The King Trilogy!

I was out and about at the Mount Gravatt Bookshop the other day with a friend... and what a store! I haven't been there in ages; but she had never been there, so what a great place to take her. And being a Bookcrosser, she was so happy to see a real bookstore, instead of one which was moving online.

Well, we parked in the dingy car park and walked along the newly-finished footpath, and found the biggest store there - yep, the Mount Gravatt Bookshop - on Carrara Street, Mount Gravatt - and I walked in, asking for 'The Horror section, please.' and well, I found three books sitting there waiting for me to pick them up!

'Mr Mercedes', 'Finders Keepers' and 'End of Watch' all by Stephen King - my favourite writer. These are detective novels; thrillers with his distinctive touch of horror intertwined as you read. I read the first chapter of 'Mr Mercedes' and found myself completely hooked! I can't wait to sit down this afternoon and get into that book again!

So, which one of these books is your favourite? Have you read them all, or just one? And which Stephen King book got you on the path of reading his works? 

And if you're not a fan of his works, who do you read? And how did you get into reading that author's works? I'd love to know. Until my next post, happy reading!

The Rebirth of Bookstore Managment

On Thursday, my Mum and I were out seeing the doctors in the city. But that's not all we were doing. After that rather expensive hour or so with the doctor and then paying for parking, we headed off to Garden City on the south side of Brisbane in the search for some lunch.

Yes, it was a very hot day, we wanted air conditioning in the worst possible way.

Well, we had a light lunch, then a coffee and then did some shoe shopping - for Mum - and headed to QBD in the centre on the top floor not to find any books. No, when I go into this store, normally, I'm just enjoy the looking around perusing of shelves and the joy of seeing what's out on the market right now.

Like any book-lover, I enjoy just seeing books on shelves in bookstores... I could live in a bookstore because it's something I have at home - my own home library - and it brings me great joy to be around it; it brings me peace before I go to bed a night. Yes, I spend time in my home library to settle my mind; I don't know how, but it does. 

Anyway, being in a bookstore in the middle of a busy day out with anyone just helps me meditate for a while. I love just staring at the spines of the books, looking through the different and new publications and finding out what people are into right now. 

Well, just before Mum and I left the store, I spotted 'Uncommon Type' by Tom Hanks. I knew I had to have it! It was a book I had heard he was writing this book about a year or so ago, but there was no release date. And to see it on the shelves made me jump! I grabbed it and was so happy to see it I took it straight to the counter and asked about it. The young man at the counter was very helpful as he put through my QBD member's card and told me that I had plenty of points on that card to use - yay! - and so I didn't have to pay full price!

The best things I found out about this young man was that he is also the manager of this store; and yet he was in his 20's, very friendly, approachable and helpful in every way. When we got talking to him, we found out he had a huge library of books at home as well... telling us that he can't live without books being around him when he's at home either. 

Now, I'm so happy there's still hope for the traditional printed books for the younger generation; seeing I've spotted so many of them with Kindles and Kobos in their hands claiming that the paper books are dying out. With people like this great manager of QBD Garden City showing up in their stores now, I think there's hope for the traditionally printed books yet!

Have you come across this type of hope lately? Or is just a fluke and Mum and I happened across it just this one day? And have you read Tom Hanks' nea book? What did you think of it? I've only begun reading it, and already, I like it.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Been Book Shoppin'

Now, I haven't been on here for a while; and I really must put my hand out and say I'm very sorry about this. But I haven't been reading that much.

I have been editing and writing a lot and doing some painting and learning new techniques to do with the art world lately - to do with oil paints. I've also joined the Logan Artists Association; and so I've been making sure I get myself known there. I'm also taking art classes there and have been in one art exhibition and have applied for another one next week! Woah! Now, my plate is really getting full as well as my social calendar. 

Which means I've let a few of my blogs go without any posts. I don't mean for this to happen, but it's means I've been busy enough to jump on here today and write a really great blog for you all to read.

I've been out book shopping!

Well, okay, that doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary.

But I went out and bought NEW BOOKS! Yeah, that's so not like me, is it? Yep, I normally go for the preloved books in this world and the books that have been around the block a couple of times before I get in and read them.

