November 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. A Room Of One's Own, Virginia Woolf. ISBN 0-14-118353-5 (2000, Penguin Books). 2013.11.07
2. Henry James: Selected Fiction, Ed. Leon Edel. SBN 0-525-47140-5 (1953, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc.). 2013.11.07
3. Thirsty, Dionne Brand. ISBN 0-7710-1644-1 (2002, McClelland & Stewart Ltd.). 2013.11.07
4. Introduction To Literature (5th Edition), Ed. Isobel M. Findlay, Wendy R. Katz, Kenneth A. MacKinnon, Richard J.H. Perkyns, Gillian Thomas. ISBN 0-17-641546-7 (2004, Thomson/Nelson). 2013.11.07
5. Five Stories, W.P. Kinsella. ISBN 0-919758-21-5 (1986, William Hoffer/Tanks). 2013.11.07
6. Corpses, Brats And Cricket Music, George Faludy. ISBN 0-919758-29-0 (1987, William Hoffer/Tanks). 2013.11.07
7. Classic French Cooking: Recipes For Matching The French Kitchen, Elizabeth Luard. ISBN 978-1-84072-875-0 (2008, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd). 2013.11.08
8. Masters Of Fashion Illustration, David Downton. ISBN 978-1-85669-839-9 (2010, Laurence King Publishing Ltd). 2013.11.08
9. Under The Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes. ISBN 0-7679-1606-9 (2003, Broadway Books). 2013.11.14
10. The Ten Books On Architecture, Vitruvius. ISBN 0-486-20645-9 (1960, Dover Publications Inc.). 2013.11.26
11. A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander et al. ISBN 0-19-501919-9 (1977, Oxford University Press). 2013.11.26
12. Building Ideas: An Introduction To Architectural Theory, Jonathan A. Hale. ISBN 0-471-85194-9 (2000, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd). 2013.11.26

BOOKS READ

1. The Sweetest Fig, Chris Van Allsburg. ISBN 0-395-67346-1 (1993, Houghton Mifflin Company). 2013.11.15
2. House, Diane Keaton. ISBN 978-0-8478-3563-8 (2012, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.). 2013.11.28

October 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. Stargate, Pauline Gedge. ISBN 0-14-026842-1 (1997, Penguin Books). 2013.10.22
2. The Lady In The Car With Glasses And A Gun, Sebastien Japrisot. ISBN 0-14-00-5361-1 (1980, Penguin Books). 2013.10.22

BOOKS READ

1. The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology, Thích Nhất Hạnh. ISBN 978-1-888375-88-6 (2008, Parallax Press). 2013.10.10

Neil Gaiman on our future depending on libraries, reading, and daydreaming

On Monday, October 14, 2014, author Neil Gaiman delivered a lecture at the Barbican in London, for the Reading Agency. Launched in 2012, the Reading Agency's annual lecture series is a platform for leading writers and thinkers to share original, challenging ideas about reading and libraries.

Gaiman's lecture explains why using our imaginations, and providing for others to use theirs, is an obligation for all, and not just for the literate. He recounts an anecdote that cites reading science fiction as a distinct advantage. Though traditionally disparaged as escapist, science fiction does fuel the reader's imagination, inspiring many to imagine, invent, and create the worlds of their temporary escape.

I was in China in 2007, at the first party-approved science fiction and fantasy convention in Chinese history. And at one point I took a top official aside and asked him Why? SF had been disapproved of for a long time. What had changed?

It's simple, he told me. The Chinese were brilliant at making things if other people brought them the plans. But they did not innovate and they did not invent. They did not imagine. So they sent a delegation to the US, to Apple, to Microsoft, to Google, and they asked the people there who were inventing the future about themselves. And they found that all of them had read science fiction when they were boys or girls.

If science fiction author William Gibson had not published his seminal novel Neuromancer, influencing many readers to become scientists, programmers, et al, would the world today exist as it does? There is a definite connection between being able to read and realising the world of one's dreams. More »

The Man With 59,000 Books -- In His House

A former professor of Slavic languages at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lawrence L. Thomas, found an escape in books as a child. When his wife died in 1976, he devoted himself entirely to books. When he died in February 2013, aged 88, his modest 2,514-square-foot house contained more than 59,000 books.

