Feed Your Reading Habit

Have You Ever Read a Book That Changed Your Life?

2012-01-17T15:41:00.001+11:00

Once in a while a book comes along that has a profound influence on you. So much so that the experience of reading it actually compels you to make changes in your life. Personally, this has only ever happened to me a handful of times, but just last week I finished a book that left me feeling empowered and ready to tackle some of my own demons. I'm talking about a little pocket classic titled Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg. This delightful nugget of wisdom was originally published in 1986 and at the time created a mini revolution in the way people approached the art of writing. I purchased the book from a paranormal romance author on one of my fortnightly book buying jaunts for my second hand bookstore. It immediately went into my satchel and I've been carrying it around with me, reading a chapter here and there, for the last month. Last week I finished it, and after years of arguing back and forth within my own mind about whether to attempt to write, and usually losing, I finally put pen to paper in and honest and real way.

Writing Down the Bones is not a manual on how to write. It's something much more. It's about being honest enough to free the writer hidden within yourself. It's also about leaving yourself enough room to explore the craft fully and breathe your own life into it without censorship. It talks of the physicality of writing and the importance of total immersion. It teaches you to embrace your failures as much as your successes, and to that end it's not just teaching you about writing but also about how to approach life in general.

I could go on and on about the things I've learned from this book, but there is one quote in particular that resonated the most - "I used to think freedom meant doing whatever you want. It means knowing who you are, what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it" ( pp71). This is a truth that I've only recently come to grips with myself. Reading it in print elicited a physical reaction, as it helped me to not only understand what I was good at, but to accept these things as gifts, and to embrace them fully rather than fighting them. I can now say with conviction and contentment that I'm a leader, a teacher, and a writer, and those are the things I want to pursue in my life.

To say that this book alone got me to this point would be naive. The reality is that this book found me at the right time and helped push me over the edge of a cliff that I was already leaning over. It may not have the same impact on you. However, it is my belief that writers of all sorts will find some, if not many, gems of wisdom in this book. Its' short, punchy chapters also lends itself to re-reading. I can easily picture myself picking it up every now and then in years to come when I'm struggling for inspiration.

If you've read this book I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. I'd also love to hear what books have impacted on you so much that they've made you take steps to change your life, no matter how big or small.

The National Year of Reading and My 2012 Reading Challenge

2012-01-13T13:28:00.000+11:00

If you're not already aware 2012 is The National Year of Reading in Australia. Many of my customers and friends have been asking me just what this campaign is all about and I've had to admit to being ignorant of exactly what the initiative is trying to achieve. Now, having done some research, I thought what better way to answer your questions than to blog about it.

Basically, The National Year of Reading is all about helping people to discover the magic of books, or if you've already got a solid relationship with the written word, it's about finding new inspiration in the books you choose to read. The slogan of the campaign is "Love 2 Read" and the focus is all about Australians becoming a nation of readers. Statistics on literacy and fluency within the Australian population are not flattering and in response to these findings the initiative has identified three goals to help change the reading culture of our country. The goals are listed below and have been copied directly from The National Year of Reading website.

For all Australians to understand the benefits of reading as a life skill and a catalyst for well-being;
To promote a reading culture in every home; and
To establish an aspirational goal for families, of parents and caregivers sharing books with their children every day.

There are events happening all over the country in support of the campaign. If you'd like more information on these events, or the campaign itself, I suggest you click through to The National Year of Reading website.

Personally, I've decided to do my little bit to support the campaign by setting myself a reading challenge for 2012. As a book seller you would think I read a lot and I do read quite a bit, but not as much as I would like to. The truth is that I'm sometimes so busy with selling books that the time available to read them is just not there. So this year I'm aiming for more of a balance. Last night I set myself up an account on Good Reads which is an international social networking site for book lovers. Good Reads have a reading challenge widget, so I used it to set myself the goal of reading 100 books in 2012. That's about two per week and I'm already right on track. You'll notice the widget on the right side of my blog showing you this information. I'm pretty confident I can reach the target and depending on how I'm going might even raise the bar half way through the year. This is something anyone can do, so if you're looking for something to do to support The National Year of Reading, or if you'd just like to set yourself a reading goal for 2012, why don't you join me on Good Reads and set-up an account. You can view my profile by using this link - http://www.goodreads.com/readinghabit.

If you're doing something else to support The National Year of Reading in Australia, I'd love to hear about it, so make sure you leave a comment here. As a business, Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore will be supporting the campaign by striking up a relationship with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, but more on that later.

What Books Did You Get for Christmas?

2012-01-11T15:39:00.002+11:00

With Christmas and New Year now fading into memory I thought it time to brag about what books I got for Christmas. It's one of my favourite things to post about on the blog and I hope you'll share what you received with me as well. I admit to doing pretty well in the book department this year, receiving five amazing books as gifts, some of which I've already polished off.

Let's start with Christopher Paolini's Inheritance. I received this book from my sister as an early Christmas gift and had devoured it within 7 days. It's a massive book, but I was eager to read the last instalment in the Inheritance saga so applied myself with more gusto than usual. I definitely enjoyed it and was pleased that the author went with the bittersweet ending rather than the crowd pleaser. As a whole, the series was a good read, but not one I think I'd ever find myself re-reading. It's definitely more suited to the young adult reader and like most books of its' kind tends to get too bogged down in the details for my liking. I'm no longer surprised by how the thickness of each consecutive instalment in a fantasy series increases exponentially, but I am finding the practice more and more tedious. Maybe I'm just becoming too picky in my old age!!

My sister also gave me a copy of King Brown Country: The Betrayal of Papunya. I read this straight after Inheritance and had it completed within 3 days. King Brown Country is, in my opinion, a must read for all Australians. Written by journalist Russell Skelton, it documents the fate of Papunya, an Aboriginal settlement right in the heart of Australia. For those unfamiliar with the settlement, it's the birthplace of the 70s Aboriginal art movement as well as well-known Aboriginal musicians such as the Warumpi Band. By focusing on the rise and fall of this tiny settlement, Skelton shines a light on the plight of Aboriginal people in general. It's a tragic tale of injustice, incompetence, betrayal, abuse, misery, and the consistent failure of Government over decades. Parts of this book really left their mark on me, and though most are content to stick their head in the sand when it comes to indigenous issues, I'm certainly not one of them. The book had a profound impact on me and when I couple it with my experience of reading Tall Man by Chloe Hooper last year, it has given me the impetus to make myself more aware of the Aboriginal cause in general.

After finishing King Brown Country I moved onto another Christmas gift, The Omnivore's Dilemna (by Michael Pollan). I've wanted this book for ages after hearing parts of it read aloud on ABC Radio National and was excited when I received it from my mum. The Omnivore's Dilemna is a non-fiction book that looks at the food we eat in what is now a predominantly fast food world. I've only just started it so I can't give you a review yet, but I promise one in the near future. The other two books I received that now sit awaiting my indulgence are Among the Islands by Tim Flannery and 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. The Murakami book in particular is quite daunting....it's enormous!!

Now it's your turn to brag. I'd love to hear what booky treasures you found under the Christmas tree, so comment away.

January Book Giveaway - The Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson)

2012-01-10T12:52:00.003+11:00

Courtesy of our friends at Harper Collins, this month we have a copy of The Name of the Star (A Shades of London Novel) by Maureen Johnson to giveaway.

Sixteen-year-old American girl Roryhas just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Rippercopycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamousmurders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer'sidentity. “Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped withfew leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends toturn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery…could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment on our blog. And don't forget to increase your chances by checking out how to gain bonus entries!!

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog

+2 Entries = Join the Reading Habit Community Network (Click here to do so)
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Tuesday 31st January 2012. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Wednesday 1st February 2012. Good luck to everyone!!

Merry Christmas. May You Receive and Give Lots of Books!!

2011-12-23T16:06:00.001+11:00

Just a quick post to wish all Feed Your Reading Habit blog followers and readers the very best festive season for 2011. I've really enjoyed being more proactive with the blog this year and hope to keep up the good form in 2012. I'm really excited to see what bookish treasures are under the Christmas tree for me this year. No doubt my first blog post of 2012 will focus on just that. I hope that you receive lots of great booky gifts yourself, but if not I hope that you find some time to relax and curl up with a good book just a little more than usual. Best wishes, Amber!!

Introducing the Reading Habit Bookplate....a Great Xmas Gift Idea!!

2011-12-14T10:59:00.000+11:00

It's with great excitement that I launch the first piece of Reading Habit merchandise - the Reading Habit Bookplate! It's been a while in development, but I'm extremely pleased that it's now available for purchase and just in time for Christmas too!! It's not your traditional illustrated black and white bookplate. It's fun, quirky and full of colour - just the thing to brighten up your much-loved book collection. Bookplates are a great gift idea for book loving friends, especially if you're already gifting them a book. They'd also make great stocking fillers.

The Reading Habit Bookplate is full colour, self-adhesive vellum with a matt finish and an easy peel tab. It's in landscape format and is 9.5cm wide by 6.5cm high with generous space to write your name. The bookplates come in packs of 10 and are priced at just $9.99 AUD including free domestic shipping within Australia (international shipping rates are quite cheap too!!). If you order before Monday 19th December 2011 we guarantee they'll arrive in time for Christmas (within Australia only). To order just visit the Reading Habit Website. We'd love to hear what you think about our bookplate design, so feel free to leave a comment.

December Book Giveaway - Enthralled (Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong)

2011-12-02T15:43:00.001+11:00

Courtesy of our friends at Harper Collins, this month we have a copy of Enthralled edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong to giveaway.

Enthralled is a collection of fourteen original teen paranormal short stories from some of today's bestselling YA talent, united with the common theme of road trips, and edited by bestselling authors Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Whether they're writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart. Authors featured include Rachel Caine, Claudia Gray, Ally Cordie, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment on our blog. And don't forget to increase your chances by checking out how to gain bonus entries!!

+2 Entries = Join the Reading Habit Community Network (Click here to do so)
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Saturday 31st December 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 9th January 2012. Good luck to everyone!!

Reading Habit's Top Five: Reasons to Buy Second Hand Books as Christmas Gifts

2011-12-01T15:02:00.001+11:00

Even though the climate changedebate has changed our shopping habits somewhat, the mere thought of buyingsecond hand goods as Christmas gifts is still a little on the nose to most. Asa second hand book dealer I’ve never really understood this. There are so manyadvantages to buying used goods, books in particular, that it just seemsridiculous to always buy new. Pride has a lot to do with it I think. We equatenew with value and with personal status, so we buy new. We don’t want to beseen giving a ‘scabby’ present. Never mind that buying new requires newresources, that buying new is money in the pocket of a multinational ratherthan a human being, that buying new requires only a flippant flick through thelatest sales brochure rather than any real thought. Now, I’m not saying don’tbuy new. All I’m suggesting is that in some cases buying second hand makes moresense than buying new. So, in an effort to reduce the stigma attached topurchasing used books as Christmas gifts, and to be honest used goods ingeneral, I’ve come up with five reasons to buy second hand this Christmas.

#1 Save Money - More Bangfor Your Buck

When is it more important to beprice conscious than at Christmas when you’re already digging deep into yourpockets for food, holidays, festive season parties, and activities to keep thekids entertained. Buying a second handbook as a gift rather than buying new means saving money. A new book willset you back anywhere between $15 and $40, whereas a good quality second handnovel can be purchased for between $5 and $20. Or, seen in a different light, buyingsecond hand books means you can get more for your money. Rather than buyingyour loved one the latest John Grisham in hardcover for $35, wouldn’t it makemore sense to buy three of his titles for the same price? I know which I’dprefer if I was the receiver.

NB: A good used book dealer should be offering books in ‘good’, verygood’ and ‘as new’ condition, so don’t make the mistake of assuming that secondhand equals poor quality. It’s not uncommon to be able to purchase a pre-lovedbook that looks like it has barely been read.

#2 Conserve Resources – Get An Environmental Gold Star

Not only does buying second handbooks’ keep them from going into landfill, but it requires the use of no newresources. Consider this. In total, approximately 15 million copies of KenFollett’s Pillars of the Earth havebeen sold since it was first published in 1989, and on average about 100,000new copies are produced each year. That’s a lot of copies of one book and youcan imagine how many of them have either gone to landfill, or are sitting in asecond hand bookstore just waiting to be purchased. Do you really need topurchase the 15,000,001th new copy of this book? Wouldn’t it be better forMother Earth if you purchased a used copy? Thechoice is yours, but if you want to earn yourself an environmental gold star,second hand is the option. It’s the fun kind of recycling!

#3 Find that Hidden Treasure – And Earn Brownie Points at the Same Time

Without much thought and withvery little effort, almost anyone can buy a copy of Bryce Courtenay’s latestChristmas instalment as a gift. However, if you’re looking for something lessgeneric, something that requires thoughtfulness beyond a brief browse throughthe Target Christmas catalogue, a second hand book might just be the answer. Let’ssay your dad is a real Bryce Courtenay fan. Why not find him a signed firstedition copy of The Power of One? It’llcertainly get more ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ than the brand new book. Remember that extraeffort in the search will gain you extra brownie points in the giving. How greatwould it be if you found that elusive title that completed your mother’s AgathaChristie Crime Collection? You’d be in the good books with your mum for at leasta month I’d say! When you’re goal is tomake the receiver go a little misty-eyed, think second hand, rare, antiquarianbooks and I reckon you’ll be on a winner. There’s also a benefit to thebuyer with this one - it’s called the thrill of the find and it’s the ultimatewarm fuzzy feeling.

#4 Support Local People – Build a Relationship with Your Book Dealer

Used book sellers are just likeyour local butcher, grocer or hardware store. Their very survival is based on thesupport and custom of local people. Buying the latest Nora Roberts from Big Wdoes little for your local community. Sure, the staff might get a little of theprofit in their pay packet, but let’s face it, the majority goes straight into thecoffers of the company itself. Buyingfrom your local antiquarian book dealer is an investment in your community,because money in their pockets will inevitably circulate right back through.Money arguments aside, you’ll also get customer service. Remember that! It’sold-fashioned I know, but I’m a sentimental kind of girl. If you’re reallylucky you might even strike up a Helene Hanff 84 Charing Cross Road style relationship with your second hand bookdealer. Wouldn’t that be nice?

#5 Buck the System - Be a Trailblazer Not a Follower

Just because it’s not the norm,doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Be a pioneer, buck the trend, set an example forothers. Hell, why not have a complete second hand Christmas with no new giftsat all, just pre-loved all the way. This may seem like a fairly flimsy reasonto buy used books (stemming from a desire to reach the number five), and youcould be partially right, but I prefer to see it as something bigger than that.Buying second hand is all about ethical consumption. It’s about being sociallyconscious. We could all do with some role models where these moral argumentsare concerned, so why not put your hand up and be one.

To close, I want to acknowledgethat there are arguments against buying second hand as well. The most obviousis that buying second hand takes money away from the publishers and the authorsthemselves. You could argue that buying new ensures that there is a future forwriting and it’s a valid argument that as a true bibliophile I’m not immune to,particular when considering the specific case of the Australian literary scene.In my defence, I’m only trying here to balance the argument a little for secondhand goods as they are generally un-championed. Poor diddums!

Xmas Special - 20% off All Stock - Reading Habit Bookstore

2011-11-30T15:42:00.001+11:00

Second hand books are a great option for Xmas gifts. You certainly get more bang for your buck! To celebrate the beginning of the Xmas season, we are offering 20% off all stock on our Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore. Terms and conditions do apply. Please see the bottom of this post for the details. To claim your discount just enter the coupon code XMAS2011 in the coupon section when checking out. To start browsing now click through to the Reading Habit website.

Terms and Conditions: Please note that a minimum spend of $30 AUD is required to use the discount coupon. Discount does not apply to the postage portion of an order. Offer ends Monday 19th December 2011, 11.59pm EDST.

Head to Head: Harry Potter Series vs The Chronicles of Narnia

2011-11-15T14:44:00.001+11:00

Today I thought I'd introduce a new series of blog posts that will force you to choose between some of your favourite authors and books. Ardent book lovers, like myself, always enjoy a good discussion and they're generally pretty opinionated, so this new series is designed to fuel the passionate debater in all of us. The series will be titled "Head to Head" and first up I'm asking you to decide between two of the most well loved classic young adult fantasy series ever written - the Harry Potter series and The Chronicles of Narnia - books only, not the movies. To participate, just leave a comment with your vote and a brief reasoning behind your choice. I'll be posting my vote shortly, so make sure you follow the comment thread. This round of "Head to Head" will wrap up at the end of November, so make sure you cast your vote before then. I'll announce the results in early December. It's just a bit of harmless fun, but we hope it gets the blood boiling.

Rememberance Day Special Offer: 10% Off All Reading Habit Stock

2011-11-11T11:07:00.001+11:00

In honour of Rememberance Day 2011, our Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore is offering a 10% discount on all of our stock. What better way to remember the sacrifices of our brave soldiers than to purchase a book from our Military/War catalogue. To collect your discount just enter the coupon code - REMDAY11 - when going through the check out process on our website - Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore. We hope you find something to interest you. Lest we forget.

Conditions: This offer ends at midnight on 11th November 2011 and is open to international customers as well as Australian residents. Please be aware that the 10% discount applies only to the book portion of orders, not the postage component.