Do you all remember that $50 QBD gift Voucher I received for Christmas from my folks? Well, today, I spent some of it at the Hyperdome. 
Initially, I wanted to spend it on a book which Peter Walsh just brought out in the States, but it's not out here just yet. So, I couldn't buy that... darn! So, I asked about Chuck Wendig's books. But they only had his Star Wars: AfterLife Series... double darn! So, instead of leaving the store, I went perusing the store in the search for the perfect purchases - the books I've wanted for yonks, but haven't bought because they've been too darned expensive in the past.

I came home with a David Bowie biography and this wonderful treasure! Okay, the second one isn't everyone's cup of tea or coffee, but really, I've wanted to own it for years, and I'm so happy I found it for just $14.99! The David Bowie biography was a little over $20; which leaves me with around $17.00 to play with still on the voucher. I'm so happy to have found these two books.

You know, I'd rather buy a couple of great books I really want to read,than one large purchase of a book I might not use or read. Wouldn't you? Well until my next post, happy reading.

The Books of the Dead

When I'm walking around bookstores - particularly second-hand bookstores - I wonder how many of these books came from deceased estates. How many families had the painful task of going through somebody's library of books, looked at which ones they wanted, put them up for sale at the garage sale (or two) and then... when they wouldn't sell there... brought them into the second-hand bookstore to trade them in.

The books that are preloved often make me wonder how long they've been sitting on another person's shelf waiting to be read, or were read many times over by that person - lovingly handled and enjoyed by that person because they enjoyed that particular author - and were now haunting the shelves of a cluttered old bookstore with many other copies of the same title from who-knows-where.

When I pick up a book from a shelf in one of these bookstores, I'm don't feel disgusted - like I do in a public library. I'm often not thinking about how many horrible germs may be on the book (millions - after all, so many others have handled the book before me, just looking at it and putting it back), I'm wondering this book's history. I'm wondering how long it'll be in my possession and where it'll end up after I'm gone (that latter thought is something I don't think about much, but I do have that thought when I'm not feeling all that great that day, or I'm battling a cold or flu, or worse still, I'm just feeling older than I really am because of my medical condition). 

Do you ever wonder about the books you received from these bookstores, wonder where they've been, how they've come to be in your hands... how long they'll be with you and where they will end up after you've let them go? It's not a horrible thought, but one I've had over the last few years - and one I had to think about today as a dear friend of mine lost one of his cousins last week suddenly. This makes me think that life is far too short to not read all the books you want, learn everything you want to, watch the sunsets from all around the world and be everything you ever wish to be squeezed into this lifetime... however short or long it may be... possessions mean nothing in the end. They get shuffled around the family, sent away after nobody wants them and sold. But books? They're the gems, the goldmines people tend to get rid of and not realise they can be worth a small fortune if they're not well-informed. What do you think? Is this something I'm thinking into too much, or am I right? Until my next post, happy reading.

Cumquat Books Is No More

I went out today to drop into a bookstore I had gone to over a year ago; and meant to drop into this year; only to find that Cumquat Books is no longer. Isn't it sad when a bookstore closes down? Especially when it's an independent one? I think so.

I found out from the owner of a lovely Vintage Clothing store that the lady, Anne Visona, retired from the bookstore business last year. She wasn't going broke, and there wasn't any problems with the store. She just felt it was too much for her. Well, I'm sad to hear about this.

However, the lady at the clothing store told me about another bookstore - if I was interested in it. I said yes immediately, and she gave me a bookmark of The Mount Gravatt Bookstore over near the Mount Gravatt College on Cavendish Road. Well, I thanked her very much and jumped in the car, grabbed the GPS and punched in the address... but the darned thing had never heard of the streets I wanted it to take me to. 
Well, I pulled out the refedex, found the street and kind of knew my way there. I got onto the freeway, took the wrong exit, found my way back to where I was supposed to go and needed to pull over to see how much further I needed to go - as I had found the Mount Gravatt College. So, I pulled into Carmel Street, and what do you know, I saw Little Cavendish Road - the very street which was attached to Carrara Street, which was where the bookstore was situated!

Who needs GPS! I followed my nose!

Well, this bookstore was in a little strips of unsuspecting shops; and what a shop it is! So, I parked the car in the car park, locked it up and walked along the footpath in the cool, quiet shade of the shops, finding this wonderful treasure of a store in the least-expected place in the world! And this place is lovely! It's well-set out, air-conditioned and isn't just a second-hand bookshop, but also a book exchange. I love these places because you can swap over your entire library of books for others instead of buying brand new. What a great store to have in the quiet suburban streets of Mount Gravatt... and it's got a great selection of everything too. I'm definitely coming back here! They don't have an official website, but I found this site which is just as good. So, if you're in the area, drop into the Mount Gravatt Bookstore, it's got some great books instore - and if you can't find what you want, just ask Cindy, and she'll be able to help you. Until my next post, happy reading!