His youngest daughter, Mary Winchester, describes the living room as "a fortress of books around where he sat and read." Many rooms had books, books, and more books -- and no furniture. This was not a case of hoarding though. These books were organised, with dehumidifiers running all the time, keeping the books in good condition. Prof. Thomas had a book catalogue in spiral notebooks, with entries noting the specific location of each book.

In March 2013 the collection went to auction. There were no bidders, as the magnitude of the collection astounded collectors and impeded its sale. Cataloguing all the books would be daunting in itself, so booksellers wanted to cherry-pick the best titles and leave the rest to the family to liquidate. Mary Winchester's husband even joked that they could advertise "LIBRARY FOR SALE; COMES WITH HOUSE." More »

September 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. The Unit, Ninni Holmqvist. ISBN 978-1-59051-313-2 (2008, Other Press). 2013.09.14
2. The Portable James Joyce, Ed. Harry Levin. ISBN 0-14-015-030-7 (1976, Penguin Books). 2013.09.15
3. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand. ISBN 0-451-15823-7 (1971, Signet Books). 2013.09.15
4. Three Lives, Gertrude Stein. ISBN 0-486-28059-4 (1994, Dover Publications Inc.). 2013.09.15
5. My Antonia, Willa Cather. ISBN 0-486-28240-6 (1994, Dover Publications Inc.). 2013.09.15
6. Snow Falling On Cedars, David Guterson. ISBN 0-679-76402-X (1995, Vintage Books). 2013.09.15
7. The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli, Trans. Harvey C. Mansfield. ISBN 0-226-50044-6 (1998, The University Of Chicago). 2013.09.15
8. Folktales Of The Maori, Alfred Grace. ISBN 1-85958-533-7 (1998, Senate). 2013.09.15
9. Northern Frights 4, Ed. Don Hutchison. ISBN 0-88962-639-1 (1997, Mosaic Press). 2013.09.15
10. Zero History, William Gibson. ISBN 978-0-399-15682-3 (2010, G.P. Putnam's Sons). 2013.09.25
11. Omni Visions One, Ed. Ellen Datlow. ISBN 0-87455-298-2 (1993, Omni Publications International Ltd.). 2013.09.27
12. A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Book The Fourth: The Miserable Mill, Lemony Snicket, Ill. Brett Helquist. ISBN 0-439-27263-7 (2001, Scholastic Inc.). 2013.09.27. A Calliope pick.

BOOKS READ

1. Cyberpunk: Stories Of Hardware, Software, Wetware, Evolution, And Revolution, Ed. Victoria Blake. ISBN 978-1-937163-08-2 (2013, Underland Press). 2013.09.03
2. The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo, Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. ISBN 978-0-7636-2589-4 (2006, Candlewick Press). 2013.09.24
3. Reading Like A Writer: A Guide For People Who Love Books And For Those Who Want To Write Them, Francine Prose. ISBN 978-0-06-077704-3 (2006, HarperCollins Publishers). 2013.09.28
4. Down The Street, Lynda Barry. ISBN 0-06-096304-2 (1988, Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.). 2013.09.30

The Little Free Library movement in action

Installed on the front fence and stocked initially with our own books, the Little Free Library has become a hot spot for local readers, stroller pushers, and dog walkers, who swap out favourites and exchange kudos and critiques, in the process getting to know neighbours they’ve nodded to in passing, but never actually spoken to. More »

The Little Free Library movement's website »

August 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. The Violent Bear It Away, Flannery O'Connor. ISBN 0-374-50524-1 (1993, HarperCollins Canada Ltd). 2013.08.10

BOOKS READ

1. Easy Compost, Ed. Niall Dunne. ISBN 978-1-889538-84-6) (2013, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc.). 2013.08.10

