I Admit It.... I'm a Book Buying Addict!!

I think I need a 12 twelve step program or at least some sort of goal to significantly curb my love of buying books. And here's why! I just now realized that I've purchased 20 books so far this year and it's only the end of January. Sure, 5 of the 20 books were gifts I purchased for other people and the remaining 15 books are for my reading pleasure.... But believe me when I write that I don't need anymore books to read at this time. I already have at least 100+ books waiting to be read.

Granted, I never pay full price for books any more and most of the books I've purchased this year have come from our local Friends of the Library Used Bookstore here in Carpinteria (ranging in price from 25 cents to 2 dollars a piece) or some other used bookstore. While the rest of the books were purchased from Amazon's website at a significant reduction off the cover price... I do love finding bargain prices on new books too. Bargain price or not, I need a plan.

So, the BIG QUESTIONS here for me are:

1) How many of you reading this post are also book buying lovers like me? Tell me about your situation.

2) What goals (if any) have you made to curb your love of buying books and have they worked? 


Personally, I think I should start by making the goal of not buying anymore books for myself for the rest of 2012. Then I shall solely focus on my love of reading for the rest of the year  (and on my newly found love of blogging!!). I'll then assess my 2012 reading efforts at the beginning of next year to see how I'm doing in reducing my to be read pile. Wish me luck! 

Until my next post happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!

"Oh, it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read." Oscar Wilde

The Curious Cup Bookstore in Carpinteria, California

The Curious Cup Bookstore is a very cute, locally owned bookstore in the heart of downtown Carpinteria! Upon entering the Curious Cup storefront this weekend, I was warmly welcomed by Kiona Gross, the owner of the Curious Cup Bookstore. She did a fantastic job of answering questions I asked her. I really love it when business owners offer good customer service to patrons who enter their storefront. It makes all the difference in the world.

The Curious Cup Bookstore is described in the following:

Curious Cup carries books for children of all ages including: board books, picture books, beginning chapter books, star war books, graphic novels, series books and books for young adults. We do carry a limited selection of adult fiction and will be happy to try to order in any book that piques your interest! We have Spanish fiction books for children and adults, used books, a small local travel section and many local authors.

In addition to housing a great selection of children’s books, toys, cards, and journals and eclectic gifts for kids of all ages!– we have a community room, specializing in birthday parties, bookclubs, writing clubs, and classes. The perfect place to hold you next meeting, seminar, event….

I discovered that the Curious Cup Bookstore hosts a few book clubs. Check their website for more details regarding the various book clubs.

The Curious Cup Bookstore is also host to author signings/events. One such upcoming event spotlights local Carpinterian children's author, Kathy deVally Luders, who will be signing her books as well as doing a reading at Curious Cup Bookstore on February 3rd and 4th.

The Curious Cup Bookstore also has a used book trading program.

For any additional information about the Curious Cup Bookstore, contact their storefront at (805) 220-6608.

You may also find and follow the Curious Cup Bookstore on Facebook.

Bookish Quote of the Day!

"Second hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack." Virginia Woolf

Margaret Atwood --- Author Spotlight!!

 

I have been reading Margaret Atwood's novels, poetry and short stories for numerous years now. I first became acquainted with her body of work in college while enrolled in a women in literature course. We were required to read one of her short stories entitled "Rape Fantasies", which I thought was edgy/risque at the time. I've been hooked on Margaret Atwood's writing ever since. I've yet to read everything she has published to date, but look forward to doing so at some point. So far, I'd say The Handmaid's Tale or Oryx & Crake are my favorite novels written by Margaret Atwood.

I found the above YouTube link interesting to watch because Margaret Atwood discusses her "creative process".... It's always interesting to learn how authors you enjoy reading write their books!

Death in the Cards by Sharon Short

I really enjoy reading cozy mystery novels as they're fun to read and because I am unable to resist an engaging mystery novel!

I recently finished reading a cozy mystery novel by Sharon Short entitled Death in the Cards, which is the 3rd installment of Sharon Short's "Stain Busting" mystery series featuring laundress/stain expert Josie Toadfern. Josie Toadfern's natural curiosity makes her an ideal amateur sleuth within her hometown of Paradise, Ohio.

Death in the Cards is the 1st novel I've read that Sharon Short has written. I enjoyed the new age/psychic fair theme in this novel. I also enjoyed the quirky characters and abundant "red herrings" thrown in to keep me guessing as to whodunnit! To read an excerpt of Death in the Cards, visit the author's website!

Until my next post, happy reading!

P.S. I must also add that my favorite quote from Death in the Cards is as follows:

"That there is a devil, there is no doubt. But is he trying to get in... or trying to get out?"

Book Best-Seller Lists: How Do They Work?

I've never really thought too much about how books become best-sellers, on say for instance the New York Times or Los Angeles Times, largely because I've always assumed that books that have made the best-sellers list did so due to the sheer volume of them being sold throughout the retail industry.

However, I came across an interesting article in the Sacramento Bee entitled "Best-sellers lists: How they work and who they (mostly) work for" by Allen Pierleoni. In Pierleoni's article, he writes:

How do books make it onto best-seller lists in the first place? The answers are elusive.

"The creation of a best-seller list is the most nebulous thing you will ever encounter," said Paul Takushi, book promotions and marketing manager for the UC Davis Store. "No one really knows how it's done."

How the New York Times figures its lists is nearly as secret as, say, the recipe for Coca-Cola.

Book Review staff editor Gregory Cowles explained in an email: "(The formula) is a secret both to protect our product and to make sure people can't try to rig the system. Even in the Book Review itself, we don't know (the news surveys department's) precise methods."

"Everybody has a formula, everybody's list is different, and we do ours our own way," said Dick Donahue, features editor of Publishers Weekly magazine, the bible of the publishing industry. "I don't want to say that how we do ours is a closely guarded secret, but I guess I just did."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/22/4203094/best-sellers-lists-how-they-work.html#storylink=cpy

Pierleoni further explains what moves books in his article as well as the importance of what both national and regional best-selling lists mean to the industry and more. Click on the link above to learn more.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/22/4203094/best-sellers-lists-how-they-work.html#storylink=cpy

Jack Gantos Wins the 2012 Newbery Medal

Jack Gantos wins the 2012 Newbery Medal for his novel Dead End in Norvelt!! Congrats to Jack Gantos on his achievement! Watch the following You Tube video to briefly learn more about Dead End in Norvelt.

The Association for Library Service to Children website states the following:

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Learn more about Jack Gantos through the following "Meet the Author" video segment done by Adolescent Literacy.

San Francisco Center for the Book

The San Francisco Center for the Book sounds like my kind of place!! Next time I visit the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd like to make a visit. Here is more information about the San Francisco Center for the Book from their website's "About Us" section:

The San Francisco Center for the Book fosters the joys of books and bookmaking. The history, artistry, and continuing presence of books in our culture and enduring importance as a medium of self-expression. We provide both a home for Bay Area book artists and a place where the wider community can discover book arts. Everyone is welcome here, experienced practitioners and newcomers alike. Over 300 workshops annually offer learning at all levels: from introductory to focused advanced courses spanning traditional bookbinding, cutting-edge printing techniques and experimental book forms. Exhibitions are designed to inform and inspire visitors. Free public programs include opening receptions for the exhibition program, poetry readings, book release parties for our publications, gallery talks, Open Houses and other community events like the annual Earth Day Extravaganza and Roadworks Street Fair.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!

"A book is a gift you can open again and again." Garrison Keillor