Reading Habit's Top Ten: Influences on the Value of a Second Hand Book

2011-11-10T13:20:00.001+11:00

As a second handbookstore operator I often get asked to value a book. In most cases, the bookin question isn’t worth much more than $10 or $20 and I watch as a wave ofdisappointment creeps across the customers face. This disappointment generallystems from the common misconception that if a book is old it must be worthsomething. There are two glaring problems with this assumption. The first isthe customers’ perception of what defines old. In book collecting terms, a bookis not old if it was printed in the 1950s, yet most customers perceive it to beold and therefore valuable. In collecting terms a book must have been around morethan 100 years to even begin to be considered old and preferably more like 200years. The second problem with this perception is that people equate age withvalue. This is a complete falsehood. Whilst age can contribute to the value ofa book, the most important indicator of a book’s value is its rarity. And eventhis statement needs further elaboration because the truth is that second handbook selling is just like every other global marketplace. It’s controlled bythe forces of supply and demand. So whilst a book might be scarce and the onlyone of its kind in the world, if nobody wants to read it then scarcity meansnothing. The book is worth nothing. For a book to be considered rare it must bemore than scarce. It must be scarce relative to the demand for it.

All thatconsidered, let’s look at what different characteristics can make a book rareand thus influence its value. I have listed what I consider to be the top teninfluences on value below, in no particular order.

Book/DustJacket Condition

In real estate its location, location,location. In the second hand book trade its condition, condition, condition. Thecloser a book is to its original state the more value it will carry. Thisrefers just as much to the dust jacket as it does to the book itself. A book invery good condition is worth little if its’ dust jacket is missing. It’s alsoimportant to understand that a very, very old book is worth little if it’sfalling apart. The second hand book industry has developed its’ own gradingterminology to help describe the condition of a book. This information isusually presented in the form of VG/VG, Fine/Good, VG/--, etc. The first partrefers to the condition of the book, whilst the second refers to the dustjacket condition. If a "/--" is present, it usually means that thedust jacket is not present. The terminology used is as follows.

New - Unread,in print, perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.

As New – Thebook is in the same condition it was published.

Fine – Closeto the condition of ‘As New’, but without being crisp and has no defects.

Very Good -The book shows some signs of wear, but has no tears or defects noted.
Good - The average used worn book that has all pages intact and defectsare noted.

Fair – A wornbook that has all pages intact but may lack endpapers, half-title etc. Bindingor jacket may also be worn and defects are noted.

Poor -Describes a book that is sufficiently worn to the point that its only merit isas a reading copy. This copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and mayhave loose joints, hinges, pages, etc. Defects should still be noted.

NB: Despite this industrystandard terminology there will always be discrepancies between people andtheir perception of the condition of a book. Where possible you should see thebook for yourself and when buying over the internet we suggest you ask to seephotos.

Signature

Generally speaking, if a book has beensigned by the author or the illustrator then this will add some value to yourbook, but don’t get too excited. If no-one has ever heard of the author orno-one wants to read the book then a signature can mean absolutely nothing. Furtherto this, contemporary authors are known for their book junkets when theirlatest novel is released. This means they sign many copies of their books atpublic events in an effort to promote sales. This makes their signature fairlycommon and adds little to the market value of the book. Also be careful of the printed signaturebecause this is not the same as a penned signature. A printed signature is onethat is printed in every copy of the book using the same process as printingthe text. A penned signature is added to the book personally by the authorafter publication. A printed signature is worth nothing, whereas a pennedsignature can add value. I will also make note here of inscriptions by authors.An inscription generally has more wording than just a signature and can add alittle more value. Where inscriptions can really affect the value of a book iswhen they have been presented to an important associate, friend or family member. These inscribed book copies are often referred to as as presentation or association copies and they can often demand a high price.

NB:Signatures can be a tricky thing to authenticate, particularly if the authorssignature is a squiggle and resembles nothing like their name. Do your homeworkand try and authenticate the signature. There are websites, like TomFolio, thatarchive scans of author’s signatures just for this purpose, so take the time tocheck them out.

FirstEdition

The term ‘edition’ as taken directly from TheABC for Book Collectors (Carter,1997, p84) refers to “…all copies of a book printed at any timeor times from one setting-up of type without substantial change.” Usually,information about editions is included on the copyright page of the book. Incases where this information is not provided you will need to do furtherresearch to determine whether a book is a first edition or not. First editionsare one of the most collectable types of book and therefore their market value infine condition can be at a premium. Though, as with all items on this list,just because a book is a first edition doesn’t make it valuable, as there hasto be demand for it at the same time. I will also note here the importance oflimited editions. This term is used for editions where there is a limitation statement.A limitation statement usually gives the total number of copies and thenassigns an individual number to each specific copy (e.g. No 53 of 1000).Limited editions can in some cases derive a high value.

FirstBook

A first edition of an author’s first bookwill generally be worth more than their subsequent books. The underlyingreasoning here is that in most cases the print run of an author’s first book isgenerally quite small in comparison to the print runs of their later works. Theperfect example of this is J.K. Rowling. The first instalment of her HarryPotter series only had a print run of 500, whereas the last in her series had aprint run of around 12 million. Needless to say first edition copies of HarryPotter and the Philosopher’s Stone are valued in the tens of thousands, whereasa first edition Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows carries little valueunless signed by Rowling herself.

Associationwith Previous Owner

The association of a book with a previousowner can add value to a book where that person is either famous or important,or if that particular book held special significance. Here’s an example. Let’ssay you found a book inscribed to a friend by Hemingway’s wife. This would addvalue to that copy of the book.

NB:There are pirates in every trade and the book dealing trade is no different.Forged signatures and other distinctive markings like bookplates and ownershipstampings are more common than you think. So make sure that any associationwith a previous owner has been authenticated. A quality book dealer should beable to provide you with the correct documentation.

Age

As I’ve already touched upon, age by itself is not enough to make a book valuable. Theimportance of the text, the condition of the book, and demand for it willdetermine the value of an old book. However, certain age categories of booksare more sought after. As a general rule, most books printed before 1501 arerare and there is normally value attached. If we are being specific to certaincountries, it’s also fair to say that English books printed before 1641 areprized, and books printed in America before 1801 are also highly collectible.

MaterialsUsed

In the era of mass market paperbacks ande-books, book binding is fast becoming a dying art. So much so that many peoplewill never set eyes on a finely crafted book. Leather bound books, bamboofolded books, limp vellum, wooden boards - you name it and there’s probablybeen a book made out it. There are even books that have been bound in humanskin! Techniques used include Coptic binding, Ethiopian binding, long-stitchbook binding, Bradel binding, secret Belgian binding, Japanese stab binding –the list goes on. Suffice to say, books that have been published using some ofthe older and more traditional styles and materials of book binding can often commanda high premium.

Importanceof the Text

People value bookseither because of their contents or because of their physical characteristics.First editions of important literary or historical works and initial reports ofscientific discoveries or inventions are prime examples of books that areimportant because of their contents. Illustrated books that give a newinterpretation of a text or are the work of an esteemed artist are also valued.Books that were suppressed or censored can be considered both important andscarce, since few copies may have survived. Physical characteristics, such as aspecial binding, an early use of a new printing process, or an autograph,inscription, or marginal annotations of a famous person, may also contribute toa book's importance and its market price.

Combinations

By themselves, the influences I havelisted so far add a certain amount of value to a book, but found in combinationthese characteristics can add a whole lot more. Let’s consider. A first editionof a popular author in good condition might be worth OK money, but a signedfirst edition of a popular author in good condition will be worth moremoney. And, a signed first edition of a popular author in fine conditionwill be worth even more money. You see where I’m going with this. Essentially,the more characteristics listed here that you can find in combination with theone book, the rarer it becomes, and more value is placed upon it.

Sentimentality

It might seem like a cop out to finish offwith this one, but it’s actually really quite important. So far, this listrefers only to the collecting value of a book. It makes no attempt to addressany sentimental value that one might have attached to a particular book. Themost valuable books I have in my collection are not signed, nor are they firsteditions. They are made up of the books that my parents read to me inchildhood, were given to me by special friends, or include the characters Iadmire or fell in love with. It may sound a bit cheesy, but sentimentality doesadd value to a book and the memories we attach to books can often make themseem priceless.

Reading Habit's Top 10: Fictional Male Literary Characters

2011-11-04T16:19:00.000+11:00

Just as certainbooks leave an indelible mark on our lives, so do particular literarycharacters, and in some cases these characters leave more of an impression thanthe book itself. Heroes, villains, mischievous scallawags, action men, andromantic protagonists, are just some of the traditional male fictionalcharacter profiles that endear us and enrich our reading experience. Putting alist together of my own top ten male fictional characters was difficult. Atfirst, my list looked like that of a lovelorn romantic, but after some furtherthought and rationalisation, I’m really happy with the final result. Though thedashing heart throb is well represented, so are the evil villains, the fatherfigures, the lost boys, and the heroes. In no particular order, I’ll getstarted.

OwenMeany (of A Prayer for Owen Meany byJohn Irving)

A Prayer for Owen Meany byJohn Irving is one of my favourite books of all time. The fact that I fell inlove with little Owen Meany probably has a lot to do with it. Owen Meany is anythingbut your typical teenage boy. He’s puny, undersized and has a weird paleluminescent skin. Whilst other boys his age, including his best friend John,are struggling to find themselves, Owen is sure of his destiny in life andintends to follow it. He has a powerful religious faith and believes himself tobe god’s instrument. What I remember most about Owen Meany is his weird high pitchednasal voice, which John Irving represents in capitals whenever Owen speaks. Hisvoice may only be words on paper, but to this day I swear I can hear Owen Meanyin my head. Owens’ unwavering faith is what I admire most about him as acharacter. I envy his belief, bravery and conviction. Owen Meany is a uniquecharacter, dwarf-like in size, but big in heart.

CaptainFrederick Wentworth (of Persuasion byJane Austen)

When we firstmeet Captain Wentworth he is a man slighted by love several years earlier whois now determined to settle down and find a wife. However, he soon finds thatdespite his best efforts to suppress his former love for Anne Elliott, it isslowly rekindled. Wentworth is a gentleman wrapped up in a sailor’s uniform. Heis distinguished and his person demands respect. Not surprisingly, he is thetarget of many a young woman, but in the end it is the steady character of Annethat once again wins his heart. I love Wentworth because he represents theconstancy of love and the beauty of second chances. Wentworth’s letter to Anne at the end of thenovel always brings a tear to my eye. It’s a love letter that effuses such passionfor, and devotion to, Anne that you can’t help but wish the letter was writtenfor you.

KevinKhatchadourian (of We Need to Talk AboutKevin by Lionel Shriver)

Let’s get onething straight. When I declare that Kevin is in my top ten fictional charactersof all time it’s not because I love him, it’s because I hate the very idea ofhim. So why put him in my list? We don’t have to love a character for them toimpact upon us, and Kevin certainly made an impression on me. The mere thoughtof him frightens me. Unlike the imagined monsters of horror novels, Kevin isthe human manifestation of evil incarnate, and thus is infinitely scarier. Intruth, it is not the character of Kevin himself that has stayed with me, butwhat he represents. Kevin’s existence gives weight to the theory that evil isborn, not bred, and that’s not a very comforting thought. I don’t want to spoilthe ending of the book for anyone who hasn’t read it, but I do want to say thatthe last scenes are some of the most chilling I have read. For me, Kevin is oneof the most confronting villains in literature. He could be any young troubled boyand he is society’s worst nightmare – a cold blooded killer.

Gilbert Blythe (of Anneof Green Gables by L M Montgomery)

I apologisesincerely to my husband, but Gilbert Blythe was my first love. He was charming,gallant, intelligent, handsome, and the desire of all the teenage girls onPrince Edward Island. He was perfect husband material - steady, kind andconstant. Back when I still believed that boys who teased you actually reallyliked you, Gilbert gave me hope that the popular guy in school would one dayturn around and realise that you were the love of his life. It’s completelyridiculous, believe me I know, but I was only 13. Having said all of that, Ithink the real reason I admired Gilbert so much was because despite her carrottop, fiery temper and ability to find herself in scrapes, Gilbert loved Anne. Iloved Anne, therefore I loved Gilbert.

Samwise Gamgee (of TheLord of the Rings trilogy by J R R Tolkien)

While everyone usualpats whinging Frodo Baggins on the back for destroying the ring, I prefer to giveSamwise Gamgee a big hug. In my eyes, Samwise is the chief hero of J R RTolkiens masterpiece. Frodo is the chosen one, he bears the weight of the ringfor most of the journey, and he does eventually destroy the cursed thing, butit’s Samwise that gives Frodo the strength to do it. Tolkien once wrote that hemodelled Samwise on the English soldiers he knew in 1914, and you candefinitely see the resemblance. Samwise is courageous. He is willing to die forthe cause and above all protect Frodo from harm, displaying the kind of braveloyalty that all covet, but few have the strength to follow through with. Samwiserepresents the most important qualities in a best friend. For me, Samwise isthe good mate that we’d all choose to have by our sides in a spot of bother.

Atticus Finch (of ToKill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

Atticus Finch isone of the most admirable characters in literary history. He is a man of highmorals who walks the path of reason in a society gone crazy with hatred. As afather figure, he tries his best to set a good example for his two children andinstils in them the importance of living without racial hatred or prejudice. Atticus is all about strong character, dignityand goodness. His most famous line in the novel, spoken to Scout, probably sumshis personality up best – “You neverreally understand a person until you consider things from his point ofview…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Some may arguethat if there is any fault to be found with Atticus Finch it’s that he isalmost too perfect and is not a realistic portrayal of the average father. Thismay be true, but I look at it differently. I see Atticus as the shining exampleof what we all should aspire to be.

MrFitzwilliam Darcy (of Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen)

Do I even needto explain? Fitzwilliam Darcy, of Prideand Prejudice fame, might be a too obvious choice, but I couldn’t seriouslycompile a list without him in it. I tried very hard not to put two Jane Austenheroes into the same list, but to quote Darcy himself, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do.” Yes he’s hot, in a 19^thcentury kind of way, but what I love most about Darcy is his recognition of hisflaws and his determination to become a better man. This comment probablyreflects the nature of all women to want to change a man, but it’s definitelywhat hooked me. Darcy’s passion for Elizabeth despite his pride and internalstruggles endears him to the reader and I, for one, came away just as in lovewith him as Elizabeth herself. Darcy in all his manifestations, on screen andoff, and even as a vampire, has certainly endured the greatest test of all –time. His popularity is booming and as a leading heroic protagonist he is onlyrivalled today by a bespectacled youth who I think you’ll find next on thelist.

HarryPotter (of the Harry Potter novels by J K Rowling)

In myestimation, there is something extra special about Harry Potter. He is one ofonly a handful of fictional literary characters that have managed to capturethe hearts of both children and adults alike. For this reason, I have a realsoft spot for the boy wizard. Harry is a reluctant hero who has expectationthrust upon him, but bears it with a courage and determination beyond hisyears. Many dismiss the importance of Potter in a literary sense, because he’sjust a kid who does magic in some young adult novels, but that’s the beauty ofHarry and fantasy in general. Harry is consumable for children and teenagers. Heis warm, emotional, tough, forgiving, brave, and honest. In terms of rolemodels for the youth of today, he outshines most. There is one last thing thatmakes Harry Potter stand out for me and it has nothing to do with the characterhimself, but rather the revolution he caused. Quite simply, Harry Pottercharmed a world of young boys and girls into actually becoming readers, and asa bookseller I will always thank him for that.

TheMan (of The Road by Cormac McCarthy)

Picking acharacter that doesn’t have a name may seem a little curious, but his anonymityis the main reason I included him in this list. The man in Cormac McCarthy’spost-apocalyptic novel is a father, but because we don’t know his name McCarthyenables us to see him as everyone’s father – yours and mine. The man is theultimate protector of his son and embodies the notion that parents would doanything to keep their children from harm, including forsaking their own moralcode. He is a man of action, not words, who in a bleak world where death seems inevitablerepresents the fierceness of a father’s love. At one stage, the man thinks thebest thing he can do is kill his son and put him out of his misery, but hislove is so intense that he knows he can’t bring himself to do it. What I findmost touching about the man is that throughout the whole novel he knows he isdestined to leave the world very soon, but he’s determined not only that hisson will survive, but that his son still understands the importance of hope andbelief.

RhettButler (of Gone With the Wind byMargaret Mitchell)

Swoon. Rhett Butleris the classic anti-hero, the bad boy of the American civil war, the verydefinition of a dashing scoundrel, and the only man to put Katie ScarlettO’Hara in her place. This is all true, but what I love about Rhett Butler themost is the soft underbelly he shows in his devotion to his children, hiskindness to Mammy, and his all-consuming passion for a woman that is seeminglyunrequited. I like the action hero Rhett Butler as he rescues Scarlett from theYankees, but I simply adore the broken man who is eaten away by love and whoeventually finds the strength to let it go. Now, I love Scarlett dearly, butshe was a twit to pine away for boring Ashley Wilkes when she could have hadRhett Butler. What was the girl thinking? In a love story that for once doesn’thave a happy ending, Rhett eventually sets Scarlett straight just like we allwanted him to, and as a result scores the best line in the novel, “My dear, I don’t give a damn.” Clark Gableadded the ‘frankly’ for the movie, and I admit that for me it’s hard toseparate the on paper Rhett Butler from Clark Gable’s on screen version. I willnever forget Gable standing at the bottom of that sweeping staircase, elbowresting on the banister, with eyes glinting dangerously at Scarlett under afurrowed brow. Swoon again.

People alwayswant to know who just missed out, so I apologise to Alexander Portnoy (of Portnoy’s Complaint by Philip Roth) whomade me roll on the floor laughing out loud, Peter Pan (of Peter Pan by J M Barrie) who embodies the human desire to hold ontoyouth, Mr John Thorntorn (of North andSouth by Elizabeth Gaskell) who made me swoon just as much as Rhett Butler,Mr Edward Rochester (of Jane Eyre byCharlotte Bronte) whose disfigured person I’d fight Jane for, Hannibal Lector(of The Silence of the Lambs byThomas Harris) who would give Kevin a run for his money, and Huck Finn (of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn byMark Twain) whose grand adventure down the Mississippi brightened my otherwisedull high school reading experience.

