you can go here:                                                  

Looking Over the Shoulder of the Creator of "A Christmas Carol" (by the New York Times)

and actually look at a high resolution (hand written) copy of the only manuscript of the story that Mr. Dickens left behind. How amazing is that?


Wait! There's more!


Last, but not least, is a rather nice electronic edition for your online reading pleasure:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Ok, Peeps, there should be no bah-humbugging around here!

Enjoy!

Check Out These Opening Lines. . .

100 Best First Lines of Novels . . .As chosen by the editors of American Book Review and found on the Infoplease.com site.

This is a rather interesting list and it was fun to recognize old favorites.

(Miss Bun's personal favorite is #63.)

Be sure to take a look at #95....it should win an award....or something.

A Little Edward Gorey, in keeping with the season, plus a video!

In case you are not familiar with Edward Gorey (and you might not be if you don't have a macabre sense of humor) here is a mini- introduction:



Edward St. John Gorey (1925 - 2000) was an American writer, illustrator and designer most noted for his offbeat sense of humor and gothic sensibilities.

He created over one hundred works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Doubtful Guest and The Wuggly Ump; prize-winning set and costume designs for innumerable theater productions (including a Tony award for his costume design for the Broadway revival of the play Dracula); a remarkable number of illustrations in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times, and in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear, Samuel Beckett, John Updike, Virginia Woolf, H.G. Wells, Florence Heide and many others.

Most folks might know him for his design of the title sequence animation for the PBS Mystery series. (One of Miss Bun's favorites!)

Check out these sites for more info:

The Edward Gorey House
(which you can go and visit on Cape Cod)

and

Edward Gorey Biography
(from Biography.com)




Last, but certainly not least, take a look at the following very well done YouTube video production (by mandreas) of Gorey's most celebrated illustrated alphabet The Gashlycrumb Tinies in which he disposes of 26 children from A to Z in his signature Edwardian, macabre pen and ink style.  (Miss Bun's favorite is "N is for Neville who died of ennui".)  Enjoy!

What Do You Know About Poe?

 
Knowing Poe  is an award winning website from Maryland Public Television that aims to introduce us to the literature, life, and times of one of America's foremost writers.






Take your time while visiting this site because there are many  interactive activities, videos, and more to look at that have been created especially for students in middle and high school.

Check out the Classroom Connections, For Families, and About This Site links at the bottom of the homepage.
 .
"In addition to these interactive experiences, there are lesson plans created by Maryland teachers, primary source documents, links for further research, and materials for fun family activities related to Edgar Allan Poe."

"Throughout the site, watch for the Random Raven to give you some inside information and little known facts about Poe the person and Poe the writer."

Edgar Allan Poe + Halloween = How Cool Is That??? (So says Miss Bun!)

For All Your Undead Literary Needs . . .

The Vampire Library "is a resource for readers of vampire fiction, literature and non-fiction books. This site offers lists of vampire books, detailed book information, and links to purchasing information where available." 

What a great concept in light of all the Twilight-mania going on at the moment. 

Here you can search through 1,048 books for your favorite prince (or princess) of darkness. Books are listed by Novels/Sequels, Fiction Series, Anthologies, Fiction Guide, Non Fiction, All By Title, &  All by Author.

There is a blog (although it seems it is not regularly updated) as well as "Related Links" which has some interesting sites to check out. Oh, and they are on Twitter, too.

So, Peeps, get on out there and grow some fangs!!! Enjoy!

Avast, Ye Peeps!!!

Today is Talk Like A Pirate Day in case you didn't know.

This "international holiday" was conceived by Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers, John "Ol' Chumbucket" Bauer and Tori "Mad Sally" Bauer some seven years ago.

Just reading about how this auspicious day got started is entertaining and I recommend having a look: How It All Started.

Obviously the whole thing has blossomed in seven years and you can follow it on Facebook and other social networking sites.

There are trinkets and such to plunder as well.

And there are also off-shoots such as " Pirates for Parkinsons, planning "Walk Like A Pirate" charity walks all over the world to raise money for a good cause while havin' a rip-roarin' good time."

The site is full of good fun. There's Pirate Advice, Fun & Games, Links, How-to's and more.

There are also some pages for Junior Pirates that includes a Pirate Curriculum and Pirate Themed Books.

(Check out the Pirate Name Generators or the Pirate Personality Test under the Fun & Games tab!)

Miss Bun is ready to put on her eye patch and party like only a Pirate Librarian can!

So, Peeps, go get your swagger on and party hearty!!!

A Digital Rare Book Room . . .

The Rare Book Room is a fascinating site that gives viewers access to high quality resolution images of some of the world's greatest books from some of the world's greatest libraries.

Who or what is behind this endeavor, you may ask?

Why, that would be Octavo, a company from California, whose " purpose is to use the best in advanced technology to uncover and enhance the seminal ideas of the past in ways that will provide inspiration for the present and future. Through our published editions, Octavo facilitates preservation and enables discovery for a wide range of audiences."

There are about 400 books (all that have been digitized to date) that may be searched by category, author, or library.

These include works by Shakespeare, Ben Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanac & Experiments and Observations on Electricity), Galileo, Lewis Carroll, Charles Darwin and more!



This is truly a feast for the eyes! Enjoy!