Our World Tuesday: Week 95

A month or so back, the local public library held a book sale to raise a little extra money.  They were selling books by the bag ($10 per bagful), so you know the hubby and I couldn't miss that.  We only have several thousand books hanging around the place already.

The sale was well-attended, by the young and the not so young, all together.  In fact, I was surprised (and pleased) to see how many people are still attracted to "real" books, in this age of the Kindle and the Nook and their ilk.

It was held in the elementary school auditorium/gymnasium, so there was plenty of space for the books and shoppers.

Yes, we only have the ONE elementary school -- it's a small community, folks.

AND...there was a bake sale, too!  So you could feed your mind and your sweet tooth at the same time! How great is that?

When it was all over and done, the library had raised several thousand dollars for new books, and we picked up a nice haul of new reading matter.

But we did manage to exercise some self-control and bypass all those brownies and cupcakes!

Linking up with:

Beach Blues: Got Books?

Blue Monday is hosted weekly by Smiling Sally.
To see more offerings, or to participate yourself, please head on over to her blog.

Yet another photo from our recent beach trip (ah, fond memories!). This time we've got a shot of people reading on the beach (one of my favorite subjects), with lots of blue bits thrown in -- even a teensy part of a blue beach hat, down in the corner.

Saturday Snapshot: Better Days

Sorry to start the day off on a negative note, but so far July is turning out to be just a bit of a disappointment for me. It started off with Roger Federer wiping out at Wimbledon -- well, I suppose that might actually have been at the end of June, but near enough. Then Anna Massey, one of my favorite actresses, died. Then there was the death of the space shuttle program. Still can't believe we're letting the space program dwindle this way. Of course, it's expensive -- and that reminds me of the economic problems the country is going through, another downer. Then at the dentist's office this week (another disturbing story, but believe me, you don't wanta hear it) I read a magazine article about the new robotic librarians -- no need for human librarians anymore, even in those antiquated libraries that actually contain real books. And now we have the shutdown of Borders, one of my favorite places to hang out (and yes, I did actually buy books there -- but I guess just not enough books). Very depressing. The times just seem to be out of joint, somehow.

So here's today's snapshot. Sorry about the quality -- I think my husband actually took it by mistake when he was testing a new camera a few years back. But I thought it would be appropriate for my mood today. It's a shot of yours truly, against a backdrop of shelves with real books on them, reading an actual newspaper. And it may not do anything for you, but it cheers me up more than I can say.


Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books, and as she says: "To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online."

ABC Wednesday: "N" is for...

Nancy Drew!

The teenaged sleuth first appeared in April 1930 with the release of The Secret of the Old Clock, the first book in the long-running series (above, a photo of a recent reproduction of the original cover). Nancy was the creation of Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate publishing organization. The series eventually extended to more than a hundred titles, ghostwritten by a number of authors over the years, and all published under the collective pseudonym of Carolyn Keene.


As a pre- and young teen, I was crazy about Nancy Drew. I'm really not sure how many of the books I've read, but I know it must be dozens. I loved them all, but my favorite was always the second book in the series, The Hidden Staircase. The photo above, is a shot of a reproduction of the original cover from 1930, with artwork by Russell H. Tandy. But the cover I remember is from a slightly later edition (artwork by Bill Gillies):


Secret panels, mysterious disappearances, underground tunnels, and Nancy running around a spooky old mansion armed with flashlight and revolver - how could I not love it?

I haven't read any of the books produced after the early 1960s, but they're still being cranked out. And Nancy is keeping up with the latest trends. One book from 2003 is titled Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland, and 2010 saw the publication of Nancy Drew: Vampire Slayer. That last one is apparently a graphic novel - what did I say about Nancy and the latest trends?

If you'd like to see more ABC Wednesday offerings,
or contribute one yourself,
please visit the website here.

Sky Watch Friday: Literary Skies

These photos were taken a couple of years ago (September 2008) at the National Book Festival in Washington DC. It was a hot, rainy day, with almost unbearable humidity and un-breathable air, but thousands of book lovers braved the elements for a chance to scoop up the latest releases and get a look at some of their favorite authors. This year's festival is coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping the weather is a little better this time around.

(Click on photos for a larger view.)

The 10th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, DC, between 3rd and 7th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. The festival is free and open to the public. You can read about the festival, find lists of events and the authors who will be attending, and download this year's poster at the festival website here.

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