I’d love to knowwhat you think of the list. Who do you think is missing and who do you thinkshouldn’t be there? Lists are designed to divide, so comment away!!

November Book Giveaway - Carrier of the Mark (by Leigh Fallon)

2011-11-02T11:13:00.000+11:00

Courtesy of our friends at Harper Collins, this month we have a copy of Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon to giveaway.

Carrier of the Mark is a young adult novel featuring a new heroine, Megan Rosenberg. When Megan moves toIreland everything in her life seems to fall into place. She makes closefriends with the girls in her class, her relationship with her dad is betterthan ever, and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to gorgeous, mysterious AdamDeRis. Adam is cold and aloof at first, but when Megan finally breaks down the icybarrier between them, she is amazed by the intensity of their connection. ThenAdam reveals a secret about the magical destiny that will shape both of theirlives but also threatens to tear them apart.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment on our blog. And don't forget to increase your chances by checking out how to gain bonus entries!!

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog

+2 Entries = Join the Reading Habit Community Network (Click here to do so)
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Wednesday 30th November 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Thursday 1st December 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

How to Create Your Own Online Reading Group or Book Club Page for Free

2011-10-31T18:11:00.000+11:00

I’ve been a member of my local book group foralmost 4 years now and it has introduced me to some wonderful books, but moreimportantly some wonderful people. It’s something I do for myself and I lookforward to our gatherings every month. As a group we’ve found it difficult tokeep track of the books we’ve read in the past and the ratings we’ve given eachtitle. We’ve tried keeping a little diary, but it’s limited because only oneperson keeps it and the rest don’t have access to it for most of the month. We’vealso found that as members leave and new members join, it’s hard not to loseinformation in the process. Recently, I found a solution to our problem, and afree one at that!

As a book club we decided to create our ownonline group that is private and free to set-up. The online group allows us topost a discussion for every book we read and leave individual comments. You canalso share links to additional information on the books you’ve read (e.g.author websites, book group questions, book reviews etc). So far the group sitehas been a hit. We’re really enjoying the freedom and simplicity of having allof our book group information in the one place. In light of this, I thought I’dshare with you how to set-up your own reading group page.

There are probably many sites that canfacilitate your reading group, but I'm giving a plug to the one we've created called ReadingHabit Community. It’s a relatively new site, but it’s targeted at book loversso there are lots of ancillary benefits to joining the site other than justsetting up your book club page. Plus, the site is free to join, so there are nooverheads for your group. What follows is a step-by-step guide to creating yourown reading group page.

Step 1 – Join theReading Habit Community Network

Type http://readinghabit.ning.cominto your browser. Once the page is loaded make sure to add it to your browser favouritesso that it’s easy to find when you need to return to it. On the right hand sideof the page you’ll see the words SIGN UP. Click on these words and complete thesign up page. You’ll need to provide an email address and a password. Once you’vecompleted this page an email will be sent to your email address. You need toopen this email and click on the verification link. A profile page will openup. This is where you need to create your own profile, including a photo if youwish. Once you’ve completed this profile page, you are now officially signed upto the Reading Habit Community network. Pretty easy so far!!

Step 2 – Create YourOwn Book Club Group

At this stage, you should still be signed into theReading Habit Community page, but if you’re not, do so now by using the SIGN INbutton on the home page. Now you need to click on the GROUPS tab on the secondrow at the top of the home page. This will take you to a listing of all thecurrent groups that have been formed in the Reading Habit Community network. Mygroup is called Rathmines Book Club, but you won’t be able to access it as it’sa private page. In the right hand corner of the group page, right next to yourprofile name, you’ll see a little button titled ‘Add’. Click on this button.This is the page where you add your group. You’ll need to enter the name ofyour reading group and a short description. You can also include a photo andlinks to an external website if you like. This is also where you complete yourprivacy settings. If you want to make sure that no-one other than approvedmembers can see your information then you need to select ‘group informationonly (private)’ under the Privacy Settings heading. Under the Members Settingsheading, you can also select whether anyone can join or only invitees, andwhether members have to be approved or not. For complete privacy, I suggest youselect invitees only and that members need to be approved. Once you’re donewith your selections click on the ‘Add Group’ button at the bottom. Your bookclub group page has now been created.

Step 3 – Invite Membersof Your Book Club to Join

Once you’ve created your book group page youwill be directed to an ‘Invite’ page. Assuming that most of your book clubfriends are not members yet of the Reading Habit Community network and willneed to sign up also, the easiest way to invite your members is by using the ‘EnterEmail Addresses Manually Function’, so click on that heading. Type in all theemail addresses of those people in your reading group separated by a comma, adda little message so that they know what the email is about, and then hit the ‘SendInvitations’ button. Every person you sent an email to will need to go onlineand sign up to the Reading Habit Community network as per Step 1. The email youhave sent them will automatically provide them with a link to do so. Once yourbook club members have signed up, they will then need to log in and request tojoin your group page by clicking on the GROUPS tab on the second row at the topof the home page. They will see a green message at the top of the next page.They need to click on the link to join the group. Now they only await yourapproval.

Step 5 – Manage Your Members

As the creator of the group you areautomatically the administrator and assuming that you chose originally in yourgroup creation to approve all members, you will need to manage memberships ofthe group. To approve members make sure you’re signed in, click on the GROUPS, thenclick on ‘My Groups’. Click on your book club group name. On the left hand sideof the group page you will see an ‘Options’ button. Click on the arrow next tothe ‘Options’ button and select ‘Manage Group Members’. Here you can see whoyou’ve invited to join the page, whose applications to join the group need approval,and who the administrators are. To approve members just click on the ‘Pending’tab and select the members to approve. Once you’ve approved members here theirprofile pictures should show up in the members section of your group page.

Step 6 – Add Contentto Your Book Club Page

After inviting/approving people to join yourgroup, you should still be signed into the Reading Habit Community network, butif not, sign in now. Click on the GROUPS tab, then click on ‘My Groups’. Clickon the group you just created. What you now see is the template for your group.Administrators are the only people who can change the template of the group. Isuggest you use the ‘Text Box’ to provide monthly information on your readinggroup. This information might include venue, date, time, books to read, and anyother information. Just click on the ‘Edit’ button on the right hand side ofthe ‘Text Box’ to change this information. I suggest you use individual poststo the ‘Discussion Board’ for each book you are reading. Just click on the ‘Adda Discussion’ button at the bottom of the ‘Discussion Board’ box to add eachbook as you read them. I suggest you put the title, author and month in thetitle field, to make it easy to index. Then use the text box to provide a photoof the book and a brief synopsis. As you read each book members can then leavecomments on the discussion board for each title including information on howthey rate the book and a brief book review. We suggest you use the ‘Pages’ tabto outline any rules and regulations for your club. To utilise the ‘Pages’ tab,just click on the ‘Add a Page’ button at the bottom of the ‘Pages’ box to edit.You’re finished!!

NB: You can set upyour group page anyway you’d like. This is just a recommended lay out. Thebeauty of using the Reading Habit Community Network is that you can arrangeyour group anyway you want.

I hope you found this step-by-step guideuseful. I’d be interested in hearing about whether you decided to set-up yourown reading group page and how you’ve found the experience. In the meantime,happy reading!!

Reading Habit’s Five Best Selling Historical Naval Fiction Authors

2011-10-27T16:51:00.000+11:00

On a recent book purchasing spreeI was lucky enough to purchase a whole stack of different nautical fiction titlesto boost our online second hand bookstore catalogue. It got me thinking about howa niche genre had maintained such a fanatically dedicated reader base for over acentury. The naval fiction genre is littered with writing superstars who show unusuallongevity and are incredibly prolific in terms of the number of titles theyhave penned. With my interest peaked I set out to find an online list of thetop 10 best selling naval fiction authors of all time, but came up empty. I contemplatedputting together a list of my own, but thought my selections might get crucifiedby the die-hard fans. Let’s face it! With such a rich catalogue of authors andworks to choose from, I’ve no doubt naval fiction fans could argue foreverabout who the top ten authors of all time are. What I can write about withauthority are the authors that sell the most consistently through our onlinebookstore. Accordingly, this piece will shine a brief light on five of ReadingHabit’s best selling naval adventure fiction authors.

Let’s start with one of thedefinite front runners for best nautical author, Patrick O’Brian, an English novelist who is best remembered for his20-novel Aubrey-Maturin series set in the Napoleonic wars. O’Brian was born inBuckinghamshire in 1914, the eighth of nine children. He lived a sheltered lifewith only sporadic education, but began writing from the age of 12. After thewar, O’Brian lived a quiet life in the Wales countryside living off the small incomehe earned from his fledgling writing career and his work translating Frenchtexts into English. His early writings were published under his birth name,Richard Patrick Russ, before he changed his surname to O’Brian in 1945. O’Brianhit the big time in the early 1970s when the first books in the Aubrey-Maturinseries were published. O’Brian’s work in this series was well researchedshowing an attention to detail and historical authenticity that still holds hiswork in high regard today. So much so, that the series was re-released in the1990s to popular reception, and in 1995 O’Brian was awarded the inauguralHeywood Hill Literary Prize for his life work. O’Brian lived to the age of 86,passing away in Dublin in the year 2000 with a 21^st instalment inthe series partially finished. Unfortunately, he did not live to see his Aubrey-Maturincharacters come to life on the big screen in Master and Commander, starringRussell Crowe, released in 2003. Click here to view our current catalogue of Patrick O'Brian titles.

Did someone say Hornblower?Horatio Hornblower is quite possibly one of the most beloved of all naval fictioncharacters and we have none other than C.S. Forester (and British ITV) to thank for that. Born Cecil Louis TroughtonSmith in Cairo, Egypt, in 1899, C.S. Forester was an English novelist who wrotemany nautical novels, but was most noted for his 11-book Horatio Hornblower series,set once again in that golden age of sail, the Napoleonic era. Forester waswriting from an early age and was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prizefor his two novels A Ship of the Lineand Flying Colours in 1938. Throughout his career Forester also wrotemany novels of the non-nautical kind several of which were made into movies.The best known of these was The AfricanQueen starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Forester lived mostof his life in England before moving to the United States during World War II.While living in Washington he met a young Roald Dahl and is said to be theperson who encouraged Dahl to write his first book. Forester died in Californiain 1966. Thirty seven years later a lostForester manuscript titled The Pursued wassold at auction. Just recently Penguin Books announced they would be publishingthe book in early 2012 much to the delight of Forester fans everywhere. Click here to view our current catalogue of C S Forester titles.

Given that Dudley Pope was inspired by the works of C S Forester and has oftenbeen compared to Patrick O’Brian, it seems fitting that he is next on the list.Pope was born in Kent in 1925 and though he wrote many history texts, he wasmost famous for his nautical series featuring Lord Ramage as the central hero. Likemany naval writers, Pope gained first-hand knowledge of his genre when he fakedhis age to join the Home Guard at 14 then joined the merchant navy at age 16.After just one year at sea, Pope’s ship was torpedoed in 1942 and he was luckyto come away with his life, spending two weeks in a lifeboat with a small groupof other survivors. On being rescued he was discharged and went to work innewspapers as a naval correspondent. Writing naval history was his first loveand he published his first title, Flag 4,in 1954. He tired away at this subject for almost 20 years before moving intonautical fiction after some encouragement from his mentor, C S Forester. And soit was that in 1965 the world was introduced to Pope’s first instalment in the18-novel series featuring Lord Ramage, aptly titled Ramage. Pope spent most of his later life living onboard vessels wherehe did most of his writing. He was taken from us in April 1997, but has left anincredible legacy of both fiction and non-fiction titles. Click here to view our current catalogue of Dudley Pope titles.

On the home front, J. E. MacDonnell flies the flag asAustralia’s most prolific and best loved novelist of the sea. As a boy,MacDonnell dreamed of becoming a seafarer and entered the Royal Australian Navyat age 17 where he spent 14 years. MacDonnell began writing in 1942 whilststill on active service and his first novel, Fleet Destroyer, was published in 1945 by The Book Depot.MacDonnell was also a staff member for TheBulletin between 1948 and 1956 for whom he wrote short stories. In 1956,MacDonnell began writing for Horwitz full-time and often churned out upwards of10 novels a year. In total, MacDonnell wrote over 200 novels in at least 7different series under various pen names. His most popular fictional characterswere Captain ‘’Dutchy” Holland, Captain Peter Bentley, Captain Bruce Sainsbury,and Jim Brady. The Horwitz Naval series is what MacDonnell was most famous forbut he also dabbled in the crime, medical, juvenile and espionage genres aswell. MacDonnell passed away in Queensland in 2002, aged 84. Click here to view our current catalogue of J E MacDonnell titles.

Until I began trading in usedbooks I’d never heard of Douglas Reeman,nor had I heard of Alexander Kent. I’ma little ashamed to say that even after becoming familiar with their work ittook me quite a while to discover they were both one in the same. DouglasReeman is another of those British naval authors. Born in 1924 he joined theRoyal Navy at just 16, serving in both World War II and the Korean War. Notsurprisingly, Reeman drew on his first-hand naval experience to write historicalnautical fiction set mainly in World War II and the Napoleonic era. Reeman’sdebut novel A Prayer for the Ship waspublished in 1958, but it is Reeman’s Napoleonic series featuring the centralcharacter of Richard Bolitho, written under the pseudonym of Alexander Kent,that is his most popular. It is interesting to note that the pen name ofAlexander Kent was actually the name of Reeman’s fellow naval officer andfriend who was killed in World War II. There are currently 30 novels in theBolitho series including the most recent published in 2011, In the King’s Name. With Reeman stillwriting novels at age 87, Bolitho fans will be sated for some time to come. Click here to view our current catalogue of Douglas Reeman titles. Click here to view our current catalogue of Alexander Kent titles.

There are, of course, many otherhistorical naval fiction authors, both past and present, that could have beenincluded, but these five represent the bulk of purchases our customers makewithin the genre. There are also many popular authors who I haven’t touched on,like Tom Clancy and Patrick Robinson, who straddle many different genres.Suffice to say, the naval fiction genre is in a healthy state.

If you are interested in browsingthrough our online catalogues of second hand naval fiction books just clickthrough here to our bookstore search page and look under Action/Adventure Fiction.

Launching the Reading Habit Social Networking Community

2011-10-24T15:50:00.001+11:00

We've just extended the Reading Habit online network by launching our very own social networking community. Basically, it's a place where all the friends, fans and customers of Reading Habit, plus book lovers in general, can come together and share their love of books, particularly the secondhand, rare, antiquarian and collectible kind. The online space is called Reading Habit Community and once you join you can create your own profile, post your book reviews, join groups of like minded book readers, submit interesting book videos and photos, or create your very own blog. There's also a chat room where you can gossip about what you're reading at the moment. The site was only launched today so numbers are small at the moment, but we expect the site to really take-off over the next month or so. If you'd like to be a part of our new community just follow the link to have a browse - Reading Habit Community. We'd also love to hear your feedback about the site, so post comments here.

P.S. If you join before 30th November 2011 you'll go into the draw to win some booky gifts including a t-shirt, author buttons and novel tea (courtesy of Readers Niche).

How to Read an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

2011-10-18T10:51:00.000+11:00

If you’ve ever wondered how to read an ISBN andwhat all the numbers stand for then you’ve come to the right place. To most, anISBN is just a random assortment of numbers much like a bar code, but to thosein the book industry it’s a unique commercial book identifier. The ISBN wasinvented by Gordon Foster, an Emeritus Professor of Statistics at TrinityCollege in Dublin, in 1966. It was originally a 9-digit number, but it wasincreased to 10-digits in the 1970s, and 13-digits in 2007. So how does one goabout reading an ISBN?

Thefirst point to note is that ISBNs are designed to be read from left to right. The second is that the important parts of an ISBN are separated by either a space or a hyphen (as in the example below). The third point to note is that an ISBN will have either 4 or 5 parts - 4 parts in the case of a 10-digit ISBN and 5 parts in the case of a 13-digit ISBN. The final point is that each part of the ISBN does not have a fixed number of digits, except for the check digit which is the last part of the number. The example we will use is the 13-digit ISBN seen below.

In a 13-digit ISBN the first set of numbers is referred to as a GS1 prefix. The GS1 system of product marking is an international standard developed for efficient supply chain management. Generally the GS1 prefix refers to a specific member organization, but in the case of books the GS1 prefixes of 978 and 979 have been allocated for use by all publishers. This is because the ISBN was in use long before the GS1 system was developed, so instead of replacing the ISBN system the GS1 system has found a way of blending it into their system by allocating these prefixes. The 3-digit GS1 prefix is also sometimes referred to as an European Article Number (EAN) or an International Article Number (IAN). In short, the first 3-digits of an ISBN don't mean much to the book collector.

The next part of the ISBN we will examine is referred to as the Group Identifier. In most cases, the Group Identifier is the 4th and 5th numbers of a 13-digit ISBN (or the 1st and 2nd numbers of a 10-digit ISBN). The Group Identifier refers to the language the book is published in. Most books have single digit Group Identifiers, but the Group Identifier can be anywhere between 1 and 5 digits long. Suffice to say, the rarer the language the book is printed in, the longer the Group Identifier. We have listed the single Group Identifiers below as they are the most common:

0 or 1 for English speaking countries;

2 for French speaking countries;

3 for German speaking countries;

4 for Japan;

5 for Russian speaking countries; and

7 for Peoples Republic of China.

In the example above, the Group Identifier is only 1 digit long and given the digit is the number 1 we can tell the book is published in the English language. For a full list of Group Identifiers we suggest you visit the International ISBN Agency website and download the Range Message.

The third part of the ISBN is the Publisher Code. In the example above, the Publisher Code is 4 digits in length (4116), but publisher codes can stretch up to 9 digits. The Publisher Code is assigned by the ISBN agency. Publisher Codes are allocated in blocks and once a publisher has used all of their allocation they are assigned more blocks meaning that Publisher Codes are not always uniform or sequential. Unfortunately, there is no one place that you can look up all Publisher Codes, but a little creative searching online can lead you to some informal lists that are pretty accurate though not exhaustive.