July 2013

BOOKS READ

1. Bluebird, Bob Staake. ISBN 978-0-375-87037-8 (2013, Schwartz & Wade Books). 2013.07.01
2. Ubik, Philip K. Dick. ISBN 0-87997-859-7 (1983, DAW). 2013.07.01
3. Robert Ludlum's The Moscow Vector, Patrick Larkin. ISBN 0-312-99071-5 (2006, St. Martin's Paperbacks). 2013.07.19
4. The Mini Farming Guide to Composting: Self-Sufficiency from Your Kitchen to Your Backyard, Brett L. Markham. ISBN 978-1-61608-858-3) (2013, Skyhorse Publishing). 2013.07.22

June 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. Mister Sandman, Barbara Gowdy. ISBN 1-895897-76-9 (1996, Somerville House). 2013.06.15
2. The Throat, Peter Straub. ISBN 0-451-17918-8 (1994, Signet). 2013.06.15
3. A Confederacy Of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole. ISBN 0-8021-3020-8 (1987, Grove Weidenfeld). 2013.06.15
4. Naked, David Sedaris. ISBN 0-316-77773-0 (1997, Little Brown And Company). 2013.06.15
5. Paradise, Toni Morrison. ISBN 0-452-28039-7 (1999, Penguin). 2013.06.15
6. Gold Coast, Elmore Leonard. ISBN 0-440-20832-7 (1980, Dell Publishing). 2013.06.15
7. Collecting Contemporary Art, Adam Lindemann. ISBN 978-3-8365-2308-0 (2013, Taschen GmbH). 2013.06.27

BOOKS READ

1. Grendel, John Gardner. ISBN 0-679-72311-0 (1989, Vintage Books). 2013.06.13
2. The Edible Front Yard, Ivette Soler. ISBN 978-1-60469-199-3 (2011, Timber Press, Inc.). 2013.06.22

May 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. From Here To Eternity, James Jones. ISBN 0-440-32770-9 (1991, Dell Publishing). 2013.05.08
2. Belgian Cinema From Flanders, Alex Masson. ISBN 978-9081423335 (2009, FI Publishers). 2013.05.08
3. In The Garden Of Thoughts, Dodinsky, Ill. Amanda Cass. ISBN 978-1-4022-7583-8 (2012, Sourcebooks, Inc.). 2013.05.26
4. Eternity And Other Stories, Lucius Shepard. ISBN 1-56025-662-1 (2005, Thunder's Mouth Press). 2013.05.28

BOOKS READ

1. Compost, Clare Foster. ISBN 1-84403-405-4 (2002, Cassell Illustrated). 2013.05.03
2. Your Greatest Power, J. Martin Kohe. ISBN N/A (1970, Combined Registry Company). 2013.05.05
3. Little Blue And Little Yellow, Leo Lionni. ISBN 0-688-13285-5 (1995, HarperCollinsPublishers). 2013.05.06
4. Sarek, A.C. Crispin. ISBN 0-671-79561-9 (1994, Pocket Books). 2013.05.11
5. In The Garden Of Thoughts, Dodinsky, Ill. Amanda Cass. ISBN 978-1-4022-7583-8 (2012, Sourcebooks, Inc.). 2013.05.26

April 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Michael Chabon. ISBN 978-0-00-714983-4 (2008, HarperCollins Publishers). 2013.04.03
2. The Sirens Of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut. ISBN 0-385-33349-8 (2006, The Dial Press). 2013.04.03

BOOKS READ

1. The Gruffalo's Child, Julia Donaldson, Ill. Axel Scheffler. ISBN 1-4050-2045-8 (2004, MacMillan Children's Books). 2013.04.15
2. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson, Ill. Axel Scheffler. ISBN 978-0-333-71092-0 (1999, MacMillan Children's Books). 2013.04.16
3. Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art Of Designers, Illustrators And Creatives, Richard Brereton. ISBN 978-1-85669-582-4 (2009, Laurence King Publishing Ltd). 2013.04.20
4. Cut & Paste: 21st Century Collage, Richard Brereton with Caroline Roberts. ISBN 978-1-85669-717-0 (2011, Laurence King Publishing Ltd). 2013.04.22

Closure of fisheries’ libraries called a ‘disaster’ for science

Seven libraries across Canada, belonging to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), are to close by fall of 2013, "including two that have been amassing books and technical reports on the aquatic realm for more than a century."