Typo Stores

Today I went out to Wesfield Garden City to search out my last Christmas present.

Yay! 

Yes, I'm early in finishing - as usual - and it was a Gloria Jeans Christmas mug - as usual. And that was all I was going to buy. I was hoping to leave the shopping centre with just one thing.

However, I stopped by a place called 'Typo' where you could by all kinds of lovely things from decorations, letters that lit up, mugs, bags, art supplies, notebooks of all sizes, types, colours and with photos on the front and back. They have retro-style cushions and old typewriters (which don't work, they're just decoration) and sell portable turntables which don't have any cords (which is strange in itself). But this place is just filled with all kinds of wonderful and joyous things to keep you looking for hours on end!

And I did more than look... I did what I promised myself I'd never do! I bought something from there and hoped I could use it. Well, okay, it was a notebook, so I knew I'd use it. Anyway, if you want to see what this place has to offer, just go here and you can see it. Otherwise, I'll put their link on the side bar and you can look at it at your pleasure. Until my next post, happy reading.

Logical Unsanity of Books

I've written some posts about bookstores here - and they've been about stores I've been to.

However, I've just heard about one here in Brisbane which I really need to find! It's called Logical Unsanity Bookshed and it's in Bardon; not far from Mt Coot-tha! However, it's a bookstore with a difference.

For one thing it's open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, doesn't have anyone to serve you and has an honour system in place.

Very cool if you ask me!

Also, the owners of it have put suggested prices on their books so you have an idea of what they think you should pay; but you make the final offer yourself... you don't pay what they dictate! How wicked is that?

They do take books from the public and urge you give them books to resell... recycle... and so there's no waste and others get to read what you've read.

I'm going to make a day of it while I'm out book hunting one day and let you all know what I think.

Otherwise, here's the link to where I heard about it. Until my next post, happy reading.

The Book Shack ... A Great Place for More Than Just Books!

I'm here in Brighton house-sitting for my brother and his girlfriend again; and this time, I'm minding Jay 'the Wonderdog!' too!  She's curled up by the front door looking at me as I type this... and I'm very tired from walking around Sandgate Shopping Common.  Why I am is a heck of story, but I'll keep it short and sweet too.

I started out looking for two things today:  a vintage suitcase and 'The Book Shack' bookstore.  I found both, but not until the end of the day.  I drove my car into Sandgate and parked it under Woolworths and walked around the place to all the vintage places around in search of 'The Book Shack'; but nobody had ever heard of it.  They knew there was a second-hand bookstore around the place, but didn't quite know exactly where it was as they didn't live in the area.

However, once I did find it - almost 1 1/2 hours after I parked the car - I told the owner how long it took me to find her little store; and she was amazed!  She said she had been in the same spot for 5 years and nobody could tell me where she was?  Well, jeez, that's bad!  I bought a cute little book to record what you read, after looking around her lovely store.  It has bags, hand-made bookmarks (of all materials; from woven ones to ones made from brass to others made from silver and nickel).  There were book bags which were made from coffee sacks and lined with old tablecloth material and handbags too... so well-made!  But I couldn't afford them!  Oh well, next time!  However, the next time I'm here, I'll be travelling to the Book Shack at another location.  It'll be off Rainbow Street - up past the fish'n'chip store and in owner's house... not a bad location, seeing how much she loves books.  But she did tell me it was a business decision that she will only be open 4 days a week and will still be online too.

After that, I was still searching for the vintage suitcase, and I walked into two shops that looked like they might sell them; but they didn't.  The last one showed me directions on a map of an antiques store at Deagan where I found the perfect suitcase at this great antiques store... it cost only $12 too!  Very cool and I spent half my day out!  

Once back at home, I took Jay for a walk - where she met a very eager Staffie (only 8 months old this youngster of pup who wanted to jump all over Jay) and poor Jay wasn't really into playing rough.  Well, the chickens laid 2 eggs and they're currently running around the garden until the sun goes down.  I have a few things to look for around Brighton - book-wise - and so watch this space, I'm going to do a few giveaways while I'm here.  Until my next post, happy reading!

