Thursday, April 23, 2015

Why Bookstores Are Important, All the Light We Cannot See Wins a Pulitzer, and Check it Out Video


I cannot help but agree, though I am not, lamentably, a bookseller. I really enjoy sharing my love of a good book with others, which is why I am always excited for my monthly book group meeting at the library. 

"I am not alone in my desire to press a good book into someone's hands.
We employ a host of talented booksellers who, like me, believe that
recommending books is the birthright of every zealous reader. No matter
how much we love a book, the experience of reading it isn't complete
until we can give it to someone who will love it as much as we do."

--Ann Patchett, author and co-owner of Parnassus Books
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz24921368, Nashville, Tenn., in a Washington Post op-ed piece headlined "Owning a bookstore means you always get to tell

I also agree with this...Bookstores are an important part of the community. This is part of why I am dismayed at the difficulties that Finally Found Books in Auburn is having staying open. They're currently fundraising to become a non profit, but they need money and volunteers to keep the place from going under. I wish that I had money to give, but I can only help get the word out. That is why quotes like this have so much meaning.

'Being in a Bookstore is Like Getting a Passport'
"In the ease of the Internet, in the promise of instant, I looked away
from bookstores for a minute and when I looked back some had
disappeared. They were closed. They were gone.

"We didn't just lose a bookstore though, we lost a bit of magic. We lost
a bit of wonder. We lost a safe haven where it's still OK to dream big
dreams. To walk down aisles and aisles of 'what if?' Books are not
collections of paper, they're invitations to different worlds. And being
in a bookstore is like getting a passport....

"Bookstores matter to authors, but more than that, I think they matter
to humans.
 "They offer something no Internet site can deliver, they offer space.
 "A room where 40 people or 4 people can get together and discuss an
idea.
 "Long live the local bookstore."

--Jon Acuff, author most recently of Do Over, in a blog post headlined
"Why I fell back in love with bookstores

 I know that there's a lot of linkage in this next bit, but it's totally worth it for the "Check It Out" video spoof on "Shake it Off" Nicely done, librarians!
Noting that 57 years after its launch, National Library Week
"is still going strong with a variety of celebrations and awareness
campaigns," Bustle featured 17 librarians
past and present, who made this year's theme, "Unlimited Possibilities @
Your Library," possible.
staff from the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
clever parody of Taylor Swift's song "Shake It Off." The librarians
believe "there's no better soundtrack to some copious library love than
Taylor Swift, pop star, reader and outspoken library and literacy
supporter. We love that Taylor has lent her talent to the library cause,
and this video is, in part, an homage to her. But it's also a pop homage
to library supporters and libraries everywhere."

The production stars three library staff members dancing, singing and
acting, and features the vocal talent of local actor and singer, Ashley
Young. Nearly a hundred library staff members and Topeka community
members were involved in the production. They also helpfully offered a
guide to all the "Taylor Swift references in this video

We had a bookmobile in a couple of the small towns that I lived in when growing up in Iowa, but these awesome book conveyances put them all to shame!
Yesterday was National Bookmobile Day, and to celebrate Bustle
highlighted "12 amazing bookmobiles that show the power of books and
noting that "bookmobiles have gained popularity in recent years, but
have been around since the early 1900s, and maybe even before that.
Today, there are not only mobile libraries but boats, bikes, even
something known as the Biblio Burro, all dedicated to bringing books to
children. These programs do amazing work for families who might not have
the financial resources necessary to purchase books."
 
I adore the Maisie Dobbs books, and I've read them all, so I am thrilled that they're being made into a TV series!

SLAM TV, a new production company based in the U.K. and headed by actors
Stephen Mangan (Episodes) and Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), has
acquired the option to develop a TV series based on the Maisie Dobbs
historical mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear.  

"We are hugely excited to be working with Jacqueline Winspear," said
Mangan. "There has never been a female character like Maisie Dobbs in
period drama; she has huge appeal for a modern television audience and
the potential to be a truly iconic screen figure. We can't wait to get
started on these wonderful stories."

I also loved All the Light We Cannot See, so I am happy to see that the Pulitzer judges found it wonderful as well. Nicely done, Mr Doerr!
Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See, an indie bookseller
handselling favorite since its release last spring, was among the 2015
yesterday in the Pulitzer World Room, Pulitzer Hall, Columbia
University. You can view the official announcement here
each of whom receives $10,000, and finalists in the books category
include:

Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See
(Scribner), "an imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors
of World War II and written in short, elegant chapters that explore
human nature and the contradictory power of technology."

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