The libraries are home to the 50 illustrated volumes from Britain’s Challenger expedition that sailed the seas in the late 1800s exploring the mysteries of the deep.

The shelves heave with reports detailing the DDT pollution that wiped out young salmon in New Brunswick’s “rivers of death” in the 1950s. And they contain vivid reminders of native fisheries, Canada’s once vast cod stocks and the U.S. submarines that prowled the quiet fjords along the B.C. coast in the 1940s — history that is being packed into boxes as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans “consolidates” its world-class library collection.

So why is this a disaster?

More»

March 2013

BOOKS READ

1. Compost, Ken Thompson. ISBN 978-0-7566-1341-9 (2007, Dorland Kindersley Limited). 2013.03.02
2. Patient: The True Story Of A Rare Illness, Ben Watt. ISBN 0-8021-1612-4 (1997, Grove Press). 2013.03.18
3. The Little Prince: Adapted From The Book By Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, Joann Sfar, Trans. Sarah Ardizzone. ISBN 978-0-547-33802-6 (2010, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company). 2013.03.18
4. Chu's Day, Neil Gaiman, Ill. Adam Rex. ISBN 978-0-06-201781-9 (2013, HarperCollins). 2013.03.23
5. Ecothrifty, Deborah Niemann. ISBN 978-0-86571-715-2 (2012, New Society Publishers). 2013.03.23
6. Fairies And The Quest For Never Land, Gail Carson Levine, Ill. David Christiana. ISBN 978-142310935-8 (2010, Disney Enterprises Inc.). 2013.03.25
7. City Living: Inspirational Homes In The Heart Of The City, Ed. Bo Niles, Katherine Sorrell. ISBN 1-84172-396-7 (2003, Ryland Peters & Small). 2013.03.25

The Fantastic Vintage Penguin Book Covers By David Pelham

Without a doubt, David Pelham’s cover for Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange is iconic; once seen, never forgotten. The British illustrator was no one-hit wonder either—he also created many other classic covers. Here are samples of some of his other work, including a beautiful set of J.G. Ballard books. More»

Book Mountain

In Spijkenisse, a working-class suburb in the Rotterdam port lands, a barn-like public library breathes new life into this dreary area of failed urban planning. Local citizens have rallied and focus on realizing projects that would improve the image and experience of their home. Book Mountain is a glimpse into a possible future. More»

The Book Sculptures of Jodi Harvey-Brown

On this blog, we love books. We love lots of them, and we love them lots. We also like art and design, so when we discover extreme book art, our jaws drop in amazement.

Like us, sculptor Jodi Harvey-Brown loves to read, and she goes further by harnessing her creativity and talent, bringing to life the stories within those books. Characters we could only previously imagine inside our heads now literally come out of the pages, their stories plain to see.

More»

February 2013

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. Death: The Deluxe Edition, Neil Gaiman. ISBN 978-1-4012-3548-2 (2012, Vertigo). 2013.02.23
2. The Enjoyment And Use Of Color, Walter Sargent. ISBN 0-486-20944-X (1964, Dover Publications Inc.). 2013.02.23
3. The Art Of Hand Lettering, Helm Wotzkow. ISBN 0-486-21797-3 (1967, Dover Publications Inc.). 2013.02.23
4. Coffee Cookery, Ceil Dyer. ISBN 0-89586-009-0 (1978, H.P. Books). 2013.02.23

BOOKS READ

1. The Vintage Modern Home, Katherine Sorrell. ISBN 978-1-8589-4527-9 (2011, Merrell Publishers Limited). 2013.02.03
2. Old And New: Combining Past And Present In Contemporary Homes, Katherine Sorrell. ISBN 1-84172-318-5 (2002, Ryland Peters & Smsll, Inc.). 2013.02.22

Lumio: A Portable Light that Folds like a Book

This is such a simple, elegant, and brilliant idea. (Yes, that was a pun.) From the Kickstarter page:

It's very simple and intuitive. The lamp automatically turns on and off as you open and close the cover. A flexible and durable spine design allows you to control brightness by adjusting the angle without a switch or button. Lumio eliminates the hassle of walking across the room to find a light switch.