A Long Week, But The Same Really Good Book Shop

Now I have my own set of wheels, I've been returning to the Really Good Book Shop at Browns Plains to hang out and enjoy the bargains there.  It's been wonderful and relaxing to be able to take hours to just hang out in a wonderfully organised book exchange.

Yesterday, I took my Mum there.  At first she didn't really want to go, but then I insisted and she said yes.  So, we arrived, locked up the car and I opened the door to the place.  As she walked in, her mouth dropped... as it does with all first-timers at this place.  There. Were. So. Many. Books!  She couldn't believe how many were just stacked around the place and she noticed it was just so very organised!  I introduced Mum to the owner and while she was still taking the place in and I asked her what she had in mind to look for, and Mum said, "Um, I forget... hang on, I'm still kind of taking this in." A minute or so later, she asked about an author and the lady behind the counter looked up and author and came out from behind there and led Mum down one of the crowded aisles of books where she easily found the author she was looking for.  Me?  I said I was going to be in the Classics section... I was looking for Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse 5', and I was off and around the corner after trying to give my Mum directions to where I was going to be and she said to forget telling her.

After we found our books, we made our way to the counter and made our purchases and went outside into the lovely day.  The moment the door closed, Mum kept on saying, "Wow!  Just wow!  What a place!  I do think they need a bigger store though, but what a place!" We went to MacDonald's MacCafe for something to eat and then headed on home.  It was a great time to have with my Mum; as we both love books and bookstores.  And it was a pleasure to show Mum one of the stores I've discovered in our area.  The great thing is that she loves the place because it's clean, it's not dusty and the books are nice, tidy and not dirty... and are reasonably priced too!  Now that's always a bonus!  So, she'll be going back there as much as I will.  And you know?  I did find Vonnegut's book I was looking for... and I'm beginning it this weekend.  Until my next post, happy reading!

March Book Buys!

I've been pretty good on the book front this month; actually, I only bought what I wanted and needed to buy and that was it, and did my purchases towards the end of the month.

So, here goes!

I was at my craft group and found some of the ladies were giving away books.  So, I looked through the titles and found 'I Wish I Had A Red Dress' by Pearl Cleage was there, and I picked it up to bring home.  Then, a week later, I found 'The Hunt' by Andrew Fukuda was at my craft group - and I bought that for a dollar - and brought that home too.


Then, I found myself at the end of my Fry Nelson book trilogy and found ideas for another book.  And seeing I knew nothing about my subject matter I wanted to write about - which was Angels - I had some serious research to do.  So, I popped off to the library and looked into some books.  After borrowing some books, I then drove to The Really Good Book Shop and found 'Archangels 101' by Doreen Virtue.  There's another book I'm searching for, but I'll wait until next pay to get it at QBD.  This other book names all the angels I'm hoping to read about for my next piece of work.

And then, yesterday, I scored two more books.  One was called 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' by Deborah Maggoch.  It's been made into a movie, which I've never seen, but I knew it was based on a book... which I love to read first; as many of you know.  So, I finally got my hands onto a copy of the book.  There was another book called 'Wild Lavendar' but I've forgotten the author... as I gave it to Mum.  It's a war-time book and she loves those kinds of books.  

So, what kinds of books have you scored this month?  Good and cheap books - like me?  Or were you good and didn't buy any and worked out of your library, like I should have?  Silly me, and my want for books... but if we didn't have passions, we wouldn't have collections of things, would we? Until my next post, happy reading.  

Angelic Research

With my 'Fry Nelson' trilogy coming to an end, I've had some great ideas for a new book to be written.  However, this means I have to get in and do some research into my new subject.

My new idea has to do with Angels... which I know absolutely zero about.  Well, okay, I believe they exist and I've had some really strange experiences where what I've seen can only be put down either me being out of my mind or I actually did see an Angel standing at the end of my hospital bed in Melbourne (and this was when I was undergoing tests to have an operation done).  Anyway, after that, I found out that a lot of people believe in Angels, but they don't necessary believe in God and don't go to church and aren't Christians or Catholics - or aren't part of a any kind of organised religion.

So, this has helped me in my research.