The fourth part of the ISBN is the Item Number which in the example above is represented by the numbers 8691. The Item Number refers to the title of the book. Again, the title number can be varying digits in length and may only be a single digit.

The fifth and final part of an ISBN is the Check Digit which is always only 1-digit in length. The Check Digit is used as a form of error detection and is determined by a complex calculation using the other digits in the ISBN.

That's it!! I'll just finish off with a few words about the importance of ISBNs for book collectors. An ISBN is assigned to each edition, and each variation in format, of a book. This means that a first edition of a particular book will have a different ISBN to a second edition of the same book. This is why it's important to include ISBN information in any searches you are performing for a particular book, as sometimes just the title and author will not yield the exact book you are looking for. ISBNs also differ between formats (e.g. a hardcover version of a book will have a slightly different ISBN to a softcover version). In general, reprints of the same book (edition and format) will have the same ISBN.

PS: It always bugs methat people write and read it as “ISBN number”. ISBN stands for InternationalStandard Book Number. If you write “ISBN number” you are effectively writingInternational Standard Book Number Number. Call me crazy but you don’t need towrite or read the word number twice. Get it right people!

Australian Book Lovers Calendar

2011-10-13T14:58:00.002+11:00

We've just launched a new calendar on our website titled The Australian Book Lovers Calendar. We hope that the calendar will be a one-stop reference for avid readers that includes all the major and minor international and Australian-based literary events. The calendar is dynamic and is supported by Google so that you can copy the details straight into your own Google calendar.

Whilst calendar entries are growing nicely and we now have a good selection of book fairs, trade shows, writers' festivals and much more listed, we are looking for any interested persons to send through details on any events they know of, or are running, that would be suitable for the calendar. Please send through information to info@readinghabit.com.au. Your email should include a brief blurb on the event, event specifics (dates, times etc), and a web link. Please be aware that we will use our discretion in selecting what is suitable for inclusion.

101 Things to Do With a Reader's Digest Condensed Book

2011-10-11T13:37:00.000+11:00

Reader's Digest Condensed Books are breeding in my storage shed. I've got no idea how I've come to have so many in stock, yet there they are piled high to the rafters. All I can assume is that for everyone who donates books to my shop they slip in a few Reader's Digest. I certainly don't buy them for my bookstore because I can't sell the ruddy things, not even for 50 cents at a local market. They're virtually unsellable which if you ask me is a mystery unto itself. I mean, there are obviously heaps of people who buy them brand new otherwise they wouldn't be available second hand and they cost good money too. So why will no-one buy them for next to nothing second hand? Wouldn't it make more sense to not buy brand new, save yourself thirty bucks and pick-up a second hand copy for $1. Go figure?

Anyway, with no real practical idea for getting rid of the little blighters (other than disposing of them in the recycling section of my garbage) I've decided to come up with a totally impractical and completely silly way of using them. Thus, without further ado, I launch the 101 Things to Do With A Reader's Digest Condensed Book challenge and I need your help. I consider myself reasonably creative and am confident of coming up with a few ideas, but I thought it might be more fun to get your ideas. We'll be putting selected ideas into practice every couple of days and we promise to provide visual proof. Just post a comment here to have your suggestion considered and we will do our best to get around to it. Even if you don't make a suggestion for the list, make sure you visit the blog regularly to see what novelty ideas other people have come up with. Challenge accepted!!

Spotlight On: Large Print Books and Frederick A. Thorpe

2011-10-10T13:49:00.001+11:00

Large print books barely cross the mind of mostreaders, or so I thought. A more accurate statement would be that large printbooks barely cross the mind of most readers until later in life. That’s becausethe major cause of vision impairment around the world and in Australia isageing. If you think that this won’t be a problem for you, it might be wise tothink again. The hard truth is that in excess of 161 million people worldwideare visually impaired (A Guide to Australian Eye Health, 2009) and 52% of theAustralian population report eyesight problems (ABS National Health Survey,2007-08). Put simply, 1 in every 2 Australians will suffer from visualimpairment of some kind at some stage. For a large percentage of us the minorvisual impairment we will encounter will not result in having to read largeprint books, but there is still a decent chunk of the reading population thatwill have to. Having to read large print books isn’t the end of the world. Infact, I’m sure most people who read large print books are just grateful theyexist at all. What is a little disheartening is the availability of titles in largeprint format. According to the Availability of Accessible Publications study, only 4.4% of titlespublished in the UK between 1999 and 2003 were reproduced in an alternativeformat (LISU Occasional Paper No. 35, May 2005). This figure is just a drop inthe ocean and it includes other alternative formats, like audio books. It wouldbe easy to focus this piece on the availability issues surrounding large printbooks, but I’d much prefer to dwell on the positive. Given that quite a few ofus are, or will be, the target market of large print books, I thought it mightbe nice to provide a brief history and introduce you to the pioneer of theformat, a little known Englishman by the name of Frederick Thorpe.

My research on when the first large print bookwas published yielded some confusing results. There were some sources that statedthe first large print book was published in 1914, but none provided actualevidence to back-up their claims. What most historians seem to agree on is thatthe first large print books produced in the English language in bulk werepublished in 1964 in Leicester, England. The publisher was a former book andmagazine printer and publisher by the name of Frederick A. Thorpe. Thorpe wasn’tthe first person to recognise the need for a larger format book for elderly readerswith poor eyesight. In fact, the book industry had been talking about the needfor such books for almost 20 years, but nothing had come to fruition as mostfelt that large print books wouldn’t be a financial success. Thorpe came at theidea from a different angle and decided that though there were risks involved, thebest way to make the idea commercially viable would be to produce the books forlibraries. Thus, Thorpe became the founder, and subsequent world leader inlarge print book publications with the formation of his non-profit organisation,Ulverscroft Large Print Books Limited.

In the early years, Thorpe produced large printbooks that were about twice the physical size of a regular book and the typeinside was also about twice the size of the original publication. The bookswere colour coded according to their genre and had very simply designed dustjackets. However by 1969, after realising that the format of his books were toobulky for his elderly readers, Thorpe began to publish the books in regularsized bindings and came up with a standard 16-point type. This change in designmarked the real take-off point for Ulverscroft. The new formatting made the booksuser-friendly for readers, but more importantly from a business perspective,the new format made the books more durable and shelf-friendly for libraries allover the world. Since these humble beginnings, Ulverscroft Large Print Books Limited,now known as the Ulverscroft Group, has purchased many other large printcompanies around the world and has diversified their product line to includetalking books as well. Whilst many readers now buy Ulverscroft large printbooks themselves, libraries were the prime buyer of the Ulverscroft product backin the 1960s and they still are today. The non-profit side of Thorpe’s businessis still alive today under the name, The Ulverscroft Foundation, a charity basedin the UK that aim’s to provide help and support to the visually impaired.

Many other large print companies exist acrossthe globe today and whilst the plain dust jacket that characterised theoriginal Ulverscroft publications in 1964 are still the standard, increasingly manymore publishers are giving their large print books the same look and feel astheir originals with more elaborate cover art. In terms of inclusion, thisseems like a positive move, but what interests me the most about the future is theimpact of e-book technology. The ability for the reader of an e-book toincrease and decrease type size at will makes them almost indiscriminate. Froma publisher’s point of view, one could argue that large print books arebecoming redundant. Why go to the trouble of publishing them and catering for aniche market, when the e-book supposedly caters for all? With the existence of librariesthemselves also under threat, it makes me wonder what kind of future is instore for the large print book. What I do know is that for almost 50 years, thepioneering work of Frederick Thorpe has meant that the world of books hasremained open to many a visually impaired reader, and that ain’t bad.

NB: If you’re a readerof large print books you might like to check out the Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore catalogue. We always have large print books in stock(predominantly ex-library) and they start from about $4.50 AUD. You might also considerbuying in bulk and saving on postage.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey(2007-08)

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, A Guide to Australian Eye Health Data, 2^ndedition (2009), (http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442468311&tab=2)

Loughborough University, Availability of Accessible Publications, LISU Occasional Paper No.35, May 2005, (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ls/lisu/pages/publications/aap_op35.html)

The UlverscroftFoundation, How theUlverscroft Foundation Began, (http://www.foundation.ulverscroft.com/foundation1.html)

Wikipedia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Print_Books)

October Giveaway - Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

2011-10-07T14:17:00.000+11:00

For our October giveaway we thought we'd offer up a classic!! Catch 22 by Joseph Heller was first published in 1961. This year marks the books' 50th birthday and the copy we are offering up is a brand new special 50th anniversary softcover edition published by Vintage books.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment on our blog. And don't forget to increase your chances by checking out how to gain bonus entries!!

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Monday 31st October 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Tuesday 1st November 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

What's on the Book Vine #3?: Christos Tsiolkas and The Slap

2011-10-06T14:41:00.003+11:00

I don't know about you, but I'm really excited about the premiere of The Slap on ABC 1 tonight. It's fair to say that it's slim-pickings on the box at the moment and this gritty look at middle class suburban Australia is exactly what the doctor ordered. This eagerly awaited television adaption of Christos Tsiolkas' bestselling novel The Slap debuts at 8.30pm tonight with a star studded cast of Australian actors including Alex Dimitriades and Melissa George. Just like the book, this 8-part drama series is sure to divide viewers and spark lots of debate about the right and wrong ways to discipline children.

I read the book not long after it was first published as one of our book club reads. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it definitely provoked lots of conversation amongst our book club members. It also turned a prospective book club member away. A friend of one of our long-time book club members, Rhonda, expressed an interest to join our group so Rhonda loaned her a copy of The Slap. The very next day Rhonda's friend returned after having read only a few of the opening chapters and said that if this was the kind of book our club was inclined to read then she didn't want to join. The books' colourful language and sometimes confronting sexual commentary left her feeling really offended. Needless to say she's never renewed her interest in our little group. The Slap in novel form is definitely polarising. You'll either love it, or you'll hate it. Let's hope the TV series has just as much zing!!

If you haven't had a chance to read the book that started it all just visit the Reading Habit Online Second Hand Bookstore to purchase a copy. We only have a few in stock, so get in quick - I would like to purchase a copy of The Slap.

For a sneak peak at what The Slap has in store for us just follow this link to the ABC website - The Slap Sneak Peak.

Aug/Sept 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 19 - Freecycle

2011-09-28T15:00:00.002+10:00

Sometime ago I stumbled across a website called The Freecycle Network whose slogan is "changing the world one gift at a time". Basically it's a social networking ring designed to bring together people in your local area who are interested in giving away their unused stuff for nothing, or who would like to find something specific that someone is willing to give them for free. The website is global and there are no membership fees. You can place a post to give away an item, or you can place a post asking for particular items. All goods posted on the website must be free and generally the onus is on the person wanting the item to pick it up.

I've been a member of the Newcastle and Wyong groups in NSW (Australia) for about 3 years and have used the site occasionally with positive results. Recently, I made a pretty big resolution to get our shed cleaned out and sorted by the end of January 2012. When getting a start on things a few weekends ago I thought it was the perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Thus as my 19th act of giving I have listed on Freecycle two doors that we have replaced in our house that are still in good condition and just need someone to give them some love. No-one has responded just yet, but I'm sure they'll get snapped up pretty quickly. I'll keep you posted.

There are many benefits of using a network like Freecycle including the obvious regarding it's impact on landfill, but for me the other benefit is that you save time and money on disposing of things. For instance, if I can't get rid of the doors on freecycle then I will probably have to take them to the tip which will cost me money and time. At least with freecycle the onus is on the person wanting the item to pick it up. Plus there's the added bonus of your trash giving someone else pleasure.

P.S. Freecycle is also on Facebook - just click here to go straight through to their page.

Cost of Act 19 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 19 = 30 mins
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $53.09 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 14 hr 52 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

Aug/Sept 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 18 - Food Scraps

2011-09-27T16:24:00.001+10:00

OK, so it will come as no surprise that I had to take a hiatus from my giving challenge. On the 17th August I was knee deep in organising an official function for the netball association I volunteer for and was really strapped for time. So rather than can the project altogether, I stopped on the 17th August and I started up again on the 18th September. Not exactly what I planned but close enough. My posting as usual is a bit behind schedule, but I'm back on track and ready to take on the home stretch!!

In the western world we waste food. It's a simple but true statement and the statistics are horrifying. According to the Foodwise website (http://www.foodwise.com.au) Australians throw out $1.1 billion worth of fresh fruit and vegetables every year. I understand that fresh fruit can sometimes go bad before we get around to using it, but what I don't understand is why we all just throw it in the bin when there are lots of alternatives. The two best I can come up with are to either create your own compost, or donate your scraps to someone else to use. For my 18th act of giving I decided to do the latter. My sister lives nearby on a couple of acres and has the luxury of keeping chickens. Chickens are ravenous little creatures so I decided to put my food scraps to good use and feed the little darlings up. I now keep a small bin in the kitchen for food scraps and regularly drop them off at the chook shed. Not only am I giving back to the "circle of life" and doing my bit to reduce landfill, but I'm now part of an old-fashioned barter system. You see....if you keep the chooks in feed then you're kept handsomely supplied in free free-range eggs. Yummo!!

Not everyone has the time or need for their own compost heap and not everyone has a sister with chickens, but with just a little bit of research I'm sure everyone could find somewhere or someone to donate their scraps to. One suggestion is to contact your local community garden. There's heaps of these popping up everywhere and they generally have great composting facilities. I'd also encourage you to read the following article on the Foodwise website - Food Waste in Australia.

Cost of Act 18 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 18 = 2 mins
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $53.09 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 14 hr 22 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

What's on the Book Vine #2: Steve Jobs and Apple

2011-09-26T15:06:00.003+10:00

On August 24th 2011, die-hard Apple fans across the world woke to the news that the CEO of the company, Steve Jobs had resigned due to prolonged illness. Speculation about the future of the company has been in the headlines ever since as has Jobs. Jobs is certainly a trail-blazer in his field and many wonder whether Apple can continue to be a leader in computer technology without him at the helm. But who is Steve Jobs and what has made him such a business icon?

No doubt Jobs' resignation will signal the release of an up-to-date tell-all biography in the very near future that will answer all of our questions. But, if you're not willing to wait for the official story, then you might like to dip your head into an unauthorized look at how Steve Jobs has got to where he is today via a book titled iCon by Jeffrey Young and William Simon. This book takes us back to Silicon Valley in the 1970s where it all began for Jobs, and charts his first rise to success, his subsequent fall, and his astounding comeback that has seen him scale the dizzy heights of cutting-edge technology ever since. Whether you're a computer geek or not, the story of how one man has managed to gain such cult status is certainly of interest.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of iCon: Steve Jobs - The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business (by Jeffrey Young and William Simon) just click through to the Reading Habit website using this link - BUY: iCon - Steve Jobs (Young and Simon). And, if you'd like to read the official press release about Steve Jobs' resignation just click through here to the official Apple media page.

Book Searchers, Collectors and Dealers - A New Facebook Community

2011-09-20T15:12:00.000+10:00

I've always thought it would be great to have one place online where book dealers and book collectors could come together to share their mutual love of books. A place where a book lover searching for an elusive title could leave a message and have a book dealer from somewhere around the world reply after having found the book in the dark recesses of their stacks. A place where an avid collector of books could leave a message requesting catalogues specific to their interest and an antiquarian bookstore could reply from which a life-long buying/selling relationship would grow. A place where a second hand book dealer who recently picked up a rare first edition could list their prize find and immediately connect with an interested bibliophile just waiting for such an opportunity to arise. A meeting place where there is no large corporate middleman. Are you with me?

Short of building such a website from scratch or starting my own social networking site which I neither have the funds nor the time to do, the only way I could think of achieving something like this on a small scale and a budget was to start a facebook community page. So, as of today, this place actually exists. Initially, I imagine it will be a slow start, as such a place requires members. That's where you come in! Whether you're a small or big-time antiquarian or second hand book dealer we encourage you to jump onto facebook and like our page. We ask the same of any sometime or all the time book collectors. The name of the community page is - Book Searchers, Collectors and Dealers and we hope to see you there really soon.

New Giveaway - Sister (Rosamund Lupton)

2011-09-09T10:42:00.002+10:00

I've just finished reading my own copy of Sister by Rosamund Lupton after it was recommended to me by a work colleague. Though I didn't fall in love with the book, I did find the device used by the author to move the story along quite interesting. So, when a copy came into stock recently I thought why not give it away and see what everyone else thinks about it!!

Sister is written as a long letter from one sister to another, the latter having been recently found suspiciously dead in a dirty building block on the edge of a park. I'm not giving anything away here. It's plainly written on the back of the book and as the reader we know pretty early on that one sister is no longer with us. The police believe that it was suicide, but the victim's sister believes otherwise and sets out on her own to uncover the mystery of her death. The book includes notes and questions for reading groups at the rear.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment on our blog. Make sure to tell us your favourite novel written in letter format. My favourite is probably We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I'll also give an honourable mention to the classic 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff which doesn't really fit the criteria as it's a true story. Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 30th September 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 3rd October 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 17 - Donate Old Glasses

2011-08-23T16:33:00.001+10:00

Whilst on a recent indoor rock climbing adventure a friend reminded me that you can recycle your old reading glasses and sunglasses with a number of different charities. I did some online research and came across an organisation called One Sight. Each year this wonderful organisation collects prescription and non-prescription eyewear and ships them to a number of different Global Clinics mainly located in third world countries, essentially using our cast-offs to give sight to the underprivileged.

