Bookstore Windows

Not on the list but here in Jackon, MI

Do you find bookstore windows enticing? Flavorwire has posted a collection of 30 Excellent Bookstore Windows From Around the World. The newly opened Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Michigan is included.

Have you been to any of these bookstores? Do you have a favorite to share?

Decorating with Books

Everybody is decorating with books these days, but here's an entirely different way to tie that theme into your scheme.

Check out Book Riot's post on Awesome Bookish Flooring.

Wordless Wednesday

Discovered at a Used Book Store in Alabama

For more photos around the web, visit the Wordless Wednesday list today.

Book Domino Chain World Record

You can't help but smile. . .

These 9 Book Visualizations Deserve Contemplation

Check out this website, EBook Friendly, to find out how creative a book visualization can be.

Ever Dreamed of Living in a Library?

Eclectic Kitchen design by San Francisco Design-build The Last Inch,Inc.

Houzz, my favorite home design site, has shared a kitchen in what was formerly a Carnegie library! It is just beautiful. Wouldn't you love to see the rest of the residence?

The Top Ten - Writers Pick Their Favorite Books

Author Elizabeth Flock posted about this wonderful site that asked her to list her top ten books. Here's what she wrote on Facebook:

"I am often asked about my favorite books, a frustrating question I LOVE because it challenges me and, depending on where my thoughts have been wandering, my answer always changes a little bit. But there are a few "absolutes" and J. Peder Zane has provided a safe place for them to reside. When you check out this fabulous site, you'll know why I was thrilled to be included."

What caught my attention was her reference to the few "absolutes".

So check out The Top Ten website, which is actually an expansion on the book of the same name, and then share your thoughts. You'll find lists by author names, lists submitted by readers, and a tally of repeated titles. What are your absolutes?

The Need for & Future of Self-Help Books

How did Austin Kleon's book about creativity end up shelved with self-help books? Read what he has to say HERE.

Mysterious Sculptor Strikes Again!

JM Barrie's Peter Pan Photo: Chris Scott

The unknown sculptor has struck again. All anyone knows is that the person is a woman who loves books. Once again she has left new works in random places around Edinburgh, Scotland. Read more about this wonderful mystery at The Guardian.

The Five Laws of Library Science

Ever heard of S.R. Ranganathan? Neither had I until after I was a degreed and working librarian. How did he escape my attention considering he proposed the Five Laws of Library Science in 1931? Worldwide they are accepted by many as the foundation of library philosophy.

1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his [or her] book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the reader.
5. The library is a growing organism.

At first glance they may seem rather elementary but contemplation reveals their enduring importance. And I use that to introduce "Books are for use." and in some cases perhaps not necessarily for reading.

Check out this website that lists 21 Uses for Old Books.

The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size by Julia Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been thinking about loosing weight for years with the results you would expect. None.

For some reason, Julia Cameron's book and her emphasis on writing resonated with me and I have lost over twenty pounds since last fall. But the most extraordinary thing is that I have become more creative. And I use the book as a reminder reading it over and over again to keep moving forward.

The premise of The Writing Diet stems from the author observing that people in her classes on creative unblocking seemed to lose weight as they became more in touch with themselves through writing morning pages and other exercises.

This book isn't the universal answer those of us who are overweight are seeking; but if you are curious like I was, why not give The Writing Diet a try?

View all my reviews

Connected with Books on Pinterest

Unknown Source: BOOK WALK

I've been discovering the most amazingly creative pictures connected with books on Pinterest. Check my board out HERE.

T-Shirt Sayings

Signals (Personalized I Became Shirts)You know you want one!

I've Been Found Out

Forgetfulness

The name of the author is the first to go followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of, as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain, to a little fishing village where there are no phones. Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag, and even now as you memorize the order of the planets, something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps, the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay. Whatever it is you are struggling to remember, it is not poised on the tip of your tongue, not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen. It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall, well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle. No wonder you rise in the middle of the night to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war. No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem that you used to know by heart. Billy Collins

"There's Nothing Like a Real Book"

A short stop-action animation called The Joy of Books created by Toronto's Type Books



Discovered on Boing Boing.

And Now For Something Completely Different. . .

Who needs a Kindle when you have a device like this!

Brian Dettmer's Book Carving

A friend posted a link to Twisted Sifter online and I had to check it out just because of the wonderful name. The link took me to the Top 25 Art Projects of 2011 with the first listed being Brian Dettmer's book carving pieces. There are a total of 30 works as well as his bio and artist statement. One statement especially struck me:

"History is lost as formats change from physical stability to digital distress." Worth contemplating, I think.

small is the new big (2006)

Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I follow Seth Godin's blog, I impulsively picked up his 2006 collection of earlier blog posts the last time I was in the library. Have I mentioned I love Seth? He rants about the same things I rant about and there is nothing more endearing than knowing someone else thinks as you do.

Like all his work, he sparks your creativity. You are free to pick and choose and see what makes sense in your own world.

Loosely alphabeticalized, you can read this book in small or larger (would that be appropriate?) chunks over a period of time.

View all my reviews

And Speaking of Shelving . . .

People often bemoan the way libraries discard old books - throwing them in a dumpster to make space for new materials.  Not-Tom, a U.K. "design studio based in London specializing in exhibition and furniture design". Found another solution. A book book shelf.

Not Tom Photograph