Today, I went out on one of the most miserable days here in Brisbane and did some research at the Logan North Library about God, religion and Angels.  I borrowed three books and then drove to Browns Plains to 'The Really Good Bookshop' where I found a wonderful book 'Archangels 101' by Doreen Virtue.  I'm hoping to find another book at another bookstore - one I borrowed from the library - to help me with my research so I can own these books.  However, I think I might have to order this book in; if it's not out of print.

With only a chapter or two to go until I've finished the last few scenes of 'Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter - book 3', I'm already brainstorming ideas of what's going into the book about Angels... just a few opening scenes for now, but it's going well so far.  

So, are you working on any new projects?  If so, let us know what you're all doing?  Are you researching something new?  Are you looking for books or source material you don't have in your own library?  Or are you editing work you've finished last year for publication?  Let us know about what you're all doing with your written work - after all we can love reading, but writing can be something of a joy too.  Until my next post, happy reading.  

Favourite Bookstores

I love books and bookstores - as you all know.  However, I'm wondering if you have a favourite bookstore you enjoy treking back to again and again?  What makes you go back there?  Is it the idea of being able to sit in various places of the store in lovely little chairs and being able to read bits of the books you're thinking of buying?  Or is it the owners who are lovely, just as involved in their books, collections and obsession with authors as you are and they love to talk about their favourite books and titles as much as you do?  

For me, it's when you find a great bookstore and the owners love what they do, and they know exactly what you're looking for no matter how disorganised their store appears to be... they know where the book is!  I've only come across a couple of owners like this; and they are real gems when that happens. 

QBD Bookstores at Garden City are a great place to find a bargain, order in books you can't get anywhere and you don't have to go anywhere close to Brisbane City to get what you're looking for... and this bookstore has no competition in the place.  Well, it might soon, but not currently.

Folio's Books in the city is a very interesting bookstore.  This bookstore works on books that aren't around anymore, and they are about to be shredded to be recycled... now if you have a book in mind, and they can find it in that huge warehouse in Canada before it gets mulshed, you're on the right track!

Bent Books Bookstore is another bookstore to have a look at if you don't mind trekking into West End.  It's a truly original bookstore on Boundary Street and I love it!  Its colourful awning will attract you first and then the gorgeous books in the windows too!  Inside it's crammed chock full of books from wall to wall, ceiling to floor with books!  New, old, out of print, second-hand... whatever the deal is, this place has got it.

Archives Bookstore is the place to go if Folio's or Bent Books Bookstores can't help you.  This bookstore has been around for over 40 years and I've been haunting this place as much as the five ghosts have in the back building.  Yes, you read right, the place is haunted up to the gills.  It's next to one of big police stations where it's been said a couple of murders happened in the back alley and they were never solved!  So, the spirits can't rest.  Every time a few people who are little on the sensitive side enter the back building (which was renovated into a huge and beautiful reading room), they get bugged by a few - or all of the ghosts.  Not a nice feeling, I'm telling you!  

The Really Good Book Store is at Browns Plains, and it's so filled with books, it's just bursting at the seams!  It's not just a bookstore though, it's an old-fashioned book exchange!  Now, how cool is that?  Yes, I love these places as you get more bang for your buck in the reading stacks... and it's a lot more fun to bring in a nice book and be able to leave with three!  

I couldn't tell you which one is my absolute favourite as that would mean putting one or the others down.  I don't do any online store shopping, and so it's a matter of me actually going out to the stores phyically... which I love. 

So, what about you?  Do you love the musty smell and feel of a bookstore?  Or are you more comfy at home in you P.J's and ordering your books in front of your home computer on Amazon?  Until my next post, happy reading.

Get Bent... On Their Site!

Bent Books Bookstore is a great little bookstore on Boundary Street, West End here in Brisbane.  I've been there a number of times and have come away with a few bargains in my bag.  But getting there is a real slog for me as parking is a hassle.

So, if you want to see the store, but don't wish to spend the time trying to find a park and then worry you're going to get a parking ticket, have a look at their new website!  It's a great little site which takes you on a tour of the bookstore itself, you can e-mail them, look at books and catch up with what's on instore on their blog.  It's all very new, and eye-catchingly beautifully done up in lots of red and blue and white, and...? I love it! 