I had an old pair of reading glasses tucked away that were no longer suitable for me. They were also broken, but One Sight accepts slightly damaged, or gently loved as they put it, donations as well as in tact eyewear, so I dropped them off to my nearest OPSM, who then send them to One Sight. OPSM are not the only participating store in this project. In Australia, you can also use your local Budget Eyewear, Sunglasses Hut, or Laubman & Pank. It constantly amazes me how much stuff you can actually recycle if you're prepared to spend a little time researching. This is a really easy way of giving, though not overly high on the satisfaction scale. It's another one of those where you don't actually see the result, so it's not overly fulfilling, but good nonetheless.

Cost of Act 17 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 17 = 15 mins
Feel Good Rating = 3 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $53.09 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 14 hr 20 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 16 - Participate in an Interview/Survey

2011-08-23T13:32:00.000+10:00

When I was at university I always dreaded the assignments that included surveys and interviews. It was always a chore to get people to actually do them, so I promised myself that once I got out into the workforce I'd make an effort to say yes if I ever got asked to participate in student research. When a netball buddy of mine recently asked me to help out her friend Alison, who is studying to be a PE teacher, I jumped at the chance and thought it would also fit perfectly into my giving month.

On Tuesday 16th August, I participated in a 90-minute face to face interview about the policies and procedures I adhere to when conducting a netball coaching session. Alison is following up the interview on Weds 23rd August when she comes to observe one of my training sessions. I love talking netball, so the interview wasn't a chore. Alison was really friendly and I'm glad I was able to help her out with her assignment.

Cost of Act 16 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 16 = 1hr 30 mins
Feel Good Rating = 4.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $53.09 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 14 hr 5 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 15 - Random Act of Kindness

2011-08-19T15:29:00.000+10:00

On Monday I decided it was time for a random act of kindness. I was trying to think of something interesting to do rather than just offer my seat on the train to a pregnant woman - a generous act of course, but something I'd like to hope we would all do anyway. While at the local newsagent picking up some stuff for my home office, I glanced at the scratchy counter and a light bulb went off in my head. I purchased 5 x $1.10 scratchies, went straight home, grabbed the local phone book and randomly selected 5 names and addresses. That afternoon I mailed out one scratchy to each of the addresses complete with a little note that said, "This is a random act of kindness. Good luck!!" Whilst there's little chance that the recipients will win anything I hope the act will give each person a little rush of excitement.

It was really quite a fun thing to do. I had a grin on my face the whole time and tried to imagine how I'd react if I found something like that in my mailbox after a hard day's work. The thought did briefly cross my mind that I could very well be sending someone a winning ticket. I even imagined reading a story in the local paper about someone who'd won $10,000 from a scratchy they'd received randomly in the mail. Would I be happy for the recipient, or would I be kicking myself for letting the prize slip through my fingers? I'd like to think the former because otherwise my act is hardly very genuine, but we are by nature a very fickle species.

Cost of Act 15 = $5.50 AUD
Time for Act 15 = 10 mins
Feel Good Rating = 3.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $53.09 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 12 hr 35 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 14 - Donate Stamps

2011-08-16T14:16:00.004+10:00

Whilst searching the internet for different ways of giving, I stumbled across a really informative website titled Give Now. The tag line for the website reads - Give More, Give Smarter, Give Better, Give Now! Basically, it's a reference website that lists different causes you can give money to, but it also has another section that lists other ways of giving that usually don't require an actual financial donation. There's lots of ideas in this section, but the one that caught my eye was in regards to postage stamps. The website lists a whole range of different charitable organisations within Australia that accept donations of mint and used postage stamps. Presumably, they on-sell the stamps to collector's and use the funds accrued within the charity.

This particular idea sounded perfect for me!! As a kid I was an avid stamp collector. I'd spend hours soaking stamps off envelopes, drying them, inspecting them under a magnifying glass and then cataloguing them according to my trusty reference book. I mainly collected Australian stamps, but I also collected international stamps and was always on the lookout for some of the more vibrantly coloured stamps from the more obscure countries. Whilst I enjoyed stamp collecting as a kid, the hobby never transitioned with me to adulthood and I've had my stamp collection packed away at my parents house for over a decade. This seemed like the ideal opportunity to revisit and rationalise my collection, so on Sunday I sat down with my stamp albums and fell in love all over again. Flicking through the pages certain stamps would catch my eye and I'd immediately be transported back to a place in time when I would have given anything to complete that set!! I'm not exaggerating when I say that I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Needless to say, pushing this sentimentality aside and choosing which stamps to get rid of was really hard. I had to keep reminding myself that I hadn't locked eyes on these stamps for more than 10 years and was unlikely to do so in the next 10 years. I kept the more valuable stuff and also some other favourites that I hope to someday make an artwork out of, but in the end I was able to part with 3/4 of my collection. I parcelled them up and popped them in the mail first thing on Monday morning, their destination the RSPCA NSW. There were lots of great charities to choose from, but I decided on the RSPCA because that's where my two beautiful cats came from. I also felt the need to give something to the animal kingdom rather than the human one this time around.

Cost of Act 14 = $5.75 AUD
Time for Act 14 = 2 hours
Feel Good Rating = 3.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $47.59 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 12 hr 25 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

P.S. This could be a great act of giving to do with kids!!

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 13 - Compliments

2011-08-16T13:44:00.005+10:00

On Saturday I thought I'd go about giving in a different way by deliberately complimenting people I saw throughout the day. I specifically chose this day because I would be at netball and would have the opportunity to see lots of people. I went into this exercise thinking it would be quite easy, but it turned out to be a little difficult and sometimes awkward. It wasn't hard to think of nice things to say to people, but I did find it a challenge to give compliments that sounded organic and did not seem forced into conversations. Throughout the day I probably managed around 12 genuine compliments and a few I'd give myself half marks for. The main attraction for me with this act of giving is that you get to see first-hand the immediate reaction, usually a smile, on the face of the recipient. I've lost a reasonable amount of weight over the last year or so and know how great it is to hear a compliment from someone. It gives you a little boost of confidence and encourages you to keep doing what you're doing. It felt really great to be able to give this confidence to others through a few words of kindness. I was telling a friend about this particular act of giving on Sunday. We talked about how we often thought good things about people, but only occasionally voiced those thoughts. Maybe if we all voiced those positive thoughts just a little more often the world could be a happier place. Whatever your view, it's definitely a rewarding experience and one I'd encourage everyone to try.

Cost of Act 13 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 13 = 10 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $41.84 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 10 hr 25 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 12 - Donate to a Women's Shelter

2011-08-15T16:06:00.001+10:00

Once again, I'm a bit behind in my posting. My social life on weekends tends to get in the way, but I'm definitely not behind in the giving. Last Friday was my monthly book club meeting and one of our members, Rhonda, is part of the local Lions Club. As part of Rhonda's work for Lions she does up emergency packs for the women's shelters around Lake Macquarie. The emergency packs include the basic necessities that women need when they've left home with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Things like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste etc. So, every month I get up a small collection for her from my immediate family. We scour magazines for free samples (perfect for this exact purpose), steal the small bottles you find in motels, and clear out our own bathroom cabinets. Sometimes we manage to collect a lot, and sometimes we manage to only get a few items together. This month we were only able to get 10 items together, but Rhonda was happy to receive them as usual. Whilst not everyone will know someone like Rhonda, I'm sure most women's shelters would run a similar program, so why not look up your local shelter and see if you can do something similar for them!!

Cost of Act 12 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 12 = 10 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 3.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $41.84 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 10 hr 20 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 11 - Release a Book Into the Wild

2011-08-11T13:30:00.005+10:00

In December of 2009 I signed up to a website called Book Crossing. This website aims to connect book lovers from all around the world by sharing books with total strangers. Basically you set up a profile, register a book you're prepared to part with, write a little review on it, put a label on the book, then you pick a location (any location) near you where you will randomly leave the book for some unknown stranger to walk by and pick it up. The hope is that they find the book, read it, register themselves, share their thoughts on the book, then release the book into the wild again. Unfortunately, my first attempt at this almost two years ago was unsuccessful. I'm not sure if the book was ever found or read, all I know is that no-one went online and logged anything about it. It left me feeling a little empty, but in an effort to provide some more quirky ways of giving, I thought I'd give this another go.

Today at 4pm I will be releasing a copy of Gallow's View by Peter Robinson into the wilds of Erina Fair Shopping Centre in the hopes that some crime-loving passer by will pick it up. And, I haven't cheated!! This is actually one of my books, not one I "borrowed" from my book store. At this stage, I am quite pessimistic about whether it will be successful so I am only giving this act 2 stars, but I reserve the right to amend my rating should the book be tamed. If you'd like to view my profile on the Book Crossing website just click here - AmberX. Don't forget to add me as a friend!! You can also go straight to the released book by clicking here - Gallow's View.

Cost of Act 11 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 11 = 20 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 2 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $41.84 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 10 hr 10 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.7 Stars

P.S. To view my blog post on my first Book Crossing experience just click here - Wild Release: Losing My Book Crossing Virginity.

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 10 - Save the Children

2011-08-11T12:09:00.002+10:00

On Monday night I watched Q&A on TV and listened to all the doom and gloom about the current financial situation and how it would affect the lifestyles of Australians. The voice of reason on the panel was not a politician but former Playschool host, Noni Hazelhurst. Noni articulately pointed out that Australia was one of the richest countries in the world and that whilst we're feeling sorry for ourselves because we may not be able to afford having three TVs in the house or the air-conditioning on 24/7, there is a whole continent of people suffering from starvation because of a famine that they have neither asked for nor brought upon themselves. She also made the point that if every Australian donated just $2 AUD we'd raise over $40 million AUD for aid in East Africa. I took Noni's inspirational words as a call to action and jumped online to see how I could help.

Bob Marley to the rescue!! The Save the Children Foundation is currently running an East Africa Appeal. You can just donate money, but if you want a little something in return you can also donate by downloading Bob Marley and The Wailer's High Tide or Low Tide. All you need is an Itunes account and $2.19 AUD. Of course, the entire $2.19 AUD doesn't go the the appeal, but the large majority does. If you'd like to jump on the bandwagon just visit the Save the Children East Africa Appeal on YouTube, listen to Bob, watch the accompanying clip, then download the track. You'll then have Bob there forever to remind you not only of your good deed, but also that there is always someone worse off than you and that a little bit of compassion can go a very long way.

Cost of Act 10 = $2.19 AUD
Time for Act 10 = 5 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $41.84 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 9 hr 50 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.9 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 9 - Creche/Child Care Donation

2011-08-09T17:37:00.000+10:00

Today I answered the call of my sister and parted ways with a few old yet sentimental stuffed toys. My sister is a school teacher at a secondary school that has quite a number of young mothers, or mothers-to-be, in attendance. In response, the school has set up a creche to encourage the girls to continue their education rather than drop-out without achieving their HSC or obtaining a skill that will help them with future employment. The creche is operated using funds from the public school system, which we all know is stretched to the limit, so the teachers are getting together and doing a community drive for toys for this new facility.

When I moved out of home I left quite a bit of stuff at my parents place - stuff that for the most part I've never got around to clearing out. I'm sure everyone has this story to tell!! Included in this stuff is a pile of toys from my childhood that are still in good condition and dearly need to be loved by another, or others, as the case may be. So, today I pushed sentamentality aside and managed to choose 5 stuffed toys to donate to my sister's creche. I couldn't part with Mickey or my giant bunny, but did part with Garfield and a few other likely characters. I also picked out 20 second-hand kids books from my book store and packaged them together with the toys. My care package will be hitting the creche on Thursday when my sister goes to work. Though I won't see the package arrive at the creche, I can live vicariously through my sister, so this act gets a few extra bonus points for being a bit personal - 4 stars. I know not all of you will have a direct connection to a creche, but everyone has a child care centre or school nearby that would benefit from a similar act of kindness

Cost of Act 9 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 9 = 20 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 9 hr 45 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.9 Stars

If stuffed toys aren't something you can give today, I would like to take this opportunity to promote one other cause that will only take up a few moments of your time. Out of Print are an organisation that makes T-shirts featuring covers of famous classic novels. I've bought about 3 t-shirts from them in the last 12 months and they're great!! Out of Print have a charitable partnership with Books for Africa and for every t-shirt sold they donate one book to this charity. Now, I know booky t-shirts aren't everyone's cup of tea, but at the moment Out of Print are running a special. For every new person who 'likes' the Out of Print facebook page, they will donate a book to Books for Africa. It's that easy and won't cost you a cent, so get on board and do your giving deed for today!!

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 8 - Donating Clothes

2011-08-09T17:11:00.002+10:00

This is an oldy but a goody!! Yesterday, I spent about 20 minutes rummaging through my wardrobe and managed to come up with about 18 items of clothing to donate to Lifeline Australia. Lifeline are one of the many charities in Australia that provide clothes, among other charitable services, to the needy through their network of stores. I could have chosen the Salvation Army or St Vinnies, but I donated to them both last time I had a clean out, so I thought I should share the love. Some people have a real problem parting with clothes, but I'm ruthless. If I haven't worn an item for 12 months or longer then I part with it......simple as that!! No doubt if you all took a little time to clean out your wardrobe today, you'd find quite a few bits and pieces you could part with. This is an act I probably do every 6 months and it's always feel good, but you can't get personal with a charity bin, so I'd probably give it about 3.5 stars.

Cost of Act 8 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 8 = 20 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 3.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 9 hr 25 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.8 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 6 & 7 - Giving Back to a Sport

2011-08-09T16:52:00.004+10:00

I might have been a bit slack with the posting, but I certainly haven't been slack with the giving. This weekend, on days 6 and 7 of the challenge, I decided to give back to my sport. I already do quite a bit of this, too much some would argue, but I wanted to make a point of it in this challenge for one reason in particular. Most of us have played in an organised sport at some time or other in our lives and most organised sports are run by volunteers - volunteers that give up their time to ensure we can have an enjoyable sporting experience. Personally, I've volunteered for my local netball association for over 10 years. I've sat on the executive, I've umpired and I've coached. Sadly, there are few people who could say the same. In my experience the numbers of people who actually give back to the sport they participate in are few and far between. My pet hate are the players who turn up every week and expect two umpires on their game, umpires who for the most part do it for nothing, then proceed to hurl them with abuse yet have never placed a whistle in their mouth in their lives. I also find it hard to listen to the complaints of people who turn up every week to play and expect the competition to run perfectly smoothly, complain at the slightest hiccup, yet have never volunteered their time to help run the competition. If everyone of us who played an organised sport just gave back a little time to the game they love so much it would certainly take the burden off a small few. And, you'll probably make some life-long friends doing it.

On day 6 as part of giving back to the club I play for I worked in the canteen for 1 hour. Working in the canteen was fine, but with canteen duty comes toilet duty, so I was also responsible for cleaning the toilets. I'm not a fan of cleaning at the best of times, but cleaning the filthy toilets of a sporting facility is pretty awful. I'm glad I did the duty for my club, but couldn't really say I got a lot of pleasure out of it - 2 stars.

On day 7 I coached a junior representative team at a local carnival. I've coached this team for a couple of years now and it's certainly one of my greatest pleasures. The players are only 13 years of age but they just won a State Championship so I decided to challenge them and play them against ladies at the carnival. The team won 4 out of their 7 matches and really enjoyed their day of netball. Coaching is a large part of my life and I'd argue that it's the thing I'm best at, so it won't surprise you if I give this act 5 stars. I might not get paid in cash for all the coaching I do, but I'm certainly rewarded with smiles on many young faces.

Cost of Act 6 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 6 = 1 hours
Feel Good Rating = 2 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 3 hr 5 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.75 Stars

Cost of Act 7 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 7 = 6 hours
Feel Good Rating = 5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 9 hr 5 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.9 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 5 - Neighbourly Favour

2011-08-05T19:22:00.002+10:00

My neighbour Jackie is always doing my husband and I a favour. Whether it's keeping us in constant supply of fresh lemons and lemonades or it's feeding our cats while we're away, she always jumps at the chance to lend a hand. She's even helped me with book sorting in the inventory shed. So, every now and then I like to return the favour. I don't have any fresh produce to offer and can't reciprocate on the pet front as she doesn't have any, but I can help her with books. Jackie is an avid reader and likes to spend the late night hours curled up with a blood-curdling murder mystery. Every now and then I leave a shopping bag full of books at her back door, which is exactly what I did today.

Jackie wasn't home when I left the books so I didn't get to see her reaction, but I know she really appreciates the reading material so I've given this act 4 stars. It's really nice to be able to pay someone back for their kindness. Jackie is always doing things for other people in the street and she regularly shops and provides meals for my other neighbour who is house bound. Reading is one of her few indulgences and I love that I can help her out. Now, I know not everyone has 40,000 books at their disposal to give some to a friend, but we all specialise in or are talented at something, so whilst you might not be able to leave a neighbour a pile of books you could bake them a cake or share some of some of your homegrown produce with them!!

Cost of Act 5 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 5 = 10 mins
Feel Good Rating = 4 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 2 hr 5 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 4.1 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 4 - Send a Letter

2011-08-04T13:09:00.002+10:00

I had a great plan today to do something different, but forgot half the things I needed in my rush to get to work on time (which I still didn't achieve). That idea will have to wait for another day. So I've had to improvise and after a little bit of thought I decided that today my act of giving would be to send a letter to a friend. Not much letter writing goes on these days. Technology is the main reason, but I've discovered another......hand cramps. With my HSC and university days well behind me, I'm in no physical condition to be writing long letters, but I suffered through the pain to produce a four by A4 paged letter to a very good friend of mine. Simone lives about a 5 hour drive from me and we don't get to see each other much, but the main reason I chose her as the recipient is because I know she will really find it personal. She's got a creative streak and will appreciate the tradition, time and thought associated with writing a letter as opposed to sending an email. I can just imagine the look on her face as she finds the surprise in the mailbox and I can also visualise her excitement when she realises what it is and who it's from. I only wish I could be a fly on the wall and see it first-hand.

