Monday, October 1, 2007

Escape the library

On a rare occasion I post a link to a game. Since there are not a lot of ‘bookish’ games around, I seize the opportunity to bring you this one. It is one of those typical escape games. Except this one is in a library. I found it quite difficult, until my finance told me just to click on a lot of things. You can find the game here. Have fun!

Escape

Book corners

If you want to protect the corners of your favourite hardcovers, this product might come in handy. It is a set of galvanised steel plate book corners. For 8,50 pounds you get 24 small ones, 24 medium ones and 12 large ones. You can order them here.

Book Corners

Librarian bar

If you are ever in New York and you want to go out for a drink, go here! (And tell me all about it…) It is called the Library Bar, but do not take this too seriously. As they describe it: “Home of bad grammar, good music and adorable staff”. The only thing librarian about this bar is the staff, which kind of dress like librarians. Kind of: the wrong and over the top sexy way. As said, if you dare to set foot in it, let me know afterwards!


Ex libris

Or: bookplate. Personally, I hate it when people put bookplates in books. For me it is a real turnoff when I spot a second hand book and the previous owner glued one in. I feel the same when someone felt the need to write their name in a book. Why do people feel that need, I wonder? For collectors the books become worthless.

But… I do like the look of some bookplates. The art on them can be really nice. There is whole bunch of people who feel the same. Hence The Bookplate Society. Or this blog, by a self confessed ‘bookplate junkie’. The history behind these Ex Libris is actually quite interesting. You can learn about it here.

If you do like to put bookplates in your books, or collect them, I have a few links for you. Here you can find really pretty high quality Ex Libris. Also check out these that depict reading women.

Book Plate

Kimbooktu interviewed

A couple of days ago I wrote about a new bookish forum, LitMinds. They have conducted an interview with me that is now shown on their homepage (click here or here). So if you want to know more about me, or how I came up with ‘Kimbooktu’, you can read the interview!

interview

The World’s best book store II

I recently wrote a post about the World’s best bookstore. You can find the post here. Michelle send me an e-mail about an amazing bookstore in Buenos Aires. It used to be a theatre and it looks fantastic. You can see an image of it here and more information on it here.

If you know of an amazing bookstore, that you think is the best of the world, please post it here. (You can also click the new category I made, named ‘bookstores’.)

Bookstore

Edible book festival

I posted about bookish festivals before. Make sure you enter your local bookish festivals here! I found one that is worth a separate mention. Every year on April 1. the “Edible book festival” takes place in a lot of countries. “This festival is a celebration of the ingestion of culture and a way to concretely share a book; it is also a deeper reflexion on our attachment to food and our cultural differences”, the organisation writes on their website. You can find it here.

Edible book festival

Books by the foot

Weird?! Why should anybody house books without intending to read them? I have written about books for decoration only, but this… At this website, you can buy books by the foot. Yes, by the foot! Just because they look pretty. I’m sorry I have to say this, but… That’s so sad. And they do not come cheap too! I would rather spend the money to buy some proper reading material. Click here to be in awe.

Books by the foot

The world’s best bookstore

I would like to find the best bookstore in the world. Or the most impressive one, or whatever you may call it. Of course, I need YOUR help with this. Whilst searching the web for the planet’s greatest bookstore, I came up with this and this. Visitors found that these bookstores were the best on earth. Also Powell’s bookstore in Portland, Oregon (USA), was mentioned quite a lot on the web as the worlds greatest bookstore. I also found this website: “Bookstore hall of fame”. I am sure you can top that! Let me know!

Please supply me with a link of YOUR favourite bookstore and some pictures. And tell my why you think it is so fantastic. This way, the other readers can benefit of it as well! This way, I hope to find the best bookstore on the planet.

Bookstore

Books on writers

If you love books, you love writers. Todays post about books on books is all about the people who produce our wonderful reading. Their lives, their thoughts, their inspirations. For instance: how do they live? You can find out about it in the book “American writers at home”, to be found here. If you want to know more about the homes of authors, this book might be interesting. It is called “Writers’ houses”, to be found here.

There is also a book of beautiful portraits of writers. The pictures are very nice. The book is called “Writers: photographs”. You can learn more about it here. I always want to know what the people who write like to read. And alas, there was a writer who thought the same. The book “The top ten: writers pick of their favourite books” was the final product. You can find it here. Last, I would like to bring “The Believer books of writers talking to writers” to your attention. As the title says, the book included interviews with writers, by writers. To be found here.

