“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead.”— Clarence S. Day, 1928
That I love books is no shocking revelation for anyone who’s been a regular visitor here… I write about books a lot, and I’ve even set a reading goal for the end of the year. But today I’ve decided not to go into specifics about my recent reads (Tribes and Free – there’s plenty of commentary on these two!)… Instead I’ll just share with you some great things I’ve found online about books!
I’ve been excited to find many online who are more obsessed with books, than I am. For example, Laura writes 52 Books: A Year Long Reading Project. It’s not her first year of this project either! For anyone who thinks a book a week is impossible, check this out!
Change is Afoot
The book world is clearly influx right now with the landscape changing because of digital readers, self-publishing, eBooks, online digital libraries via Google Books (see also the Google Library Project) or via ReadPrint.com… I’m excited to see where the industry is headed and imagine that it will end up meaning good things for consumers!
Here’s a great list of book resources from Elysa Rice at GenPink. One resource she mentions is GoodReads, which is one I’m still relatively new at using, but I love the idea! Check out my GoodReads profile and let’s connect there.
Something a Little Different
“Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
For something a little different, look at these amazing book installations on Black*Eiffel by Jan Reymonds and Alicia Martin. They’re truly breathtaking. I’d never seen anything like them before these posts, but they make me wonder if my library is large enough to create one…
I was also inspired by the idea of a Community Bookcase, featured on decor8. I wonder if it would work in Dallas… or anywhere other than Europe for that matter!
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I hope you enjoyed the detour from my normal book reviews. I’d love to hear your thoughts below…
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Books, books, books… I love books! I was just wondering today while watching a commercial for kindle, what will happen to books? Hmmm…
A few nights ago I was talking to a regular at work… he was telling me how much he loves reading – he’s always reading at the bar. I never see him without a book, which is kind of hot. But he just spent $500 on books! I about fell over… I prefer the library due to my tight budget, in fact I LOVE the library. I love being able to go online, reserve a book and pick it up at the branch closest to me… and there is one just a few blocks away! Love it!
As far as the community bookcase – I saw this concept in Egypt at the beach huts where I stayed. There were a few bookcases filled with books in the community lounge area… folks were encouraged to take one, but leave one in return. I loved the idea that these books had come from all over the world and who knows where they would go next.
I definitely need to get back to the library. It’s been way too long. I’m glad to hear the community bookcase concept can succeed outside of Europe too! Thanks for the update.
Thought you might also enjoy this site – AbeBooks. Check out their prices. A new friend turned me on to it!
Angela, thought you’d appreciate this one in light of Jenn’s comment on this page. So, I was with another big five consulting firm over the last couple of years and accumulated something like 93,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points through constant traveling. I recently cashed them in for $925 in B&N gift certificates, enough for about 55-60 books! I can hardly think of a better investment. While I agree that books are expensive and public libraries are great things, it’s nice to build your own mini-library of books you are especially fond of. For this mass order from B&N, I bought many of the books that one might consider lifetime ‘must reads’–everything from the Old & New Testament to works by Goethe, Dostoevsky, Euripedes and Proust. Now the challenge will be reading it all. ;)
Anyway, thanks for the post and about and links regarding books. There are few subjects dearer to my heart so I’ll be sure to check them out!
Wow, Saeed. That’s awesome! I got goosebumps just reading about your library… That reading definitely sounds like a big challenge, but I’m sure you are up to the task!
Let me know how it’s going… I’d love to hear your thoughts as you read your way through them! Maybe a guest post?