100 Books in 2010

In case you’re looking for a great challenge in 2010, I have just the thing. I came across this blog called J. Kaye’s Book Blog and along with several other challenges, there is a great one for 2010.  Sign up and aim to read 100 books this year.  You don’t have to have a blog to post what books you’ve read, there’s a section on the sign up page that will explain just what to do.

You can read absolutely anything……non-fiction, graphic novels, audiobooks, e-books….whatever might have an ISBN number or equivalent.  Then, keep track of your books as you go and post your final total at the end of next December.  Books started before January 1, 2010 are not eligible (so much for those 4 books I have on the go!), so keep anything for after the New Year.  You don’t have to decide on your book list ahead of time, but you certainly may.  Changes to the list are allowed, so don’t feel fenced in if you change your mind about something.

Give it a try! What a great thing to accomplish in a year!

Book lover’s Christmas list!

If you haven’t quite finished your shopping and have a few book lovers on your list, you might want to check out a few of these fun ideas.

I just LOVE the items you can find at Perpetual Kid and especially this wacky burning bookmark.  How fun would it be to have this out while you’re reading on the bus or subway! (I must note that shipping to Canada involves the use of Bongo, a shipping service which allows you to have things shipped to a US address to avoid large international shipping costs.  Then, they ship to you for a pre-determined fee.  A little trickier, but an interesting idea.)

How about a painting of your ideal bookshelf?  Artist Jane Mount created this painting of all of her favourite picture books and you can purchase a copy on here site here.

Or how about a classic Monopoly game, boxed to look like a vintage book?  Amazon offers a whole line of these classic board games which can sit on your shelves just like a collection of books.

Hopefully, this will give you a few great ideas for gift-giving this holiday season. Thanks to The Literary Pursuit blog for the great ideas!

Would libraries look fresh with these shelves?

Sleek Shelves from Opulent Items

Part of the reason people tend to think of libraries as old and out of date is the fact that…sometimes, they look old and out of date.  But wouldn’t some fresh new ideas for shelving play a big part in getting people to think differently about libraries? Even without a huge budget, a library could easily incorporate one or two unique pieces such as this Pyramid Shelf from Opulent Items.  Just a simple addition like this might create some buzz in the library and get people to think differently.

What do you think?

Canada Reads

It’s that time of year again…..the book selections for Canada Reads 2010 have just been announced and this year, there is a reading challenge!

First of all, what is Canada Reads? It is a three month challenge whereby five Canadian books are selected and defended by a panel of celebrity judges.  These celebrity judges will defend their favourite book and each night, a book will be dropped from the list until the final book remains.  This will be the book that Canada should read in 2010.  The debates will take place on CBC television, be broadcast on CBC Radio and you can also hear them on Sirius satellite radio. All of the times and channels are posted here.

There will also be an official blogger this year, so if you are interested in reading what she has to say about each debate, you can find Flannery’s blog here.  Or find out a little more about the blogger herself here.

If you’re up for the challenge of reading all of the books and then voting on the one you think will win, you can find more information on the Canada Reads 2010 Challenge website here. You have until March 6th, 2010 to read all six books so that you can participate in the debates that will take place from March 8 – 12.  There will be prizes, and if nothing else, hearty discussion about some great Canadian novels. So go ahead, Canada…..Read!

Unique bookends

Here’s a great, whimsical bookend by Artori Design.  Not only is it functional, but it will act as a conversation piece!  There are two models, both of which have a couple escaping the “falling” books.  The bookend is a piece of metal set at an angle and the far end inserts into the inside of a book.  It works best if the book is a hardcover, for more support, and the bookend remains invisible.

There are two models available… the one above and another with a single person with his arms out to prevent being crushed.  Both are funny and very creative.  You can see more of Artori Design ideas on their website here.

Get rid of that clutter?

Why is it that colorful books arranged neatly on a shelf always look like you’ve spent hours decorating?  If you’re like most people, your shelves are probably filled with little nic nacs and clutter that doesn’t look as inviting, so the bright people at Monkey Business came up with a great way to disguise those unsightly items and make it look as though your shelves are perfect.  BooxStore is essentially just a box to store items in and place on your shelf.  Then, no one will know your cherished Sponge Bob collectibles are inside!