The 35th annual Planned Parenthood Book Sale is currently in progress at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, California. Beginning on September 16, 2009, it will continue through this Sunday, September 27th.The Planned Parenthood Book Sale has now become a major happy hunting ground for book collectors and dealers. Opening day found a dozen book lovers lined up at 8AM; by the time the doors opened at 5PM collectors had reproduced into the hundreds and descended upon the collectible books display tables like starving neonates in search of mother’s milk. Think a Macy’s ladies undergarment sale with frenzied shoppers...
Has the Government of Nepal Shut Down the Kathmandu Post?
Servers for the Kathmandu Post have been been non-responsive for the last forty-eight hours in the wake of two stories within the last week involving books, freedom of the press and speech issues.In the midst of gathering material for yesterday’s post on Barnes & Noble in Kathmandu, I came across a curious story in the online Kathmandu Post (aka Kantipur Online) about the rare book trade in Nepal.On September 20, 2009, Harsha Man Maharjan reported that “the rare book business is expanding in Kathmandu. But the sellers do not want to divulge much information, because they don't want their competitors...
Publisher issues tissues with tearjerker
When a critic said of Nicole C. Vosseler's, “Unter dem Safranmond” (Under the Saffron Moon) that it was an "entertaining love story that especially appeals to female readers moving them to tears," the marketing bells went off at the German publisher Lubbe.The publisher hired the Munich marketing firm ServicePlan who created a tissue box that mirrors the hardback. Same cloth, same visuals. The publisher produced 5,000 tissue books to offer with the novel. And, if you need more, the tissues are pre-printed with quotes from the book!The concept has earned two major design awards including the bronze lion at the...
Barnes & Noble Opens New Store In…Kathmandu?
Is Barnes & Noble trying to conquer the Asian book market beginning from the continent’s highest altitude to it’s lowest? Attempting to provide Mt. Everest climbers with reading material for the schlep up and down?Has the executive suite at Barnes & Noble filled with hashish smoke, courtesy of Kathmandu’s famed Eden Hashish Centre?When Maria and Gim, two travelers reporting on their Around the World in 90 Days tour for Travelblog, were recently walking around the Thamel district of Katmandu, the city’s tourist district, during their visit to Nepal, they turned a corner and passed the above book shop. Gim got...
Library Nixes Final Exits
In what would seem to be the smart move for a library that values live customers, Vancouver Public Library has opted to cancel a scheduled workshop on how to commit suicide.The Australian-based suicide advocacy organization, Exit International, has been denied the use of a room for the workshop to be held in early September. The booking was cancelled by city librarian Paul Whitney, upon receipt of advice from attorneys and the Vancouver Police Department. Whitney stated he was told: "In what, for lawyers, I would describe as fairly unambiguous language that the program as presented by Exit International would be...