Interest in this project has been very high. Its tight schedule will have the Lumio available later this year, so let's keep our eyes open! More»

The Four Commandments of Reading for Self-Education

Some books are for escapism, for entertainment. Other books can teach us lessons, to help us improve our lives. Sometimes, the same book can offer us both. Here is a set of guidelines for achieving wisdom through reading.

The Four Commandments of Reading for Self-Education

1. A book is only as good as what you remember from it;
2. Actually reading is more important than reading fast;
3. Don’t be afraid to burn books;
4. Read books to become better at non-books.

More »

WINNIE ILLE PU by A.A. Milnei

That's right: this is Winnie The Pooh by A.A. Milne, as translated into Latin by Alexander Lenard. There is not a single page in English, or in any other language but Latin, for that matter. It was published in December 1960 and landed on The New York Times bestseller list for 20 weeks, selling 125,000 copies in 21 editions.

Alexander Lenard was an Hungarian-born doctor with an Austrian medical degree. As a refugee in 1952, he re-settled in Brazil where he spent seven years working on translating Pooh into Pu. The original edition of the book was self-published, as there was a lack of interest from Brazilian and English publishers. In 1984, Winnie Ille Pu was back in the bookstores, nearly 25 years after initial publication.

Winnie Ille Pu is more than just a Latin translation of a beloved children's book though. Interested in taking a peek at the content? Here's a PDF download ».

The New York Times itself published a retrospective of the book in 1984: "Winnie Ille Pu nearly XXV years later" »

There have been other translations into Latin of modern stories. These include Olivia, The Three Blind Mice, Harry Potter, The Little Prince, and some Dr. Seuss books (How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs And Ham). Read more at Mental Floss »

Kurt Vonnegut's Rules for Reading Fiction

Kurt Vonnegut, in his “Form of Fiction” course at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, used to write his course assignments as a letter, to be able to speak personally to everyone in the class. The result? A combination of assignment, letter, and guide to writing — and life.

This assignment is reprinted from Kurt Vonnegut: Letters (Delacorte Press), edited by Dan Wakefield. More »

January 2013

BOOKS READ

1. The Weaving Of A Dream, Marilee Heyer. ISBN 0-14-05028-8 (1989, Penguin Group). 2013.01.07
2. Your Eco-Friendly Yard: Sustainable Ideas To Save You Time, Money And The Earth, Tom Girolamo. ISBN 1-4402-0242-7 (2009, Krause Publications). 2013.01.08
3. Retro Home, Katherine Sorrell. ISBN 978-1-8589-4581-1 (2012, Merrell Publishers Limited). 2013.01.13
4. A Little Princess, Frances Hodgson Burnett. ISBN 978-0-19-274550-7 (2012, Oxford University Press). 2013.01.21
5. Oz: Dorothy & The Wizard In Oz, Adapt. Eric Shanower, Ill. Skottie Young. ISBN 978-0-7851-5554-6 (2012, Marvel Worldwide, Inc.). 2013.01.28

10 Incredibly Bizarre Works of Book Art

With e-books on the rise, physical books are finding new purpose as part of extreme book art. While their destruction is arguably well-considered, the transformation of the books into sculptures and other forms of art may well justify their metamorphosis. Bizarre, original, and in-yer-face, these examples of extreme book art are hard to ignore. More »

Piracy is yesterday's worry for today's "artisan authors"

File sharing and self-publishing are becoming the norm for a generation of writers looking beyond a moribund publishing eco-system. More »

100 Book Covers To Fight Illiteracy

100 ARTISTS, 100 POSTERS — 100 CLASSIC NOVELS RE-COVERED.

That's the tag line that Belgian graphic design studio beshart uses to unite 100 artists from 28 countries, in this project to re-design the covers for the 100 greatest novels of all time, as decided by The Observer in 2003. The project's mission was to raise awareness for the problem of illiteracy.