Once again, I'm going with 5 stars for the Feel Good Rating. For me, the more personal the act, the higher it seems to rate, and this one was definitely personal. And, did I mention cheap....only 60 cents!! Whilst the giving act is writing and sending the letter, I hope that I manage to give her a few smiles as well, maybe even eke out a tear or two. Cross fingers that she finds the time to write a reply because I love getting things in the mail (other than bills of course!!).

Cost of Act 4 = $0.60 AUD
Time for Act 4 = 1 hour
Feel Good Rating = 5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.65 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 1 hr 55 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 4.125 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 3 - Sponsor a Friend

2011-08-03T11:50:00.003+10:00

I knew I was going to be really busy today, so I chose to do something quick and easy. My long-time netball buddy, Katie, is running the City to Surf this year and the team she is part of is raising money for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, so I've donated $30 AUD. There are lots of things like this out there that you can support. In fact, I'm raising money myself during August for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Australia in their annual MS Readathon. So far I've managed to raise $180 AUD and have read four books. So, if you're looking for an idea of what to give today you might like to support my cause by clicking through to my MS Readathon donation page. Good plug, Amber!!

I might have been a bit harsh, but I only gave this act 3 stars. It's a pretty impersonal way of giving and I have to admit to a greater sense of achievement doing the fundraising itself (like I am with the MS Readathon) than giving a donation. Having said that, I am glad to be supporting a friend and a charity all in the one go.

Cost of Act 3 = $30 AUD
Time for Act 3 = 5 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 3 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $39.05 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 55 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.83 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 2 - Massage

2011-08-02T21:11:00.004+10:00

Today I wanted to do something that everyone could do, where money is no object, preparation is limited and skill isn't required (well not much anyway). So, much to the delight of my husband, my gift today was a 20 minute back massage. I channelled my inner masseuse and though I'm no expert I think I did a pretty good job. And, there's an added benefit I never thought about. You get a bit of a workout. I was seriously working up a sweat after 20 minutes!! I gave this act 5 stars....generous I know. My husband works hard and it's really nice to be able to do something for him even though it's only small. Plus, it's free!!

Cost of Act 2 = $0 AUD
Time for Act 2 = 20 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $9.05 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 50 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 4.25 Stars

August 2011 - A Month of Giving - Day 1 - Project Uplift

2011-08-01T10:35:00.000+10:00

During the month of August 2011, I'm setting myself a GIVING challenge. Every day of the month I'll be giving my time, money, advice, pre-loved household goods, surplus clothing, home-made goodies and much much more in an attempt to encourage others back to this simple act of kindness. I'll be posting every day to keep you up-to-date and would love to hear your comments, particularly if you've decided to jump on the band wagon too. Cost is always an issue, so I will keep a running total of what it's costing me in money and time, and I'll also endeavour to give every act a Feel Good rating out of 5. So, let's get this show on the road!!

Today marks the first day of the challenge and I'm starting with something easy and relatively low cost. I recently heard about an organisation called - Project Uplift. Project Uplift collects new and second hand bras and ships them to third world countries where bras are either unobtainable or unaffordable. First thing this morning I opened my underwear draw and started sorting through. I was pretty amazed at how many bras I had and, more shockingly, how many I'd barely used. I picked out a few that I hadn't worn in ages but were still in good condition and also found a couple that didn't fit me properly that I'd never bothered to take back to the shop and swap. All in all, I came up with 8 bras that I was more than happy to donate. I packaged them up and dropped them into Australia Post this morning for a cost of $9.05 AUD. NB: If you live in a major city you may be able to drop off the bras for no cost at all.

It felt pretty good to hand over the package knowing the bras were all going to a good home, but I only gave this act 3.5 stars out of 5. I imagine you'd get more out of it if you delivered the bras in person and got to see first-hand the smile on the face of the new owner which, by the way, you can do. Project Uplift offers many ways to help their cause including what I've just done, taking bras in person if you're travelling overseas, organising massive bra collections, or simply donating cash. For information on where you can send your bra donation, or where you can personally drop them off, along with more details on the organisation itself, I suggest you visit the Project Uplift website. There is also a short 5 minute YouTube video you can watch titled Project Uplift 2011 which tells you all about the projects recent delivery to Fiji. All you have to do to get started is open your underwear drawer!!

Cost of Act 1 = $9.05 AUD
Time for Act 1 = 30 minutes
Feel Good Rating = 3.5 Stars
Running Cost for All Acts = $9.05 AUD
Running Time for All Acts = 30 Minutes
Running Feel Good Rating for All Acts = 3.5 Stars

New Giveaway - Sing You Home (Jodi Picoult)

2011-07-20T15:29:00.001+10:00

It's winter in Australia and the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book. To pay our respects to the cooler months, we're giving away a copy of Jodi Picoult's latest bestseller - Sing You Home. Sing You Home is described as a moving story of contemporary relationships and the consequences of love and desire. And, in true Picoult fashion, there's a brush with the law as well.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us your favourite Jodi Picoult novel. Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Wednesday 31st August 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Thursday 1st September 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

New Giveaway - Need (by Carrie Jones)

2011-06-15T11:22:00.000+10:00

If you're sick of reading about vampires and werewolves but still want something fantastical to dip your nose in then we suggest you enter our new giveaway. This month we're giving away a copy of Need by Carrie Jones. Described as a cross between Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King, Need is the story of Zara White who unexpectedly finds herself immersed in a world of pixies. This is the first novel in a continuing series and is a New York Times bestseller.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us your favourite fantastical creature (mine are fairies!!). Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Thursday 30th June 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Friday 1st July 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

My Borders Splurge!!

2011-06-09T15:45:00.000+10:00

As an avid reader, I was sincerely disappointed when it was recently announced that Borders was going under and that they would be closing many of their stores in Australia and overseas. Now I'm not a shopper!! In fact, I can't stand shopping centres and I don't practice the popular art of browsing, except when it comes to books. Up until recently I was lucky enough to have two Borders stores within easy travelling distance from my home and often found myself trawling the stacks for hours on end. Sometimes I'd buy something, sometimes I wouldn't, but I always enjoyed the "looking". Much to my horror it was announced a few weeks ago that one of the Borders stores I frequent was getting the chop and I was pretty emotional about it.........until I realised what kind of money I was about to save and what kind of treasures I was about to pick-up for next to nothing. This particular store is now closed, but I managed to visit the store twice before it closed it's doors and took advantage of nearly 70% off some brand new books. My credit card is not happy, but I'm one happy girl. I reckon I purchased about 20 books in all for the grand total of about $300 AUD. My favourite purchase is the three books pictured in this post - three volumes of the Australian Children's Book Reference series by Marcie Muir and Kerry White. These books will be an invaluable resource for my second hand bookstore as they index every Australian children's book written between 1774 and the year 2000. I also managed to get my hands on quite a few Aboriginal History books, some classics that I can add to my collection, and some modern novels that I've been hanging out to buy. I'm also happy to report that I still have one Borders bookstore that's handy to me. Let's hope it stays open. Read people!!

Help Us Raise Money for Multiple Sclerosis

2011-06-08T16:43:00.000+10:00

For the second year running the staff and customers at Reading Habit will be helping to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis in the Australian MS Society's annual Novel Challenge. Last year we managed as a team to raise over $1,500 AUD and if possible, we'd like to set a new benchmark in 2011. Multiple Sclerosis affects the Central Nervous System and there are currently over 18,000 Australians living with this incurable and difficult to diagnose disease. You can help in one of two ways. You can donate money to our team which is appropriately named 'Feed Your Reading Habit'. The MS Novel Challenge website is secure and allows for credit card donations complete with a full receipt. No donation is too small!! Every little bit helps. Alternatively, you can join our team and start your own fundraising campaign. All you have to do is visit our team page to sign up and follow the instructions. The novel challenge runs for three months and the MS Society has a target of $200,000 AUD to reach, so get on board with Reading Habit and do something positive with your book addiction. To find out more about the disease itself we suggest you visit the MS Society About MS page.

What's on the Book Vine #1: Ita Buttrose and Cleo Magazine

2011-04-28T13:34:00.000+10:00

Following the surprising success of ABC TVs Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Ita Buttrose is definitely the current topic of many water cooler conversations. As an Australian woman who wasn't familiar with Ita's early work in journalism, I was certainly inspired by her trailblazing spunk and it seems I wasn't the only one. Since the TV show aired I have sold numerous copies of her autobiography A Passionate Life which was published in 1998 by Viking Books. Interestingly, some of these copies of Ita's book have been sitting on my book store shelf for years barely catching anyone's notice. This is what I love about the second hand book selling industry and it's appropriate here that I use a Heidi Klum fashion quote - "one minute you're in and the next you're out." Ita is definitely in!!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Ita's book just click through to the Reading Habit website using this link - BUY: A Passionate Life (Ita Buttrose). And, if you missed the ABC series, you can still view it on ABC iView - Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo (Episode 1).

Easter Giveaway - The Luxe (Anna Godbersen)

2011-04-21T16:54:00.001+10:00

It's Easter and we're feeling festive here at Reading Habit, so we've decided to give away a copy of the young adult novel The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. Described as "having all the glitz of The O.C. but with bigger frocks and more dashing boys", this is a teen novel that delves into the whispers, the scandals, the mysteries and the revenge of society's elite.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us what your favourite Easter treat is (mine is Cadbury Cream Eggs...yum!!). Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 29th April 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 2nd May 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

Classic Book Follow Ons: Good or Bad?

2011-03-23T15:24:00.002+11:00

I was cataloguing some books last week and came across the book you can see on your left - 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye (Buy it Now) by John David California. This unauthorised sequel to the classic cult novel Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger, which revisits Holden Caulfield 60 years on, has been quite controversial. Personally I have no desire to read the book, preferring to remember Holden Caulfield just as he was in the original novel. But as I thought longer on the topic, I realised there are actually quite a lot of classic books that have been followed on (not by the original author). In fact, there's apparently a term for such books. They're called "Parallel Novels" and they can also be prequels, spin-offs etc. Some well-known examples include:

Mrs De Winter by Susan Hill - sequel to Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - prequel to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
An Unequal Marriage by Emma Tennant - sequel to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley - sequel to Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
March by Geraldine Brooks - parallel novel to Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

There's obviously a market out there for these types of novels, but how do we all really feel about them? Have you read any of these types of books and did you enjoy them? Do they take away from the original book? Are they even necessary? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

New Giveaway - My Soul to Steal (by Rachel Vincent)

2011-03-14T16:07:00.001+11:00

I don't know about you, but I feel like there's such a huge amount of choice in the young adult genre at the moment that it's hard to know where to start. I certainly don't remember there being this much variety when I was a teen. In celebration of all the amazing young adult series gracing bookstores at the moment, we are giving away a FREE copy of Rachel Vincent's My Soul to Steal. This is the fourth book in her popular Soul Screamers series.

To enter our book giveaway just tell us who your favourite young adult series writer is. Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 25th March 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 28th March 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

New Giveaway - Ink Exchange (Melissa Marr)

2011-02-11T12:17:00.001+11:00

In January we gave away the first book in Melissa Marr's popular Faerie series, so it follows that February should see us give away the second book in the series which is titled Ink Exchange. I really love the cover of this book and it got me to thinking about how much a cover can influence our decision to read a certain book or not. So, to enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that answers the following question - How much does the cover of a book influence your decision to read it?? Bonus entries can be earned for this giveaway. Just read the following for more information.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Reading Habit Page on Facebook (Click here to do so)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 25th February 2011. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 28th February 2011. Good luck to everyone!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 5 - Booky T-Shirts

2011-02-03T15:11:00.001+11:00

Beware! Amateur modelling photographs to follow!! Thus it's with mixed feelings that I post this final instalment in my 'A Very Booky Xmas' series. I'm slightly reluctant because of the photos you're about to see, but excited to share such amazing gifts. Firstly, let me admit that I bought these T-shirts for myself, then distributed them to family and friends to give back to me for Xmas. It's a sure fire way of getting something you want!!

Late last year I came across a website called Out of Print. This fantastic little website is all about sharing the love of books through a fashion medium and it does so by selling T-shirts that feature iconic and sometimes out-of-print book covers. I fell in love with the site immediately and purchased three T-shirts within a heartbeat. The good news is that whilst you might be bending your credit card a little, purchasing a T-shirt through the website can also ease your social conscience. For every T-shirt purchased through the website, Out of Print donates one book to communities in need through their partner Books for Africa.

But back to the T-Shirts!! As I said, I purchased three. The first was The Outsiders (by S.E. Hinton) which you can see me striking a pose in at the top of this post. I bought this T-shirt because it reminded me of high school where we all had to read the novel. It also brought back memories of a school friend who was so obsessed with the movie that she covered every book, folder and pencil case she had in pictures of Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise and Matt Dillon (just to name a few).

The second shirt I bought was the Pride and Prejudice one as seen in the photo to the left. No I'm not looking at a bird! This is a catalogue modelling 101 pose!! This T-shirt is the most comfortable and the one I've worn the most. Though Persuasion is actually my favourite Austen novel, I couldn't resist purchasing this one to show my complete adoration of everything Jane (including the movies).

The third shirt I bought was Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison). I did enjoy this book and recommend it to all, but if truth be told the real reason I bought it is because of the colour and design. It's nice and bright and works with an olive skin tone!! Good with jeans too!!

There are plenty of other great books and authors featured on the website and I'd venture to say that there probably is a T-shirt for everyone as long as they're an avid reader. There are styles for men and women, as well as hoodies, gift certificates and a kids section. I also have to say that the service I received was excellent. I ordered just a few weeks before Xmas and was worried they wouldn't arrive in time, but a quick email sorted this out straight away and I received the T-shirts in just a few days. This is pretty unheard of for international transactions, so I give Out of Print a big thumbs up in the service department.

Well on that note I conclude this year's "A Very Booky Xmas". I would love to hear about any great pressies you received.....I've got a birthday coming up soon and I need some ideas!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 4 - Springy Book Light

2011-01-24T17:22:00.000+11:00

I've been a little remiss in getting to the fourth part of my Very Booky Xmas series probably because it was the only booky gift I received that I was a bit disappointed in. At first glance this portable book light seems a great gift that's perfect for an avid reader like me. And it should be!! But there's one functional thing about this gift that lets it down completely.

On the positive side I was really impressed by it's springyness because it means you can shove it in a suitcase or a handbag with little regard for it's well being. It's also got a little clip so you can fix it to the book. I didn't find it hard at all to imagine many nights camping huddled in my tent with a book, or using it on a long flight without disturbing the person next to you. But all the springy stem and clever clip ideas aside a book light can only be useful if the light itself is good. Well .... that's where this one fails. The circumference of light that is projected is poor and only lights up a small portion of the page. Plus it's one of those crap LED lights that tend to softly glow rather than brightly illuminate. I'm sure there's better examples of a portable book light out there, but this one quite frankly is crap!! Recommendations anyone????

Stay tuned for the fifth and final instalment - Part 5 - Booky T-Shirts!! I've saved the best for last, but beware ... you will see some very amateur modelling.

New Giveaway - Wicked Lovely (Melissa Marr)

2011-01-10T14:49:00.000+11:00

The new year means a new free giveaway and seeing as though I know how much you all like the paranormal romance genre, I've decided to giveaway a brand new paperback copy of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. This is the first instalment in Melissa Marr's faerie romance series that has become an international bestseller.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that answers the following question - Do you believe in fairies?? Read the following information to see how you can earn bonus entries.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Ambire Secondhand Books Page on Facebook (Click here to do so!!)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so!!)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 28th January. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 31st January. Good luck to everyone!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 3 - Four Books From My Wishlist!!

2011-01-06T13:48:00.001+11:00

I was very organised for Xmas this year and used the Wishlist function on my LibraryThing account to generate an email listing all the books currently on my want list. I then sent the email to all my friends and family. The beauty of this technique is that it ensures you don't get a book you already have and guarantees you get a book you definitely want. It also makes shopping easy for your loved ones. And, it's still a surprise because you don't know which books you'll get off the list (especially if your wishlist is as long as mine!!).

Consequently, I received 4 books (three novels and 1 autobiography) for Xmas and they were all off my wishlist. In paperback I received The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien, Legend of a Suicide by David Vann, and The Collector by John Fowles. In hardcover I received How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly, and though it's a very large tome it's the one that I'm most excited to get into. I'm not a big fan of autobiographies in general, but this one intrigues me as it goes through Kelly's catalogue of songs explaining how they developed and where they germinated. I imagine you'll see a book review of this title in the very near future.

I've been so consumed by bragging about my gifts that I've forgotten to ask what you got for Xmas. So post a comment and let me know what books you found under your tree for Xmas 2010. Stay tuned for more tomorrow - Part 4 - Springy Book Light!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 2 - Bath Book Caddy!!

2011-01-05T15:08:00.001+11:00

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you will remember that I have been without a bath for almost 6 months due to a very slow bathroom renovation. On Xmas Day I was not only lucky enough to take my first bath in my new bathroom, but I also received a bamboo bath book caddy as a gift. I don't normally take photos of myself in the bath, but after months of bath withdrawal, this moment had to be captured!! My wonderful husband bought me this priceless gift after he saw me salivating over it in a magazine. It definitely ranks up there as one of the best presents I have ever received because it allows me to do several of my favourite things at once - taking a bath, whilst drinking some wine and reading a good book. Needless to say, I've spent many an evening soaking since Xmas and am looking forward to many more nights of bliss!! Stay tuned for more tomorrow - Part 3 - Four Books From My Wishlist!!

A Very Booky Xmas - Part 1 - The Cue Cat!!

