Tag Archives: books

Bar and Books

Bar and Books
Today was the first Bar and Books. Really happy with how it went and excited that it happened.

Had the idea for a while and loved the book swap at the Durham Book Festival.

20-something people turned up with hundreds of books. yay!

People swapped books for free and if they wanted additional books they paid £1 per book to go to charity. A lovely baker from the Vintage Fair, taking place next door, also dropped off some cupcakes to be sold for charity.

The first Bar and Books raised £13.80.

In the sign in book people were asked to name charities for any money raised to go to. Here’s the list:

Huge thanks to Blu bar in Middlesbrough for having us. They were also kind enough to let us store the leftover books for the next Bar and Books event!

Questions for consideration for next time include whether there should be an admission charge / suggested donation to aid in marketing and make sure there’s money to go to the charities people nominate and also how to distribute to the charities.

Recommended Books 2009

Beat the Reaper: A Novel by Josh Bazell – Super quick read, set in NYC which gives me the warm fuzzies when it’s done well ever since I’ve moved away, involves mafia and medicine with awesome  footnotes. A great first novel – can’t wait for the next one.

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff – Story set amid polygamy in the US, intense to read.

Juliet, Naked: A Novel by Nick Hornby – Nick Hornby back to writing about relationships and fandom – yay!

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova – Vampire novel for bibliophiles with action taking place in beautiful libraries.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows – Tells the story of WWII occupation of Guernsey via letters. Each character has a unique voice – it works and also involves love of books.

Ten Storey Love Song: a Novel by Richard Milward – Set in the north east of England, saw him do a reading from this and you can too. (Not the reading I was at but enjoy!)

I’ve also included Her Fearful Symmetry: a Novel by Audrey Niffenegger. I haven’t read it yet. It is waiting on my bookshelf. I am including it based on how much I loved The Time Traveller’s Wife.

Stuff White People Like in the UK & Life in the UK

Stuff White People Like

Stuff White People Like

Someone left a newspaper on the train I took this morning (the Daily Mail) and I had a flip through it and came across this article…the content seemed familiar. The end of the article points out that Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions is now available in the UK.

This is a book based on the popular website.

Interesting difference is it talks about “middle class people” instead of White people. Class as opposed to race.

Possibly because over 90% of the UK population is White (according to the 2001 census) vs. 74% in the US (according to 2006 American Community Survey)…people just aren’t faced with race as an issue so much outside of London.

According to the 2001 census 45% of all ethnic minority people live in the London area, where they form nearly one-third of the population (29%).

The only reason I knew these stats exist is from studying random statistics for the Life in the UK test.

I passed by the way  : )

Wuthering Heights marketed to Twilight fans

Twilight-style Wuthering Heights Book Cover

Twilight-style Wuthering Heights Book

Saw this at Tesco tonight. Wuthering Heights being marketed to teens on the basis that their fave fictional characters like the book.

The red seal/sticker/stamp reads “Bella & Edward’s Favourite Book” and the cover design is similar to the Twilight series covers.

Marketing reading as sexy is good. Ugly visions of cynical marketers trying to make a few bucks off the back catalog also maybe not bad if it allows them to keep publishing in tough economic times.

I have one question – Is this actually working?

Buy it on amazon.co.uk if you want it to match your set of Twilight books from here »


Recommended Books 2008

Recommended books for 2008:

The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver – One of my favourite authors. One moment, one choice in a person’s life – this book explores two parallel timelines in alternating chapters and does it well!

Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human by Elizabeth Hess – Really interesting non-fiction book about a 70s experiment to have a chimp raised in a human family and be taught to communicate.

The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer – Enjoyed it but she is wordy and that doesn’t change here.

Apples: A Novel by Richard Milward – First novel set in Middlesbrough in the North east of England. Depiction of teen life is harsh but engrossing and funny at times too.

Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages by Ammon Shea – Experience novel, but well-written and funny.

Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan – Graphic novel. Sent to me by a secret santa on librarything.

Plus 3 internet memes turned books + 1 book based on TV:

Pop Charts by Paul Copperwaite
Indexed by Jessica Hagy
Sleeveface by John Rostron, Carl Morris
Mock the Week: Scenes We’d Like to See by Dan Patterson

These are fun books to have laying around when people are over.