Writers

Religious book shelf

“For the first time, the worlds most influential religious texts are brought together and presented on the same level, their coexistence acknowledged and celebrated”. This is how the designers describe this piece of art. It is a shelf made of reclaimed wood that contains seven religious books. The designers have put them – literally – on the same level. It is made in a small edition, but with a big statement. Click here to find out more.

New Lit forum

A new literature forum was brought to my attention today. It is called “LitMinds”. The people behind the forum aim to bring together readers, writers and bookstores. Since I applaud the idea behind this website, I would like to bring it to your attention as well. You can find it here. I have already registered. If you would like to register right away, you can click here. They also have a blog, to be found here.

Litminds logo

Every book…

…its reader. This is the title of this book about books. The under title is: “The power of the printed world to stir the world.” The book is written by Nicholas Basbanes, who has written a number of books on books. And he does it well. In this books he writes about all sorts of things related to books and writing.

If you always wondered about the following, this book might be for you… What books might Shakespeare have read? What books fill the libraries of writers? What do American presidents read? How do people view the bible? You can learn more about the book and look inside it here.

Design a cover

Recently I visited an English language book store in my city and came across something peculiar. It were books published by Penguin. The covers of these books were blank. They had no cover art at all. On closer inspection I found out that they did this on purpose.

Penguin wants the reader to make the cover. “Books by the greats, covers by you”, is their slogan. With my drawing skills that is almost a mortal sin. If you are a good artist, maybe you should give it a try. Penguin has made a contest out of it. They reprinted six titles with blank covers. On the website you can also see the inspirational creations of others. Some of them are quite good! You can learn more about the books they make this way and the competition here.

They also thought it would make a really great gift idea. You can give someone one of these books and make the cover yourself. That’s quite original. I found this a very good idea. Anyway, if you decide to join the contest, make sure to send me a picture of your creation!

Bookish festivals

Festivals and special markets for books are fantastic. I love it when books are celebrated like that! In The Netherlands we have a couple of these events. Of course there are many festivities celebrating “the book” around the world. Today I present one of them. From May 24 until June 3 there is a book festival in Hay-on-Wye in Wales. Bill Clinton called it: “The Woodstock of the mind”. You can visit the site here. The website site also gives dates of other literary festivals.

If you know of any bookish festivals, please post them in the comments. That way, it could become some sort of global bookish agenda! Do not forget to post the date, the place and a link. If it becomes an extensive list, I will put it in the side bar for reference.

Biblioholism…

…The literary addiction. “Have you ever awakened the morning after a book-buying spree and been unable to remember how many volumes you bought or how much you spent?”, says the cover of this book. I sometimes say that I am a member of the BA. Bibliophiles Anonymous. “My name is Kim and I am a bibliophile.”

Of course, there is no such organisation. (Maybe there should be one?) In case you are in need of such a self help group, this book might prove useful. It gives you insight in your addiction and teaches you how to cope with it. You can find out more about it and look inside it here.

Biblioholism

Librarians on You Tube

I found a couple of funny librarian video’s on You Tube. Like this one. It is a short film of 4 minutes. I thought it was quite funny. Especially since the female librarian is not depicted as a geek, for once. If you are a guy: this is what happens when you return a book late or disrespect them.

The next one, I found hilarious. Click here to see it. It is actually a short car commercial, but it all takes place in a library. As said, I laughed my head off. The last one is called “The adventures of super librarian”. It’s only half a minute long. Click here to view it. If you know of other funny librarian movies, or short films on books or reading, let me know!



Fantastic book store!

Most of you will probably not be able to visit this new bookstore, because it is in The Netherlands. Since I find it so utterly fantastic, and since I have more and more Dutch readers, I post about it anyway. If you aren’t Dutch and plan on visiting this country, make sure to visit this bookstore. I plan to go there as soon as I get the chance.

I love this bookstore so much, because it is housed in a Dominican church in Maastricht. The church was built in 1294. Recently it was converted into a bookstore. A have to say: it looks very dramatic. It is without doubt the most beautiful bookstore I have ever seen. Click here to visit their website. Unfortunately it is only available in Dutch.

The best thing is yet to come. A Dutch magazine put some photo’s on their website. I am sure you will enjoy them, even if you aren’t Dutch. Click here to see the most fantastic bookstore you have ever seen. (If you disagree and know of a better one: please let me know!)