I'll post it on the sidebar for you all to enjoy at your leisure and here in the post as well.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Instore or Online

Recently, I was online looking at what some of my writer friends overseas had published and asked Chuck Wendig which of his books would be the best to start with in reading - as I didn't want to buy one and find that I had come in halfway through a series if he was writing his books this way.  He recommended 'The Blue Blazes' and 'Blackbirds'.  So, I jumped onto the QBD site and found his books were there! Yay!  But... when I found myself at the Garden City branch of the store the next time I was up there, they told me that I could only order his books off their online store; damn!  
There was another way:  I could order them instore but they could take up to 3 weeks to arrive; due to them being an overseas order.  Hey that was cool... I mean, I didn't mind waiting for that long.  So, I paid a deposit on the books to make sure they arrived, and then waited about 3 1/2 weeks for them to arrive today!  Very cool!

Now, I do this a lot. I look around online for things I want, then go out and find them instore.  And if I can't get them instore, I ask if they can order them in for me.  A lot of the times the store can get them in but it does take time and a small deposit.  

So, do you do this kind of thing?  Or do you do you most of your shopping online for your books, e-books or other products?  Seeing I don't have a debit or credit card, I like to go out to the shopping centres and take the time to enjoy the social aspect of book-shopping.  It's fun; and makes book-shopping very interesting too as you never know what you're going to find.  Until my next post, happy reading!

More Than A Good Book Shop!

Today, I went out for a drive to Park Ridge.  I'm visiting a friend's place I haven't been to before and thought to see where it was before I actually went there, in case I got lost, then I could take my time getting home.  However, it was a lot easier getting to and from the place and I anticipated.
However, on my way home, I thought I had gotten off at the wrong off-ramp from the Mt Lyndsey Highway, but I hadn't.  And I looked to my left and found 'The Really Good Book Shop' was on the off-ramp.  So, I quickly changed lanes and pulled into the tight-fitting carpark and found a spot to slot the Pajero into, locked it up and went inside.

This place is a complete shocker to the uninitiated!  There's shelves and shelves and shelves of books, lining the walls, from floor to ceiling; most of those shelves are double-parked - so it's best if you take a few books out and look behind them if you're looking for something by a particular author.  I found the Horror section and looked for 'The Dark Tower' - which is book 7 of The Dark Tower Series, but couldn't find it.  I was hoping to find it here second hand; oh well, didn't matter, I tried.  

But the amount of authors this place has is amazing!  There's also a huge wall of romance novels, chic lit, paranormal romance, cookbooks, books on pets, animals, textbooks and a massive wall dedicated to biographies and autobiographies!  
The Good Book Shop has so many books it can't shelve them all.  They have so many piled in their aisles and more stacked on top of their bookcases and even more sitting on two-wheel trollies and around the place as well, that it's best if you're not in a hurry to get around the store... just walk slowly, and watch what you're doing with your feet before you walk anywhere.  I even knocked over a pile of books, felt really bad and stacked them back up again because they were blocking an aisle.  Then, I looked around and had miss-placed the book I had chosen to buy for myself - oops! - and had to hunt around for a bit to find it again!  I was told by another customer that people miss-placing what they wanted to buy happens a lot, and to keep an eye on what you want to buy all the time because it's easily lost in the place.

But this place is a wonderful store.  The best thing I love about it, is that The Good Book Shop is also a book exchange.  You can buy a book here, take it home, read it and come back and get a store credit on your next book.  So, if you buy more than one book, you have more money to spend on your return - just like the old book exchanges from years ago which have been run out of business because of the good ol' internet.  Personally, I love book exchanges as they encourage recycling and community awareness an the same people come back again and again to the same place; and get to know each other.  It's a good thing for the community when this happens.  I did buy a great read that I have been wanting to own for some time - '84 Charring Cross Road' by Helene Hanff - and so I'm sure I'll come back to the place again to buy another book and begin on my store credit; and I'll take my Mum here too, so she can have a look around as well, as she loves to read too.  Until my next post, happy reading! 

Gift Certificates

I have a gift certificate.  How cool is that?  Now, it's not an exact amount of money, and it's not over $20.  However, it's one where I've earned the money on it.  It's a QBD Bookstore Gift Certificate where I've become a member of it Book Club and have bought 10 books to accumulate a certain amount of money to spend on my 11th book.  Pretty cool, eh?

Now, usually, I know what to spend the money on.  However, this time, I'm stuck.  I have $17.83 and no idea what I'd like to buy.  I've looked on their site, but they don't advertise any of their pens or anything else that is usually not a book instore.  So, it looks like I'll have to go instore physically to see what I can buy there.  I might get myself a nice pen - a better one than my last one - with the money.

