25 Ways the E-Book Can't Beat the Book!

I'm at a Book Conference with Annie Proulx and others and I am feeling inspired about books!

Annie referred to the points below (from M. Allen Cunningham)talking about the advantages of the book over the e-book.... something to think about!

1 . The book unites delivery device and content. E-readers, drained of battery power, revert to hunks of plastic.

2. The book begets libraries and independent bookstores, irreplaceable bastions of culture and community.

3. The book, beyond cover price, comes with no proprietary fee. Your preferred e-reader sets you back $250 to $500.

4. The book is not an inventory portal, therefore not subject to proprietary restrictions in content; i.e.: Due to licensing or discretionary considerations, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley cannot be downloaded to this e-reading device. (Think this is a joke? See note* below.)

5. The book is not a brand, therefore free from functional limitations imposed by a manufacturer; i.e.: The e-book you’re requesting is not supported by your e-reader’s operating system. Upgrade to our newest e-reader or follow this link to our checkout to download OS-2011.5.

6. The book withstands excessive dust, direct sunlight, splashed soup, or dropped potatoes.

7. The book is hard to eradicate except by fire. Is any e-reading device likely to reach — with zero loss of content — an age comparable to civilization’s oldest incunabula?

8. The book, presented as gift, shows regard for the recipient’s tastes, being a single selection and/or bearing the giver’s handwritten inscription.

9. The book can be autographed by its author.

10. The book, by conspicuous display of title and/or author, occasions conversation between mutually inclined strangers.

11. The book may be safely read in the bath.

12. The book relieves you of the screen in an age of relentless screen-media assaults upon the eye.

13. The book is not an immediate access point for innumerable diversions (e-mail, video games, etc.).

14. The book’s printed editions are traceably distinct, a defense against manipulations of fact or history.

15. The book does not “transmit and receive,” except in mysterious ways. No need to fear an Orwellian eye embedded in the page.

16. The book cannot be “swiped remotely” by the powers that be.

17. The book’s publisher may go broke without imperiling access to additional content.

18. The book, bought second-hand or borrowed, yields up fascinating ephemera: grocery lists, love notes, locks of hair, receipts, etc., bringing the reader into poignant contact with an unknown fellow human being.

19. The book complements your mantelpiece.

20. The book boasts many practical uses beyond communication (as furniture, makeshift stairs, etc.). E-readers — oddly shaped and breakable — are as obsolescent as other computer junk once they quit working.

21. The book is not invariably manufactured in China.

22. The book accommodates ingenuity of format: children’s books, art books, illuminated texts, pop-up books, fold-out maps, etc.

23. The book makes a meaningful heirloom.

24. The book may be safely left unattended on the beach. As gizmo it is not a hot steal.

25. The book is not a shopping cart.


http://www.soulshelter.com/technology-vs-the-soul/25-ways-e-readers-cant-beat-the-old-fashioned-book/

2011 is here!

At The Children's Bookshop, we are excited about 2011 because we are forty years old! The store started in 1971 and will hopefully continue to thrive as we move through our fortieth year.We have many celebrations and events planned with lots of author visits and a big party with a special guest.
And some great books await us in 2011.
What is great for adults? Five Bells by Gail Jones (Random House) is out in February and is a beautiful novel linking with Slessor's famous poem. I loved it. Intelligent, beautifuly written, beautifully crafted... and memorable.
Two other great reads include When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman (Hachette) out in April.This is perhaps one of the great reads of 2011. It is a quirky, sensitive and dynamic tale of love between a brother and sister over a span of years. This is a debut author we need to keep an eye on because her first novel offers great promise.
The other novel to look out for is Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett out in May (Hachette). This is a brief and deceptively simple tale that resonates long after the final pages have been read. I loved it even more after the second reading. This is also a debut novelist- I can't wait to see what Favel writes next.

Looking forward to a great year of great reading.

Conversations in a Bookshop

A Conversation in a U.S. Bookshop:

Me: “How can I help you?”

Caller: “This a bookstore?”

Me: “Yes, this is a bookstore.”

Caller: “Oh. I need the 8th Harry Potter book.”

Me: “I’m sorry sir, but there are only 7 Harry Potter books.”

Caller: “But I need the 8th one.”

Me: “There are only 7 books, sir.”

Caller: “Why?”

Me: “Because there are only 7 years at Hogwarts.”

Caller: “What does that mean?”

Me: “Sir, have you read the Harry Potter books?”

Caller: “No, my son reads them and he finished the 7th one and asked me to get the 8th one.”

Me: “Sir, if he read the 7th one, he would know that that was the final book in the series.”

Caller: “But he wants to read it. What can I do?”

Me: “Contact the author?”

Caller: “Do you have his number?”

Me: “Do I have J.K. Rowling’s number?”

Caller: “Yes.”

Me: “No. I… uh… don’t happen to have that on me.”

Caller: “Oh. Can you tell my son that there are only 7?”

Me: “No, I’m sure you’re quite capable of doing that all on your own.”

Caller: “He will be very upset!” *hangs up*

It Takes all Types of Customers!

Working in a Bookshop is always interesting and bookstore owners across the UK are compiling a list of the most stupid and amusing they have heard from shoppers.

Examples so far include the customer who asked if Anne Frank wrote any more books after her diary - and the man who when asked to specify what sort of map he wanted said "mappy maps."

Another of the gems compiled to celebrate Independent Booksellers Week is the lady who asked "Did Charles Dickens write any shorter versions of his books?"

I like the teenager who wanted to return a copy of Douglas Adams'Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' - because it didn't even contain anything about Italy where she was going Euro-railing.

(Source: http://newslite.tv/2010/06/18/overheard-in-a-bookshop-are-re.html)

A Big Day!

Today was a big day with visits from some writers.
This morning, Craig Smith, author of The Wonky Donkey, visited The Children's Bookshop. What a star! He sang his way through story-time and the kids loved him. The day ended with a visit by Georgia Blain, author of Darkwater and many other texts. About 30 people bravely came out into the rainy night to enjoy a great discussion of Georgia's work... And I am looking forward to meeting Jeannie Baker next week!
Who would I like to visit the shop over the next twelve months? Tim Winton, Shaun Tan, Pamela Allen... and we always love a visit from Markus Zusak. We will see!

Book Clubs for Adults.

August is our busiest month of the year because of Book week Events and Book Fairs that we host. But after a long day I happily stayed back for our Third Tuesday Book Club Group meeting- and the discussion was great! We now have three book clubs for adults with almost 50 Book club members and we recently celebrated three years of Book Club meetings. Tonight we discussed Truth by Peter Temple and I was fascinated by the varied responses to the book. We agreed that the book utilises some great language- a clipped, raw poetic style with sharp, masculine dialogue. We all had different memories of what happened in the novel and while we agreed that Truth is a challenging read, the book offered something for all. I don't like to re-read books but I am keen to re-read this one.

I am particularly looking forward to discussing Room by Emma Donoghue- the most intriguing book I've read for a long time!