Odds & Ends & Gingerbread

December24

As a break from posting up my reading challenges, I want to share a few book-related items with you. Some you may have already seen around the web, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

Since I’m a terrible procrastinator at reading the books I think I want to have read over the year, I was intrigued by AbeBooks’ Top Ten Reasons Why We Don’t Get to Certain Books. With me, it’s often a combination of these factors. Maybe it’s the same with you.

I just discovered a new blog (well, it’s new-to-me) called Isak. As Anna Clark, the voice behind the blog says: “Isak is a space to celebrate tales and truth in the curious, joyful way embodied by the writer for which it is named. The name ‘Isak,’ after all, means ‘laughter’.” Anna has just released her third annual Choose Books: A Gift Guide for People Who Care About Stories. It’s a free PDF file that goes beyond run-of-the-mill recommendations and profiles a delightful range of books with intelligent insights into the people for whom she proposes they be bought. Which is a fancy way to say: She’s fun, she’s bright, she’s surprising. You’ll like it! (Oh! And did I say it’s free?)

gingerbread typewriter

And, last but not least, I was charmed by this gingerbread typewriter, made by Patti of Baked Ideas and featured at BoingBoing. It’s edible, right down to the rice-paper ribbon. Don’t you just love details like that?

posted under Book stuff

6 Comments to

“Odds & Ends & Gingerbread”

On December 24th, 2011 at 12:42 pm Leslie Says:
I’m guilty of “It’s part of a series, and I haven’t read the earlier ones yet”. I decided to change that and recently I’ve started jumping into a series. Sometimes it works and a few times I’m lost but it does give me am idea of whether I even want to go back to the beginning.
On December 24th, 2011 at 4:55 pm Debbie Says:
I guess a lot would depend on the series, Leslie. Some authors write series wherein each book can stand alone; others not so much…I’m too much of a linear thinker to be able to overcome this one lol
On December 24th, 2011 at 9:11 pm Fiona Says:
I’m guilty of the having way too many on my TBR and many books just languishing longer and longer on my pile. Some have been there… well, uhm, ten years. Yes, it’s quite bad.

I’m trying to not buy the books I think I *should* read rather then realistically want to. However, I’m still tempted to buy a new up to date translation of War & Peace just in case… you never know.
On December 25th, 2011 at 4:10 pm Debbie Says:
I know, Fiona, I have lots of books that have been around a decade, unread… it’s a problem. But I will say that I’ve never really felt a draw to War & Peace in any translation. 😉
On December 31st, 2011 at 2:28 am stacybuckeye Says:
I try to read a few books a year that have been on my shelves for more than a decade 🙂 Hope you have a great reading year in 2012!
On December 31st, 2011 at 10:47 am Debbie Says:
Thanks, Stacy – I have plans, plans 😉