So, what do you do when you get a gift certificate from a bookstore?  Do you spend it immediately, or do you save it up and wait for the right book to come out to spend on it?  Or do you buy a few small purchases and make it worth your while?  Until my next post, happy reading! 

Where Are All The Bookstores?

I love bookstores.  I love going through the doors of them and being pulled in by the atmosphere of each individual place as shelves and shelves of books are shown - spines out with titles, authors and publishing mark showing - are all sitting there awaiting my perusal.  I love the smell of bookstores; the sound of the floors, the feeling you get when you walk around the old second-hand bookstores that you've come home to an old friend.  It feels as though I could almost sit down and happily have a conversation with some of the ghosts that meander around the shelves in the older bookstores; but I can't.
I also love the feeling of being in a new bookstore too where everything is brand new.  The spines are uncracked, nothing is faded, no corners have been turned and returned and there's no food or coffee stains on the pages.  The aroma of coffee usually pulls you inward and makes you stay until you find a book to buy; other times it's the music and the beeping and ka-ching of the cash registers.

However, recently, I've been looking around Logan City to find a couple of bookstores to review for you guys.  There's QBD... and that's it.  Sure there's the Book Warehouse, but it's not a major chain store or a second-hand bookstore I can find on a bus route.  A lot of the stores I've Googled can be found on the maps, but when I phone them up, they've closed up or gone online.  This is such a pity as I love to walk into a bookstore off the street and actually handle the books, talk to the people who own the shop and enjoy my time at the store while finding more and more books to take home to read.... don't you?  

I'm not sure about how I'm going to review bookstores this year; as last year, I reviewed a lot of them around Brisbane City; and they were the ones I could get to around West End and the inner city.  So, if I find a good one around Brisbane, I'll let you guys know about it.  If not, I'm sorry.  But I will keep you all up-to-date with bookstores that I find which are newly opened - that is if I find any that decide to open around Logan.  Until my next post, happy reading! 

The Book Cafe Difference!

Yesterday, I was walking around Garden City at their 1-Day Sale.  It was insane!  Every man and his dog was there, teenagers, families with strollers, old people... anyone and everyone was there to get out of the heat and rushing around to do their Christmas shopping before anyone else! 

Well, okay, we all had the same idea.  

I had most of the gifts for everyone and thought to drop into my favourite second-hand bookstore at Westfield Garden City:  'The Book Cafe'.  Now, this place started out a kind of hole-in-the-wall kinda place where nobody really liked.  It was a very original type of shop; and these types of stores normally attract me like a moth to a flame... this one was no different.
But it is!  This store stocks all kinds of books.  It has brand new books at the front of the store and second hand books throughout the rest of the store, lining the walls.  The tables are small and intimate and lovely light-coloured wood with chairs that have metal name-plates on the backs where they've had author's names attached to them.  How beautifully quaint is that?  I love it!  I've always looked for some of my favourite authors - such at JRR Tolkien or Stephen King on those chairs - in the past.  But now, I just pick any chair and take my chances and love whoever I get... but sometimes the chair backs are blank; and I think of them as wildcards and make up a name of an author I'm reading now to put there while I'm sitting at the table.
I love this little store.  With its aroma of coffee urging you to come inside and to have a look around, you are immediately taken away from the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping mall and into the almost-silent, library-like existance of this store.  The books are well-shelved, all in alphabetical order around the edges of the store and in the middle - where there's some tables - you'll find True Crime, Horror and Biography on separate double-sided bookcases.  I was told yesterday that Estelle Pinney - a wonderful Brisbane author - is a frequent customer to the cafe; and when she comes for lunch, she searches for her books, picks them up and signs them.  And I've bought a few of her books - all signed - and found them to be quite lovely to send to my friends (as they love to receive signed copies of these books).  

So, if you do visit Brisbane and are on the southside of the city, do go into this wonderful Westfield Shopping Centre and search out 'The Book Cafe'... and stay, read and enjoy this little bit of book heaven; be it for a little while or for a few hours, it's well worth it. To find this wonderful little book corner of the world and photos of it too, here's a link:

The Book Cafe Garden City 
     

Wet Day Thrift Shop Finds

Today, it's cold, wet and miserable... and this week isn't going to get much better!  It'll be wet, rainy and cold.  So, today, I thought to relish in this Wintery weather and get out in it.  I had spent two days inside doing what I could to keep myself from going stir crazy; now it was time to buy some veggies from the new fruit shop down the road and books from the Thrift Store as well.

