Australia Day

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Literary lamps

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