2011-01-04T17:18:00.000+11:00

After a holiday hiatus I thought it was about time I re-entered the blogosphere and what better way to do that than to brag about some of the great gifts I received for Chrissy. To say I had a very booky festive season would be an understatement, so this week you'll be treated to a grand tour of the best of my book related gifts. Todays instalment is all about the Cue Cat pictured in this post.

I've been a member of LibraryThing for over 12 months now. For those of you unfamiliar with the website it's an online community for serious book lovers where you can catalogue and review your books and share your obsession with other bibliophiles. My personal book collection numbers over 500 titles so it was taking me quite some time to even make a dent in cataloguing them on LibraryThing.....until the arrival of the Cue Cat on Christmas Day. This fabulous little tool reads the barcodes of books with one simple swipe back and forth and then automatically populates your catalogue with the stored information about the book. In only a few days I have managed to catalogue over 200 books in my collection. It's only a little thing, but it has really made me smile!! The only fault with the Cue Cat is that there are some bar codes it doesn't recognise, but the majority it does.

I'm hoping to have my entire book collection catalogued within the next month or so and would love to connect with any fellow members of LibraryThing. My profile name is ReadingHabit, so send me a friend request when you get a chance. Stay tuned for more tomorrow - Part 2 - Bath Book Caddy!!

Thanks For Your Input Into Our Packaging Debate!!

2010-12-02T15:38:00.000+11:00

Our new business name has also meant new stationery and we've had lots of fun designing it!! We particularly wanted to mention our brand new packaging sticker. Following many thoughtful responses to an earlier Reading Habit post ("Book Packaging - Brand New or Recycled - Help Please!!") we decided to take your advice and stick with our recycled packaging policy. We also listened to suggestions from our blog fans as well as our customers across the twitter, facebook and Book Blog communities. Among these suggestions was the idea of creating a little sticker to go on our book parcels that would explain our use of recycled materials. We loved the idea and ran with it, the result being the sticker you see on your left, complete with a cute little verse. So a BIG THANKS from Reading Habit to all those who commented. Your feedback has been invaluable and we really appreciate it.

New Giveaway - Blackout (by Connie Willis)

2010-11-18T16:38:00.000+11:00

Refreshed from my brief sojourn in New Zealand, I return to Australia and the blogging universe in a generous mood. Up for grabs this month is a BRAND NEW copy of "Blackout" by Nebula and Hugo award-winning author, Connie Willis.

Set in 2060 "Blackout" is a science-fiction novel that involves time travel back into the heart of World War II England, and specifically the world of Oxford University historians. It has been a good eight years since Connie's last novel and this one promises to be just as entertaining, though I should warn that it's only the first installment in a two-part series that concludes with "All Clear".

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that includes a time in history that you'd most like to time-travel back to. Read the following information to see how you can earn bonus entries.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Ambire Secondhand Books Page on Facebook (Click here to do so!!)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so!!)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 3rd December. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Wednesday 8th December. Good luck to everyone!!

Our New Business Name and Logo - Your Thoughts???

2010-10-14T11:51:00.000+11:00

After 10 years operating as Ambire Secondhand Books, we've decided to spice things up a little and revamp our brand. As of November 2010 we will be trading under the new business name of Reading Habit with the short but sweet slogan 'Feed Yours'. We love our new look logo and slogan so much that we thought we'd get your thoughts on it early in this blog post. Let us know what you think!!

New Giveaway - Mr Darcy, Vampyre - Amanda Grange

2010-10-12T12:15:00.000+11:00

Mr Darcy a vampire??? I'm not sure how the concept sits with me, but following the recent vampire trend Amanda Grange has continued the classic tale of Pride and Prejudice in Mr Darcy, Vampyre and we're giving away a brand new softcover copy of the book. The book picks up exactly where Jane Austen left off, on the morning following Elizbeth and Darcy's marriage. From here on in.....things get pretty strange!!

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that includes your suggestion for what classic novel should next be turned over to the blood suckers. Read the following information to see how you can earn bonus entries.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Ambire Secondhand Books Page on Facebook (Click here to do so!!)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so!!)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Tuesday 2nd November. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Wednesday 3rd November. Good luck to everyone!!

Please Tell Me Chivalrous Males Aren't Just Romantic Fiction??

2010-10-07T17:29:00.000+11:00

Yes this is a grotesque picture!! And you may be wondering what it has to do, if anything, with chivalry let alone books. I promise I'll get there. I was trawling through some old photos the other day and came across this beauty, taken long before I was ever blogging. Just looking at the picture had me seething because it reminded me all to vividly of what I can only describe as one of the worst book buying experiences I've ever had. So I thought I might share it with you.

I go out book buying to replenish stock for my online store about once a fortnight. Normally this involves going directly to peoples homes in my local area. Quite often I am purchasing large libraries of second hand books that require packing into boxes and transference into my van. I will acknowledge that for the most part the clientele I see are older men and women who I would never expect to help me with heavy lifting. What I do expect is for 30-something males, or females for that matter, to at least offer assistance. Given the following experience, I am clearly delusional.

Last year I frequented the home of a local male in his 30s who appeared to have all four of his limbs. His house was built on a very steep incline and after much wheel spinning I succumbed to the realisation that I was never going to get my van up the driveway. I went through the usual transaction process of buying books, packed them into boxes, and then proceeded to start carrying the books down to my van, wrongly assuming that said 30-something male would grab a box or two himself. For 30 minutes I lugged over 800 books up and down the driveway. It was hard yakka, including at least 30 steps, and a slippery driveaway on a 45 degree angle. Not once did said male offer a helping hand, but he graciously watched me, keeping up a running commentary that included me falling arse over tit down the driveway with a box full of books. The result = above photo.

One would think that after incurring the above injury said male might come to my rescue. Wrong again!! He proceeded to watch as blood poured out of my hand and then handed me a dirty rag. Would you be shocked to know that despite still having 10 boxes to carry down to the van, said male still did nothing? By this time I wasn't. So me and my chundered finger stoically finished the job, eyes glazed over in fury, and drove home.....totally bemused. My only consoling thought was that I had the strength not to cry through the whole ordeal. My husband was horrified when I told him the story. I even considered taking him on a drive-by the clients house to demonstrate the sheer ludicrousness of that god-awful driveway. One year on, my finger has healed, and I now sport a scar reminiscent of a sailing boat that will forever remind me that chivalry, not to mention plain old good manners, are definitely taking a nose dive in the 21st century. Thank god I'm married to one of the good ones who still understands the concept.

Book Collecting 101 - Part 2 - Familiarising Yourself with Book Dealing Terminology

2010-09-30T16:20:00.000+10:00

Before you even start searching for the books you've chosen to collect I advise you to familiarise yourself with the jargon of the book dealing community. It will certainly help you avoid the disappointment of receiving a book that doesn't meet your expectations. Most dealers in collectible books use standard terminology and abbreviations when describing the format and condition of the books they list and it can often seem like a foreign language to the virgin collector. I could provide you with a whole list of book collecting terminology right here, but it seems a little redundant reinventing the wheel, so I am going to recommend the Glossary of Book Terminology produced by the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). Please click on the link and take the time to have a look through. I guarantee it will be worth the time and effort.

If you'd rather purchase a hard copy reference on book terminology and book collecting in general, my recommendation for those just starting out is the ABC for Book Collectors by John Carter. This classic has long been a must have for beginner and experienced book collectors alike. Whilst a newer edition of the book is preferable, any edition would be useful as a start-off point. All entries are listed alphabetically making it super easy to use. I still use my copy quite frequently, so it will definitely be a good long-term investment.

What I will cover just briefly here is some book terminology standards in relation to book condition and book sizes. Please note that the book condition and sizing definitions listed here have been referenced from the ABE website.

BOOK SIZES

4to - up to 12 inches tall. Also referred to as a Quarto book.
8vo - up to 9.75 inches tall. Also referred to as an Octavo book. Most large softcovers fit into this book size category.
12mo - up to 7.75 inches tall. Also referred to as a Duodecimo book. Most small mass market paperbacks fit into this book size category.
16mo - up to 6.75 inches tall. Also referred to as a Sextodecimo book.
24mo - up to 5.75 inches tall.
32mo - up to 5 inches tall.
48mo - up to 4 inches tall.
64mo - up to 3 inches tall.
Folio - up to 15 inches tall.
Elephant Folio - up to 23 inches tall.
Atlas Folio - up to 25 inches tall.
Double Elephant Folio - up to 50 inches tall.

BOOK CONDITION

When book dealers list the condition of a book it is usually in the form of VG/VG, Fine/Good, VG/--, etc. The first part is the condition of the book, the second is the condition of the dust jacket. If a "/--" is present, it usually means that the dust jacket is missing or unavailable. If there is no second part at all this normally indicates the book was not issued with a dust jacket. As a guide, most book dealers use the following condition terms. The book condition definitions are meant as a guide only and buyers should be aware that all sellers will have slightly different interpretations. Good book descriptions should always include specific details on defects rather than just generic statements like "may show general wear and tear". The use of this kind of phrase with specific details is fine, but is bad practice when used in isolation. If you are ever unsure what a seller means by a term they are using to describe a book, we encourage you to ask them directly for clarification, or request that images of the book be sent.

New - A new book is unread, in print and in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages.

As New - A book that is in the same immaculate condition to which it was published with no defects, no missing pages, no library stamps, etc., and the dust jacket must be perfect without any tears.

Fine (F or FN) - Approaches the condition of As New, but without being crisp. There must also be no defects and if the jacket has a small tear, or other defect, or looks worn, this should be noted.

Very Good (VG) - A book that does show some small signs of wear, but no tears, on either binding or paper.

Good (G) - Describes the average used worn book that has all pages or leaves present. Defects must be noted.

Fair - Worn book that has complete text pages (including those with maps or plates) but may lack endpapers, half-title, etc. (which must be noted). Binding, jacket (if any), etc., may also be worn. Defects must be noted.

Poor - A book that is sufficiently worn to the point that its only merit is as a reading copy. It should still have the complete text. Any missing maps or plates should still be noted. This copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, pages, etc.

This article is Part 2 of a series titled Book Collecting 101. Click on the following link for Part 1 of the series - Choosing What Books to Collect. Part 3 of the series - Sourcing Second Hand Books - will be coming soon.

New Giveaway - Mockingjay - Hunger Games Book 3

2010-09-17T18:39:00.000+10:00

We've given away the other two books in this fantastic young adult series by Suzanne Collins, so it's only fair that we give away a brand new copy of the third and final instalment - Mockingjay!!

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that includes who you want Katniss to end up with - Peter or Gale? Read the following information to see how you can earn bonus entries.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Ambire Secondhand Books Page on Facebook (Click here to do so!!)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so!!)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 1st October. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Tuesday 5th October. Good luck to everyone!!

Booksellers Who Give Away the End of the Book Should be Shot!!

2010-09-06T13:56:00.000+10:00

At the last meeting of my local book club, one of our members suggested that we read The Room by Emma Donoghue. After perusing the back of the book, we unanimously voted it in. However, it was the story behind the purchase of this book that has stayed with me since. Rhonda, the woman who bought the book, was appalled at the behaviour of the local bookstore owner who sold it to her. Turns out that the bookstore owner actually told her how the book ended as she was buying it. Call me crazy, but I thought this was bookseller 101 stuff - never tell the customer how the book ends unless they actually ask you to. Apparently not! Rhonda still read the book, and still enjoyed it for that matter, but it got me thinking - how often does this happen? Personally, I can't think of anything more frustrating, but I'd love to hear about any similar experiences you might have had.

Book Review - Portnoy's Complaint (by Philip Roth)

2010-09-01T15:12:00.003+10:00

I can sum this book up in one word - hilarious!! It had me laughing out loud within the first few pages and I was still laughing as the book came to a close. Did it leave me feeling a little dirty? Yes!! Whilst reading Portnoy's various, and certainly creative, ways of spanking the monkey, I did question what might have attributed to the dog-eared, heavily creased, moisture marked copy of the book that I was forced to read (pictured left). What was the book all about? Well, I'm still not too sure, but I don't care because it was such an enjoyable ride.

Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint is the ramblings of Alexander Portnoy to his psychoanalyst Dr Speilvogel. Portnoy is afflicted with a condition that results in uncontrollable and often perverse sexual impulses. Over the course of the book Portnoy details his compulsion to masturbate as a teenager and various lewd sexual encounters as an adult in an attempt to discover what has caused his affliction. We learn that he feels trapped between his need to delve deeper into degradation in search of sexual enjoyment and his overiding sense of shame at his actions. Portnoy begs of Spielvogel: Is my condition the result of the orthodoxy of growing up in Jewish America? Can I attribute it to my obsessive relationship with my overbearing and repressive mother? Does my bowel-challenged father have something to do with it? Or, am I just a symptom of society - the American male of the times?

Written in the late 1960s, the books' heavy sexual content made it something of a scandal and in some parts of the world it was actually banned. With chapters titled 'Whacking Off', Roth makes no attempt to hide the main theme of his book. Though times have changed, I'd venture to say that some readers would still find the contents confronting and a little too sexually explicit. You've been warned!!

So, what is Portnoy's monologue all in aid of? As I said before, I'm still a little uncertain. Roth is obviously passing comment on society at the time, but Portnoy's Complaint is not so much a social commentary as it is one man's exploration of his own condition - an attempt at self-diagnosis, if you like. One criticism I have of the book is its' length. I think Roth could have achieved the same result in under 200 pages as he has in 300, but it's a minor flaw. The books strength for me is Roth's wit. I don't find many books laugh-out-loud funny, but this one had me roaring. (3.5 Stars)

Portnoy's Complaint is listed in the book 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. For your chance to win a copy of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die please see our Giveaway in our recent post.

Portnoy's Complaint was also recently the subject of discussion on the First Tuesday Book Club on ABC TV. To download what the experts had to say, or see a transcript of the show, just click here.

New Giveaway - 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

2010-08-27T16:37:00.001+10:00

Another book giveaway is well overdue, so here it is!! This time we are giving away a secondhand copy of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die: A Comprehensive Reference Source, Chronicling the History of the Novel (edited by Peter Boxall). I have a well-used copy of this book on my shelf complete with labels marking the books I've read. I'm ashamed to say that despite my best intentions I have only read about 45 of the books listed. I better get a wriggle on if I have any hope of finishing the list before I kick the bucket.

To enter our book giveaway just leave a comment that includes the book you recommend everyone should read before they die. Read the following information to see how you can earn bonus entries.

Bonus Entries
+1 Entry = Follow our Blog
+1 Entry = Liking the Ambire Secondhand Books Page on Facebook (Click here to do so!!)
+1 Entry = Following us on Twitter (Click here to do so!!)
+2 Entries = Provide a Link to our Giveaway on Your Blog
NB: If you're eligible for bonus entries, make sure you let us know when you leave your comment!!

Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 10th September. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 13th September. Good luck to everyone!!

BOOK PACKAGING - Brand New or Recycled - Help Please!!

2010-08-26T14:34:00.000+10:00

Since opening my store in 2001, I have always packaged books for mail-out using recycled cardboard and bubble wrap. I make sure that whatever we use is clean and durable enough to protect the books on their journey through the post (which is often a bumpy one). My philosophy has always been that if we can use recycled packing material then we are not only reducing the end cost for the buyer, but also the environmental impact of our business. In almost 10 years of operation, we have received no complaints about this packaging method.

The only negative I see with using recycled materials is that upon opening their parcel the buyer is not presented with visually appealing packaging. Let's face it, recycled cardboard and bubble wrap can look a little scruffy. The only solution to this negative impression that I can come up with is to have a small sticker made to put on the packaging highlighting the environmental benefit of using recycled materials (and my logo of course).

After some web surfing, I've noticed that among my secondhand bookselling counterparts there are some pretty extreme views on packaging. Most believe that brand new packaging is best as it leaves the buyer with the best buying experience. However, I wonder whether in a climate change conscious world my little sticker might, in fact, pack more punch.

So I thought I'd ask your thoughts on the matter. What kind of impression would recycled packaging have on you if you opened such a parcel? Is my sticker idea a good one? All feedback, pro or con, is welcome and thanks in advance for helping me out.

Book Review - The Hand That First Held Mine (by Maggie O'Farrell)

2010-08-19T12:17:00.000+10:00

I'm going to get straight to the point here and announce that I was pretty underwhelmed by The Hand That First Held Mine. After rave reviews by members of my book club of O'Farrell's earlier novel The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I was really excited to sink my teeth into the work of a new author. This excitement soon dwindled as it took me six weeks to struggle through the books uninspiring 341 pages.

The book is at once the story of young Lexie Sinclair and her short but bright life in 1950s Soho with the flamboyant Innes Kent, and the story of present day couple, Elina and Ted, grappling with the birth of their first child. Right from the beginning we know that somehow these two stories are intertwined. We flit and float between these four characters and their support cast as O'Farrell gradually feeds us the clues that link these two stories together, until the bombshell is inevitably dropped at the end.

The story itself is relatively fluid, but I could sense the author working at trying to deceive us. For example, we never know what really happened to Elina when giving birth and I wonder whether the author only includes her post-partum depression to throw us off the scent. As a result, there are a few loose ends by the books conclusion.

But it's the blend of story and character that really made this book a chore for me. From the very beginning of the novel I felt detached from the characters, as if I was gazing on them from afar, with little concern or care. Maybe this was the author's intention as Lexie, Innes, Elina and Ted all become detached from the world and their loved ones in some way or another throughout the course of the book. But, if it was the author's intention, it certainly didn't endear me to them or the story. This detachment juxtaposed with the connections the book is trying to make between characters spread 50 years apart is a contradiction that left me feeling a little confused.

