On the heels of the very successful author as independent bookseller day comes Take Your Child To a Bookstore Day. A day devoted to getting the kids out and among the books. Founded four years ago by Jenny Milchman, a writer herself, the event continues to pick up speed. Over 500 bookstores including one from very US state, seven Canadian provinces, England, Australia, and Germany are currently signed up. Milchman understands the value and necessity of the bookshop: Bookstores hold a place in the hearts and times of our community. They are places to discover an author, a story, a life....
Happy Thanksgiving and some gift help for the holiday season!
Proclamation of Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln, 1863Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends in the U.S. and we wish everyone, wherever you are, a peaceful holiday season. While you are enjoying the festivities here are a few Thanksgiving-related goodies from the book world. Above is the original proclamation "For a Day of Thanksgiving, Praise and Prayer." A new national holiday declared by Abraham Lincoln in 1863! [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] How the Wogglebug Got a Thanksgiving Dinner by L. Frank Baum, 1904[/caption] And who knew L. Frank Baum produced a 27-part comic strip series, Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, which ran weekly...
“If every bookshop tells a story…”
Loving this ad placed by Unity Books in New Zealand in the literary magazine Sport 13 in the Spring of 1994. Published before e-commerce would forever change the business of bookselling, the ad reeks of independence, community and book love. via the New Zealand Electronic Text collection
Confessions of a Book Hipster
His name is Alex and he is a self-confessed book hipster. His home base is the Australian bookshop chain QBD The Bookshop. He roams the streets fighting the good fight. From zombies to martians, nothing can stand in the way of Alex the Book Hipster. Meet Alex here: [youtube]http://youtu.be/ToQRxIV337w[/youtube] and here is the final chapter our superhero's confessions: [youtube]http://youtu.be/26hKWcVrgP4[/youtube] If that's not cool enough the book hipster also offers a confessional library where one can share their bookish secrets. I do hope he visits the states soon!
Book Fair with Grunge and more…
This weekend the annual Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair takes center stage. Nearly 100 booksellers from far and wide converge on the Seattle Center to showcase their stuff. Don't let the name antiquarian fool you - the fair will be packed with all sorts of printed goodies at all sorts of price points. The fair is a must for any book enthusiast so don't let the terminology scare you away. Here's some highlights. Division Leap from Portland is bringing an archive of Seattle fanzines that documents essentially the history of the Seattle punk scene which also includes possibly the very first...