Dominicanen

Portable library

do not know how to describe it, but I love this piece of furniture. It is best described as a movable, almost portable library in which you can sit. A library on wheels! It comes with a carpet, which is red to match with the pillows. You can choose out of three types of wood. There is also a variety of designs, so you can have an almost custom cabinet. Take a look at this website to learn more.

library on wheels

Poems on books

This book about books is actually for little children. But I think most adults would love it too. The book has a fantastic title: “Please bury me in the library”. It has all sorts of poems celebrating books and reading. Each spread has as a different poem and artwork. You can learn more and look inside the book here.

please bury me...

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Books online

Two of the biggest publishing houses in the English language have put their books online. HarperCollins and Random House now enable book lovers to browse trough books via their websites. (Just click on the name of the publishers to get to the appropriate webpage.) Sometimes you can see new books before they get published!

They also made a sort of widget that makes it possible to post a book on your website. Sadly, it is not possible to do this on Wordpress, because the script is in Java. If you found a way to put a novel on your blog, let me know!

online book

Books for soldiers

A dear friend of mine is with the Marines. Recently she went out to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a special EU-mission. Since she loves to read as much as I do, she shipped a load of books ahead. She needs to have something to do when she has time off. This is what the next website is all about. Via the site you can send books to soldiers who work abroad. The soldiers can ask for books they would like to read. You can also send other things, like DVD’s if you like. Just go to this website to find out more.

Soldier reading

Miniature books

You might think I am swallowed by Gulliver’s Travels, since I post about miniature stuff a lot. After miniature bookstores, a miniature library, I now give you: miniature books! It was the only thing yet missing.

Miniature books are a whole book world on it’s own, I discovered recently. Browsing the web, I found myself on loads of different mini bookish sites. Did you know, for instance, that there is a Miniature Book Society? Click here to find out more and maybe even become a member!

I can understand the passion of the members of the Society. Take a look at this website. All the major works in miniature! You can even read these tiny works of art, if you have very good eyes. Or simply a magnifying lens. This website also has miniature books, but those have blank pages. It does not take away the beauty of these tiny books, though.

If you would like to make some of these books yourself, click here for an interesting ‘how-to’ manual. The book teaches you all the basic principles of (miniature) bookmaking. Make sure you have the much needed patience to embark on a mini project like this!

Mini books

Miniature library

I am not a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I absolutely adore this library. If I understand it correctly, this play set is a model of Buffy’s high school library. I think it looks great. It is in two levels and has four bookcases and a table. Other accessories are included, but it is unknown what they are. You can learn more about it here and here.

Self shelf

I have posted about invisible book shelves before. But I am proud to announce this Dutch one. This shelve looks like a book. You can place your own books on top of it. And you do not even notice! And the best thing is: it keeps your books in tact. You can find out about it here.

Self Shelf

Miniature book shop

Some acquaintances of mine have built a dolls house. They are quite fantastic, and it lead me to an idea. I have always wanted my own bookshop, but it is probably never going to happen. How great it would be to build my own miniature bookstore! Like a dolls house, but then as a little shop. And decorate it just the way I would my dreamed up bookstore. I already have some miniature books, which I bought on Ebay recently.

I have searched the web, searching for inspiration, but I did not find anybody who build a dolls house book shop. Then I came across this book. It gives plans for five different dolls house shops. Including a Victorian book shop! I have become very tempted to buy this book! If you want to learn more about it, click here. If you come across some pictures of miniature book shops, please let me know!

Dolls house

Library: An unquiet history

I am a sucker for libraries, and most likely so are you. This book is about the history of libraries. The book features all the good and bad that could happen to a library. It seems to be a must have if you are a librarian. Or anybody that would like to know more about libraries. (Yes, I have put this one on my list as well….) The book is about book burning and the worship of the library and everything in between. Which is quite a lot… It is written by a rare book librarian at Harvard, Matthew Battles. If you want to know more about libraries, this book is your thing! You can find out about it and look inside it here. (EU click here)

Library

Book perfume

This is weird. But that also makes it fun. Perfume that smells like an old book! The maker of this scent, Christopher Brosius, loves his books. He describes the odour of his product as: “English Novel taken from a Signed First Edition of one of my very favorite novels, Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish”. He made four varieties of his “In the library” scent. It comes as Perfume Absolute 15 ml and 2 ml, a Water Perfume and a Home Spray. You can find out more about it, and order it if you dare, here.