The predominant theme of the book is motherhood and it's this that links the stories of Elina and Lexie. O'Farrell uses the time settings to identify both the similarities and differences of motherhood over the generations. I read one review that described the book as an ode to motherhood and I'd have to agree. The one strength of the book is O'Farrells understanding of a mother's love in all it's guises and permutations. However, this doesn't save the book for me. The book explores motherhood among other common themes including love, betrayal, revenge and loss, but there's nothing new here, not even in the delivery. (2 Stars)

If you are a fan of Maggie O'Farrell's work and want to give The Hand That First Held Mine a try for yourself, you can purchase a secondhand copy from our website by clicking here - Buy Now!!

We've Won a Versatile Blog Award - Yay!!

2010-08-05T15:47:00.001+10:00

Feed Your Reading Habit has just won our first ever Versatile Blogger Award (actually it's our first blog award full stop....but there's no need to quibble). A big thanks to The Book Bee for bestowing us with this wonderful honour. The best thing about this award is that it exposes all of us in the wide world of blogging to new and previously undiscovered book blog treasures. The award requires the recipient to: thank and link back to the blog that granted you the award; share 7 interesting things about yourself; bequeath the award to another 15 deserved blogger's; and contact the award recipients to let them know of their achievement. Quite frankly it's just one big self-promotion masquerading as a warm and fuzzy moment, but I love it!! So here are 7 interesting things about me. You'll recognise I've stuck with the booky theme.

I don't own an e-reader and don't want to, but I secretly want to try one out just so I can report how trully despicable they are from a well informed point of view.
My favourite place to read is in the bath with a glass of wine and as my current bathroom renovation is denying me this pleasure I am suffering a reading drought.
My secondhand bookstore is breeding Reader's Digest Condensed Books that no-one wants (even for 50 cents) so I am planning on making a coffee table out of them.
My husband congratulated himself on buying me an early edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice for our 'Paper' wedding anniversary. I don't have the heart to tell him that his $150 investment is only Volume 1 of the set.
My struggle with the Russian surnames in Anna Karenina have resulted in me trying to read this classic novel 5 times with no success. I am planning the next assault in a month or two.
The book that I never fail to recommend to everyone is We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It'll blow you away!!
Last but not least I confess to being a book vandal. Shock, horror, gasp of disbelief!! I dog-ear them, fill them with notes and inscriptions, spill coffee over them, shove them carelessly in my bag, bend the spines back, and use them as coasters. As far as I'm concerned a book absorbs part of the reader and I make sure I leave my mark and give every one a character injection of my own.

Now that you know a little bit more about my reading quirks, here are a couple of blogs I am awarding my Versatile Blog Awards to (in no particular order). Check them out!!

Suz's Space Blog
Stuck In a Book
The True Book Addict
Miss Snark, the literary agent - (Miss Snark no longer posts, but it's still a great blog!!)
LiteraryMinded
Fly the Falcon
BookHounds
Bibliophile Bullpen
The Book Bee
for.theloveofbooks.com
Terra On the Bookshelf
The Book Buff
The Mumpsimus
LibraryThing
BOOKSURFER

Enjoy perusing our award winners!!

New Giveaway - The Hunger Games - Book 2 - Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)

2010-07-23T10:31:00.000+10:00

We had such a good response to our giveaway for the first Hunger Games book by Suzanne Collins that we've decided to giveaway a brand new copy of book two in the series - Catching Fire. Book two sees Katniss re-enter The Hunger Games game zone, but this time she has the whole of the Capitol against her.

Katniss is portrayed throughout the series as a steely teenaged action heroine. To win a brand new copy of Catching Fire just leave a comment telling us which female heroine in teenage fictional history most inspires you. A couple that come to my mind include Ellie from the Tomorrow When the War Began series and Elspeth Gordie from the Obernewtyn Chronicles. Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 6th August. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Monday 9th August. Good luck to everyone!!

Rescue Me from My Reading Drought

2010-07-13T15:00:00.001+10:00

It seems like only yesterday that I was reading the latest edition of Good Reading (GR) magazine and scoffing at the editor's column which revealed the editor was going through a reading drought. I couldn't believe that the editor of such a magazine had stopped reading. Surely reading was a requirement of her job. Hypocritically, I now find myself in a similar situation. I'm surrounded by books all day, but I'm seriously struggling to pick one up. The only difference I claim between myself and the GR editor is that I have genuine reasons - my bath tub is gone and it's freezing!!

Reading in the bath tub every second night of the week is my guilty pleasure. One month ago my precious, though dowdy, bath tub was ripped from its resting place and deposited on the nature strip of my home as a result of a much needed bathroom renovation. Said bathroom renovation is still underway and shows no sign of being completed within the next 3 months. Meanwhile, my new bath is hibernating in plastic teasing me every time I glance its way. Frustrating!!

But it's the bathroom renovation's partner in crime - winter - that has really fuelled my reading drought. By now most of you are familiar with my reading and walking habit. A habit that thrives in the summer months but seems a distant memory in the colder ones. It's just too damn cold to go walking and though I've tried hard to read in bed or on the couch, it just doesn't feel right. Does anyone else suffer as I do? Can anyone remedy my reading woes?

A Book Joke - Never Argue With A Woman

2010-07-12T15:41:00.002+10:00

I'm not a big fan of jokes, but there aren't many book related ones out there, so when I came across this via my bookstore email and it tickled my fancy just a little, I thought I'd share!! Here goes!!

One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside cottage after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, puts her feet up, and begins to read her book. The peace and solitude are magnificent.

Along comes a Fish and Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?'

'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't that obvious?')

'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her.

'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading.'

'Yes, but I see you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up.'

'If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault,' says the woman.

'But I haven't even touched you,' says the Game Warden.

'That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.'

'Have a nice day ma'am,' and he left.

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.

Join Our Multiple Sclerosis Novel Challenge Team!!

2010-06-29T09:52:00.003+10:00

As you would be aware from my earlier post, I have signed up to raise money in the Multiple Sclerosis Novel Challenge. Originally I nominated to raise $500, but I've had such a great response and have already raised $385 so I've just raised my target to $750. I've also started up a team for the friends, family and colleagues of Ambire Secondhand Books. The beauty of a team is that we can work together to raise the money and share our success stories. So far, our team has three participants and we are looking for more people to join.

You can view our team page and our current list of team members by clicking on the following link -
http://register.thenovelchallenge.org.au/The-Novel-Challenge/Feed+Your+Reading+Habit/e. Click on this link to join us and you will be asked to register as part of our team. It's easy and will only take a few minutes of your time. Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system affecting more young adult Australians than any other neurological condition. There is no known cause or cure.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me directly at ambire@optusnet.com.au.

Happy reading!!

The MS-Readathon Grows Up - Help Us Raise $500 for Multiple Sclerosis

2010-06-25T12:10:00.000+10:00

If you grew up in Australia then you'll remember the MS-Readathon in school. It's a classic fund-raising event that linked children's reading with furthering research into Multiple Sclerosis and providing assistance to sufferers. As a kid, I took part in the MS-Readathon nearly every year and always got a buzz out of how many books I could finish in 30 days. The MS-Readathon is still around, but now there's an adult version called the MS Novel Challenge. And I've just signed up!! My goal is to raise $500 within 30 days for the cause. I've opened my account with a donation and hope that you can help me reach my target. The beauty of the challenge is that it's all online. You can make a donation securely online, get a receipt and watch my progress through my very own MS Novel Challenge page - http://register.thenovelchallenge.org.au/The-Novel-Challenge/AmbireBooks. Any donations go directly to the charity so it's all completely above board. You might even want to sign up for the challenge yourself, and if you do we'd love to hear about your progress and throw a dollar or two your way - just leave a link to your page in the comments!!

New Giveaway - The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

2010-06-22T09:57:00.000+10:00

With the third and final instalment of Suzanne Collins bestselling Hunger Games series titled 'Mockinjay' due out on 25th August 2010, I thought I'd take you back to where it all began. Here's your chance to win a brand new copy of the first book in the series simply titled 'The Hunger Games'. This thrilling series aimed at young adults takes the reader into the very near future and a reality TV show called the Hunger Games where teenagers must fight against each other for their own survival. Kill or be killed is the motto!!

To win a brand new copy of the first book in the series just leave a comment telling us what your favourite young adult action/adventure series is. Mine is John Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began series and I'm really looking forward to the blockbuster movie interpretation due out soon. Entries are open until 5pm EST on Friday 2nd July. The competition is open to residents of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and the UK. The winner of the competition will be announced on Tuesday 6th July. Good luck to everyone!!

The Share-A-Book Program - Aust. Literacy & Numeracy Foundation

2010-06-16T15:45:00.001+10:00

I've been looking ferociously on the internet for places I can donate some of our excess stock to and it's actually been harder than I thought. Most of the organisations are based overseas, so postage is a nightmare, and they often only take brand new books. The predominant ones within Australia are your major op-shops like the Salvos or St Vinnies. Whilst these charities are great, I was hoping to donate to an organisation that was focusing on literacy and getting books to those most in need.

After some searching I stumbled upon The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation website (http://www.alnf.org/programs/share-a-book.php) and a program they have titled Share-A-Book. The program is focused on providing new and quality second hand books and magazines to indigenous, refugee and marginalised communities and is exactly what I was looking for. Their focus is on children and teens so books must be age appropriate and as such I have parceled up a box of pre-loved young adult titles for donation. They are in the mail this afternoon and it feels great to give!!

For more information on the Share-A-Book program just visit this website link - http://www.alnf.org/programs/share-a-book.php. Or if you want to donate books you can mail them to: Share-A-Book, 208 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027. Reading should be accessible to everyone so let's share the love of books.

Reading Experiment 1 - Georgette Heyer - The Verdict

2010-06-10T11:42:00.001+10:00

The verdict is in!! I can now officially say that I have read my first Georgette Heyer novel. I can also officially announce that unless held at gun point this will be the last Georgette Heyer novel I will ever read. The three words that immediately come to mind are 'Mills and Boon'. Sure, Venetia is set in the English regency period, but other than that it reads like a Harlequin romance. Of course, in saying this I am admiting to having read such a book, but I was 15 at the time and I haven't picked one up since.

If I had to put my finger on some of the main problems I had with the book I'd have to start with the shallowness of the characters. I really struggled with their one dimensionality. The book also rests heavily on the witty repartee between Venetia and Dameral, but their constant verbal to-ing and fro-ing increasingly annoyed me. The death knell was in the romance itself. I don't know if I missed something, but I honestly didn't believe the two main characters were in love. It was all too frivolous. This may be palatable to a large portion of the global population and I give them leave to enjoy Heyer's novels, each to their own and all that, but they don't do anything for me.

Whilst this hasn't been a particularly positive reading experiment, I am determined to continue, so any suggestions about where I might test the waters next would be appreciated.

Book Giveaway - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

2010-06-03T11:07:00.000+10:00

I just received a brand new copy of the first book in the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and have decided to use it as the first ever book giveaway on this blog. The truth is that I am all "vampired" out and don't have any desire to read another slightly tweaked version of an age old story. I'm sure there's someone out there still riding high on the twilight phenomenom who would appreciate it, so here's how you can enter. We had Harry Potter and wizards, now we've got Twilight and vampires. We want to know what you think the next craze will be? Just leave us a comment and you'll be entered into our random draw. The giveaway is open to any persons residing in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA or the UK. You have until Friday 11th June to get your entry in and the winner will be notified on Monday 14th June. Good luck!!

Reading Experiment 1 - Georgette Heyer

2010-06-01T12:50:00.000+10:00

As a the owner/operator of a second hand bookstore there is a general assumption that I have read everything in stock. How anyone could think that I have read over 30,000 books is beyond me, but it seems to be the case. Though I read widely and often, there are many popular authors I've never gotten around to reading. However, in the interests of being able to recommend books to my clientele with authority, I have decided to read at least 1 book every month that is outside my normal range. Whether I like the book or not, at least I will have an opinion!

So this month I have decided on Georgette Heyer, the alleged queen of Regency Romance. Romance in general is a no-go zone for me, but her books sell well in my store and there are millions of hard-core Heyer fans out there (particularly online) who would have me believe that she is a true genius. After a little bit of googling to determine which book to start with, I trudged down to my bookshed and pulled Venetia off the shelves. I am now over a third of the way through the book and ..........well I've decided to keep you in suspense. Stay tuned for the review!!

Staging a Book Club Coup

2010-05-19T17:40:00.001+10:00

Is it ever OK to stage a coup within your own book club? And, if yes, how does one go about it with stealth? Let me set the scene. I joined my local book club about two years ago. Up until then I was a book club virgin, so I had little experience with how such a club should function. For the first 6 months or so I seemed to really enjoy myself. The fact that we talked more about ourselves than the actual books we’d read didn’t appear to bother me. On reflection I think this was only because I was getting to know my fellow book club members. Well, that combined with a perceived duty of politeness. I was the newcomer. Who was I to question how the book club operated? Two years down the track and the meaningless gossip is starting to drive me mad. So much so, that I’ve actually missed the last two meetings with no legitimate excuse. It’s a book club. We’re supposed to talk about books!

I’m not the only one in the club feeling the stress of it all. In fact, I think a good 50% of the club are in total agreement with me. Outside of the book club meetings, we’ve often mused over how we think the book club should be run and why it doesn’t seem to work. What we all know for sure is that it’s a leadership issue. The original group broke in two about 4 years ago due to a drunken episode complete with racial slurs at a restaurant held book club meeting. A new organiser for the group was required and when no-one else put their hand up our current leader came to the rescue. But she never reads the book! Yes, I know how ridiculous it sounds, but it’s true. The organiser reads about 3 of the 12 books we choose every year. Do you know how frustrating that is? Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh…..no wonder we only talk about books for 10 minutes.

But it’s not just the fact that the organiser doesn’t read the book that bugs me. It’s the fact that there is never any guide to our book discussion. There are generally three or four conversations operating at once, so everyone is talking over the top of one another. And discussion questions - you’d think no-one had ever heard of them. Plus, there is never any clear communication about what book we’re reading next or what the next date for the club is. One month it’s a Wednesday night, the next it’s a Monday night. I can’t keep up!! I mean, what happened to planning, people?

Enough is enough. I have a few fellow members on my side and we are going in with purpose to the next book club meeting. Any tips you might have would be useful. Wish me luck.

Twitter Finally Comes Through

2010-05-06T14:50:00.003+10:00

It was with hesitation that I opened my account on Twitter some 12 months ago. Skeptical is the word that comes to mind. But buoyed by the encouragement of a fellow small business owner, I decided to embrace this new social networking craze. After all it could turn out to be an interesting, and hopefully lucrative, way to promote my second hand bookstore. I started out enthusiastically building my list of followers, but my eagerness fizzled as the weeks rolled by with little Twitter action despite lots of effort. Over time, the annoying tweet noise from TweetDeck served only to remind me that another seemingly useless piece of information was heading my way. One year on and I was well and truly jaded. Sure, I got the occasional tasty morsel of information, and as far as networking with like-minded people in the trade it proved handy, but on the whole it was a dud. Yesterday, I decided to pull the plug and end the misery!!

And I almost did! One last visit to TweetDeck proved it's saviour. After months of fruitlessly searching for a book titled 'Little Dream' by Cynthia Leonetti for a new client with no success, Twitter finally came through for me. One of my esteemed followers located a copy, and the next thing I know I had completed a transaction and the book was on its' way to my client. The profit for me was very little, but the buzz I got out of actually locating this hard-to-find kids book was definitely worth it. Whilst, this one transaction hardly makes up for the effort I've put into Twitter it has reminded me of the value of keeping your feelers out there. Second hand bookselling is often a tough business and locating rare books can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. It's fun, but frustrating at the same time and without a good network of contacts it's almost impossible. So, whilst I am not exactly pro-Twitter I do acknowledge that it won't hurt to keep my presence out there.....even if it only helps me please one customer every twelve months.

Have you Heard About Atmospheric Reading?

2010-03-31T09:47:00.000+11:00

The act of reading itself has always been a great joy to me. No matter where I am or where I’m going I always have a book with me because you never know when you might get an opportunity to flick open the pages. I read on the beach, in the bath, whilst walking, in bed, in TV ad-breaks, on public transport, you name it I read there. Inspired by a recent article I read about the lost art of reading aloud, I decided to push the boundaries of my reading habits even further and embark on an experimental journey into the world of what I’d like to call ‘atmospheric reading’.

Eager to discover whether manipulating the environment in which a book was read enhanced, detracted or had no effect on the overall reading experience, I needed to find a suitable place to start and, where better than with a classic! Critics claim ‘The Turn of the Screw’ by Henry James is one of the best psychological, gothic thrillers of all time. As such, it has long been on my list of must read books, but I’d never felt a strong enough desire to actual pick it up. Until now!! It seemed to me that one of the easiest and most distinct atmospheres to create was a creepy one, so I set about scaring the living daylights out of myself.

For two consecutive evenings I became a lone reader taking a long hot bath, listening to the rain drizzling onto the window with only a few dim candles lighting the page and not a soul nor sound in the house. The experience did not disappoint. I won’t give away the storyline of the book itself, but I will describe how it made me feel. For every curious noise that leapt off the page of Henry James’ masterpiece, I heard another three as my house betrayed its’ own ghostly mutterings. The strange apparitions seen by the governess had me darting my eyes in suspicion towards dark shadowy corners of my bathroom. The flickering candlelight at once charming and beautiful was in another instant evil and sinister, just like the young boy Miles. Sensory overload made the silence unbearable, chilling. After I had read the final page and closed the book I could still feel it all around me and it took me quite a while to come back to reality.

Later, I realised that I hadn’t just read the story. I had been physically a part of it. I often feel emotionally connected with a book, but I rarely feel that kind of physicality. The sensation was new and bought a fresh dimension to the escapism normally sort for in the reading of a book. Having never read ‘The Turn of the Screw’ before, I can’t claim that I wouldn’t have felt the same way without the artificial atmosphere. What I do know is that I am keen to start on my next atmospheric reading adventure – maybe Tim Winton’s ‘Breath’ on the beach…….your thoughts???