International Literacy Day was September 8, 2012, the same day that this project's collection launched at Antwerp City Hall. There is also an online gallery. »

aMAZEme: a labyrinth of 250,000 books

People explore a labyrinth of 250,000 books, entitled aMAZEme, at The Clore Ballroom in the Royal Festival Hall in London. Visitors can navigate the maze, constructed from 250,000 remaindered, second-hand and new books. 150,000 of these books have been loaned by Oxfam. More »

Picture: Tony Kyriacou / Rex Features

2012: Books Read

1. The Great Operas: Lohengrin (Wagner), J. Cuthbert Hadden. ISBN NA (T.C. & E.C. Jack, London, 1911?; Frederick A. Stokes Co., New York). 2012.01.02
2. Running Wild, J.G. Ballard. ISBN 0-374-25288-2. 2012.01.02
3. Urban Agriculture, David Tracey. ISBN 978-0-86571-694-0. 2012.01.11
4. The Hobbit, Or There And Back Again, J.R.R. Tolkien. ISBN 0-04-823147-9. 2012.01.18
5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Alexandra Wallner, Ill. John Wallner. ISBN 978-0-8234-1951-7. 2012.01.18

6. Like Water For Chocolate, Laura Esquivel. ISBN 0-385-42017-X. 2012.02.02
7. It's Lonely In The Modern World, Molly Jane Quinn, Ill. Jenna Talbot. ISBN 978-0-8118-7928-6. 2012.02.02
8. Fatherland, Robert Harris. ISBN 0-09-926381-5. 2012.02.25
9. Know It All: Literature, Sean Francis. ISBN 1-85435-875-8. 2012.03.03
10. Heart Of The Comet, Gregory Benford & David Brin. ISBN 0-553-05125-3. 2012.03.21

11. The Ageless Soul: Golden Paths To Wisdom, Ed. Lois L. Kaufman. ISBN 0-88088-250-6. 2012.03.24
12. Good Karma: Summoning Positive Vibes, Armand Eisen. ISBN 0-7407-3876-3. 2012.03.24
13. Journeys To The Twilight Zone, Ed. Carol Serling. ISBN 0-88677-525-6. 2012.04.19
14. Way of Life: Awareness, Reflections, Interdependence, Compassion, Gratitude, Toronto Buddhist Church. ISBN N/A. 2012.04.21
15. Explorer: The Mystery Boxes, Ed. Kazu Kibuishi. ISBN 978-1-4197-0009-5. 2012.04.24

16. The Secret World of Arrietty, Vol. 1 (Film Comic), Dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi. ISBN 978-1-4215-4116-7. 2012.04.27
17. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson. ISBN N/A (1962, Airmont Publishing Co., Inc. (first published 1759). 1973 edition). 2012.05.20
18. 100 Dream Houses: Contemporary Designs for Modern Living, Cathy Strongman. ISBN 978-1-8589-4469-2. 2012.05.24
19. Soil, David M. Barker. ISBN 978-1-61080-207-9. 2012.05.26
20. Kiki's Delivery Service, Volume 1 of 4, Hayao Miyazaki. ISBN 978-1-59116-724-2. 2012.05.30

21. Spirited Away (BFI Modern Classics / BFI Film Classics), Andrew Osmond. ISBN 978-1-84457-230-4. 2012.06.11
22. Chinese Ghost Stories: Curious Tales of the Supernatural, Lafcadio Hearn. ISBN 978-0-8048-4137-5. 2012.06.22
23. Babymouse: Our Hero, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. ISBN 978-0-375-83230-7. 2012.07.04
24. Babymouse: Puppy Love, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. ISBN 978-0-375-83990-0. 2012.07.04
25. Babymouse: The Musical, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. ISBN 978-0-375-84388-4. 2012.07.05

26. Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon, Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm. ISBN 978-0-375-86573-2. 2012.07.05
27. Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice, Thich Nhat Hanh. ISBN 978-1-937006-00-6. 2012.07.25
28. Twice A Spy, Keith Thomson. ISBN 978-0-307-47315-8. 2012.08.05
29. Universe 10, Ed. Terry Carr. ISBN N/A (1980, Doubleday & Company, Inc.). 2012.09.21
30. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Adapted by Jane Carruth, Ill. Rene Cloke. ISBN N/A (1990, Derrydale Books). 2012.10.01