So, off I walked, all rugged up in my coat and Docs down the road and I found plenty of books to add to my collection - and here's me saying I was going to be good this year!  Yeah, sure!  Anyway, I took my blue shopping trolley along because I knew I'd have some heavy stuff to bring home.

The books that were there were amazing. I even found one by a politician (Paul Keating!) and quickly put it back.

However, I found some books I've wanted to read for ages and yet haven't been able to find, such as: 'He's Just Not That Into You' by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo, 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' by Louis De Bernieres, 'Temple' by Matthew Reilly and a couple of others that I never thought I'd find: 'Sally's Story' by Sally Morgan which is a childrens' version of 'My Place' by the same author.  Then, I found 'Roget's Thesaurus of Synonyms & Antonyms'.  It was printed in 1972 and I thought I'd never find this book anywhere as they are out of print in this style.  So, I grabbed that and put that in my bag.  Then, I found a really cool book that wasn't in the shelves, 'The SF Collection'  This book is in hardcover, rather light-weight and very much full of short stories from every sci-fi author around from the classic Isaac Asimov to Anne McCaffrey.  Brilliant!  I'm so happy I bought all these books today.  They are sure to be read in the next year and reviewed.  I can't wait to get my nose into them all at some point in time.

Well, what have you bought recently?  Were they thrift-store bargains, or brand new purchases?  Until my next post, happy reading!

Great Expectations

I love bookstores - any bookstores - and when I go into them, I find there's a few things I expect to find in them to make them the types of places I'd come back to.  

Variety is the spice of life.  And so it is the same with bookstores.  You gotta be able to walk into a bookstore and find exactly what you're looking for; be it sports, non-fiction, cookbooks, textbooks from the past, world atlas' or chick lit, you have to be able to find what you're into in any bookstore you venture into.  If you can't find everything you want, the owner isn't doing you - or the public - any favours.

Light and Smell have always gotten a way to either bother me or keep me looking around.  If the place isn't well-lit, I'm not going to bother going back to it.  Some bookstores have plenty of old-fashioned lamps here and there - all in use - to give the place character and that homy feeling where you don't want to leave.  And that's great!  However, if there's a doorway into a room and that room has no light in it (or no source where you can use a light or a torch in some way), you're not going be enticed back to the store again, are you?

And with smells?  There's nothing worse than a bookstore that has that mouldy smell about it.  It says that the place leaks - or the air-conditioning does - and that some of its carpets aren't cared for and books will have absorbed that smell too.  Now, you're not going to want to take home a book with that smell and add it to your collection; are you?  I have also ventured into a bookstore where all I did was sneeze.  The place was so dusty that the further I ventured in, the worse the dust was - and the place was a great bookstore!  I wanted to go back but how could I when I ended up using up all my tissues before picking out a book?

Ordering in.  If you can't order in a book from outside, it's not worth it.  This means, the store owner doesn't talk to other second-hand bookstores and doesn't have the net hooked up.  Or if they do, they don't know how to use it.

Toilets.  I hate to say this, but some bookstores are situated nowhere near public toilets; and I have found it a great relief when I have needed to use the Ladies and found the bookstore I'm in has one at the back of the store.  And what surprised me more was how clean it was kept!  I have come across some places in the city where if you want to go to the toilet, you have run across the street, into another building, to the top floor and use the only ladies toilets... this is not a good look and has happened to me once.  I haven't been back to that bookstore in the city for that reason.

Layby.  If you can't do this, forget going back.  You're going to make the effort to go to their store to pay off something they are going to hang onto for you.  It's an insult to you if they say no.

Coffee Shop.  If there's none instore, the owner should know where there's one nearby; a good one too.  The coffee shop shouldn't be more than two blocks from where their store is and shouldn't be too expensive to have something to eat there either; no matter what the place looks like, you can have a great coffee in the most interesting places.

So, what do you look for in a bookstore.  What I've mentioned may be going over-the-top a little.  However, it's a little list of what I mainly look for in a bookstore - any bookstore - and so I find it's something we all should start looking into with bookstores, to be a little fussy about them.  Until my next post, happy reading!