Book scent

Book vending machines

No Mars bar. No diet coke. Noting of the sorts. This vending machine only produces books. How fantastic is that?! We have none in my country. Neither are there any in the USA, as a reader informed me. But if you ever are in Paris, you might bump up to one of those. Learn more about this phenomenon here.

Book vending

Library Hotel

If you ever want a hotel in New York, look no further! I have found the most perfect accommodation for you. It is situated on 299. Madison Avenue in New York and it is called the Library Hotel. If you think it sounds good, check out their website. Then you know it is more then that. The rooms look amazing. The whole hotel looks amazing! There are books scattered all over the place. The hotel contains over 6,000 books. Every room has a different bookish theme. And you can walk to the New York library, too.

If you want to sleep in a bookish hotel in The Netherlands, “Boekenhotel Doldersum” is your place. It is not as fancy as the Library Hotel, but undoubtedly just as much as fun. This hotel also has theme rooms. You can learn more about it here. (The site also translates into English and German.)

hotel

My favourite books

A couple of days ago, my boyfriend gave me this little note book. A pre-valentine gift. The little book has a red hardcover and looks really pretty. On the front, It reads: My favourite books. Turns out, it is a little note book to record your (favourite) books in. I think I will use it to keep track of the books I read this year. It is not only very pretty, but very handy, too. You can find it here.

Favorite books


Great Library Zine

Recently I got a fantastic zine in the post. Its maker, Chella Quint, was very nice to mail it to me. I love this little booklet! It is called “The Low-Tech Library”. It features great little articles on starting your own library, cataloguing your books and more. Much more. I think she should either make a website about the contents of her zine, or transform it into a real book.

She informed me she is running out of copies of this zine. If there is enough interest she will consider re-printing them again. I hope she does. You can enquire about the zine via her e-mail. Click here to send her some fanmail. Or check her Myspace on the Zine here.

@ Chella: If I forgot something, feel free to add it in the comments!

The low tech library

Bookish store

Another online store from which I cannot choose from all the goodies, so I will give you the link. They have all sorts of products shaped like a book or books. Like a business card holder (see below) and a letter rack. But they also have a books mouse mat, which I would LOVE to have on my desk. So this is another “have-fun-and-browse” link for you!

Card Holder

Penguin book bags

I have posted on Penguin stuff before. Mugs, Deck chairs. It might seem if they were sponsoring me, but they are not. I wish. I just like their products. Next to the things I have mentioned, they also make bags. There is a shop in my town which sells them, as well as the mugs, and I would love to have one of them! If you also would like to own a bag, click here.

Book bag

A history of reading

I got this book for Christmas, but have not been able to read it yet. I put it on my list, because it looked very interesting. Too bad I cannot give you a full review yet. The book, as the title already said, tells you about the history of reading. The writer, Alberto Manguel, writes about censorship in reading to the most comfortable way people tend to read. This is all done by (small) essays. This book gives you all sorts of reading knowledge you never knew before. You can learn more about it and order it here. (EU click here)

A history of reading

Baby book gifts

If you love reading and you just had a baby, this might be the site to browse. Or if you have to attend a baby shower soon. It lists bookish stuff for babies. Like ‘Babies first book bag’. How cute! The bag includes a Bath Book, two board books, a cloth book and a paper picture book. Check the site for other products.

Baby book bag

Reading posters

I have posted about bookish posters before. This site has all sorts of posters featuring people that are reading. I love (some of ) them! They look very romantic. You can see them here and here. The also have posters on books, to be found here.

Book poster

Library cabinets

Do you remember those old school libraries, with those cabinets that consist of drawers? Librarians searching trough them to find the right card for the books you want to borrow. If you want to sniff up some long gone sentiment, or own a cabinet yourself click here. And here!

Cabinet

Bookish comic

This website features a online comic about a library. It is called “Unshelved”. You can signup for e-mail delivery, or browse the archives. They also have books and t-shirts. You can find those if you click ‘shop’.

comic

Library seating

Remember that library game table I posted about? Then this must seem like deja-vu! This table has no room for play, but it does seem good! It is a bit overdone, but it has books on it. If you have some money to spare, this might be the set for you!

Library seating