31. Babymouse: Dragonslayer, Jennifer L. Holm, Ill. Matthew Holm. ISBN 978-0-375-85712-6 (2009, Random House, Inc., New York). 2012.10.19
32. The 1978 Annual World's Best SF, Edited by Donald A. Wollheim with Arthur W. Saha. ISBN N/A (1978, DAW Books, Inc.). 2012.11.14
33. W³: Women In Deep Time, Greg Bear. ISBN 0-7434-5831-1 (2003, ibooks, inc.). 2012.11.18. Includes "Sisters", "Hardfought", "Scattershot".
34. Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Soccer Scheme, Donald J. Sobol, Ill. James Bernardin. ISBN 978-0-525-42582-3 (2012, Penguin Group). 2012.12.06
35. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King. ISBN 0684853523 (2000, Scribner). 2012.12.20

36. Brooklyn Makers: Food, Design, Craft, and Other Scenes from a Tactile Life, Jennifer Causey. ISBN 978-1-61689-074-2 (2013, Princeton Architectural Press). 2012.12.29
37. The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy And Other Stories, Tim Burton. ISBN 0-06-052649-1 (1997, HarperCollins Publishers Inc.). 2012.12.30

Bastion of Knowledge: The Antonio Castro Leal Library

In central Mexico City, La Ciudadela is a stone fortress dominating seven acres of land. Within is a tiny library, newly renovated to house the private collection of the Mexican intellectual and diplomat, Antonio Castro Leal, who died in 1981.

This building started as a tobacco-processing plant in the late 1700s. The 1800s saw the structure become a military post, an arsenal, a hospice, and a weapons manufactory. In 1885 the city garrison moved in, and the building became La Ciudadela, or The Citadel.

The transformation into cultural centre began in the 1940s, but by 2010, the building had fallen into disrepair. It was time to create a master plan so that the Ciudadela could evolve into a center of culture and education. More »

December 2012

BOOKS ACQUIRED

1. The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy And Other Stories, Tim Burton. ISBN 0-06-052649-1 (1997, HarperCollins Publishers Inc.). 2012.12.17
2. Roverandom, J.R.R. Tolkien. ISBN 0-395-89871-4 (1998, Houghton Mifflin Co.). 2012.12.17
3. Cuisines Of Southeast Asia, Gwenda L. Hyman. ISBN 0-471-58249-2 (1993, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). 2012.12.17
4. Forty Thousand In Gehenna, C.J. Cherryh. ISBN 0-87997-952-6 (1983, DAW Books, Inc.). 2012.12.26
5. Reluctant Voyagers, Elisabeth Vonarburg. ISBN 1-895836-09-3 (1995, Tesseract Books). 2012.12.26
6. The Maerlande Chronicles, Elisabeth Vonarburg. ISBN 0-88878-294-2 (1992, Beach Holme Publishers). 2012.12.26
7. The New Improved Sun, Ed. Thomas Disch. ISBN 0-09-124200-2 (1976, Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd). 2012.12.26
8. Decade: The 1940s, Ed. Brian W. Aldiss & Harry Harrison. ISBN 0-312-18986-9 (1978, St. Martin"s Press). 2012.12.26

BOOKS READ

1. Encyclopedia Brown And The Case Of The Soccer Scheme, Donald J. Sobol, Ill. James Bernardin. ISBN 978-0-525-42582-3 (2012, Penguin Group). 2012.12.06
2. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King. ISBN 0684853523 (2000, Scribner). 2012.12.20
3. Brooklyn Makers: Food, Design, Craft, and Other Scenes from a Tactile Life, Jennifer Causey. ISBN 978-1-61689-074-2 (2013, Princeton Architectural Press). 2012.12.29
4. The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy And Other Stories, Tim Burton. ISBN 0-06-052649-1 (1997, HarperCollins Publishers Inc.). 2012.12.30