Antiquarian Ramblings: A Diamond in the Rough

Posted by admin on 07.31.2009 at 12:58 pm

When the American Archives Series books came to the ARC department, many of them had missing boards and other issues compromising their structural integrity.  They also smelled of the ancient organic dust that accompanies old leather bound books, reminding me that I was due for a Tetanus booster shot.  That said, my expectations were low.

A quick glimpse of the market revealed a value for these volumes at around $100-200 a piece.  Not bad, but given their present state, and the collective need for some TLC from a sympathetic binder, these tomes were destined to be sold for scrap at auction.  After plowing through a few of these, I came across American Archives; Fifth Series, Volume I.  A cursory glance of this item suggested it would fare the same fate as its siblings.  Since I literally couldn’t judge this book by its cover as it didn’t have one, I dug right in.  And to my surprise,  the latter half of the book revealed a true diamond in the rough.

There in the back, just waiting to be discovered was a pristine facsimile copy of the Declaration of Independence encapsulated within Read more…

1 Comment » | Tagged Antiquarian Ramblings, Antiquarian Ramblings, Antiquarian Rare and Collectible, ARC, better world books, Declaration of Independence, Diamond in the Rough, eBay, ryan

Books on the Big Screen: Julie & Julia

Posted by admin on 07.30.2009 at 4:32 pm

Today’s Recipe: Movie About a Book About a Blog About Two People Who Cook and Have Never Met

Ingredients:
	2 Incredibly Talented Actresses (specifically Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) 1 Stanley Tucci playing the role of Julia’s husband Paul. 3 cups of direction by Nora Ephron 1 large dollop of another book (My Life in France by Julia Child)
Stir all ingredients together until smooth and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or two.  Serve warm on August 7th with popcorn and the soft drink of your choice.  Recipe makes a great outing for foodies and moviegoers alike.
If you can’t wait for the movie you can check out the books now:
Julie & Julia:  My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell Nearing 30 and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, Julie Powell resolved to reclaim her life by cooking, in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a new found respect for calves’ livers and aspic, but a new life–lived with gusto. My Life in France by Julia Child Julia Child singlehandedly created a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this bestselling memoir, she was not always a master chef.
Happy Eating – or Watching – or Reading!
–Dana
PS – If they decide to make a movie about a blog about a book – I’ll let you know!

2 Comments » | Tagged Books on the Big Screen, Amy Adams, Julia Child, Julie & Julia, Julie Powell, Meryl Streep, My Life in France, Stanley Tucci

Win Free Books for a Year

Posted by Tommy on 07.29.2009 at 12:18 pm

(Update 8-11-2009: Congratulations to @rotemu, our first place winner! Enjoy your Year of Books!)
(Update 8-12-2009: Congratulations to our 2nd place winners: @whendrinksmix, @gabbytmb, @45thParallelism, @Calig_Kela, @fartsyarts, @TsarLeo, @Nimue23, @kinfolknews, and @ygor!)

The Year of Books contest begins today!  Here’s how to enter: Read more…

128 Comments » | Tagged Contests, bwbcontest, contest, twitter, year of books

Better World Books Podcast: Michael Malone

Posted by admin on 07.24.2009 at 1:24 pm

Michael Malone is the best award winning, New York Times bestselling author you’ve never heard of. His latest novel, THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE SKY, is a rare combination of page turning adventure and deeply complex writing. And it should be — he spent 10 years writing it. You get the feeling when you talk to Michael that he doesn’t write for the money or the fame but because he genuinely loves to write.

This is a guy who has won an Edgar, an O. Henry, and even an Emmy for his television writing and he is as unassuming and easy to talk to as you could ever imagine. In addition to his writing, Michael is also a professor at Duke University and as I interviewed him I found myself jealous of his students. This is a guy you could really learn from.

Read more…

Interview with Michael Malone [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (752)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Annie Peregrine-Goode, dana barrett, Duke University, Handling Sin, Michael Malone, podcast, The Four Corners of the Sky

Better World Books Podcast: Ann Brashares

Posted by Dana on 07.16.2009 at 12:30 pm

When you meet Ann Brashares you can see immediately that she is the perfect person to write for young adults.  Though she has three kids of her own she seems to have held onto a sweetness and openness that you sense when you meet her and feel when you read her books.

Ann came to our office on the last stop of her book tour for her latest book 3 WILLOWS, which is the beginning of a new series for her.  For fans of The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants series, have no fear, you’ll see a couple of your favs making an appearance in the Willow series and rumor has it she may come back to the Pants girls again before it’s all said and done. Read more…

Interview with Ann Brashares [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3782)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, 3 Willows, Ann Brashares, dana barrett, podcast, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Young Adult Books

Better World Book Club: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Posted by Dana on 07.15.2009 at 9:56 am

Don’t forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club.  We pick a new book each month that you can discuss with us here on the blog or take it back to your neighborhood book club.  We even set you up with everything you need for your meeting…. a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even a great recipe.  You can sign up by going to manage subscriptions now.

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog and on the new book club page.

Our Latest Pick

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein

I don’t mind a little crying over a good book if then end justifies the tears.  In this case, the ending and much of went on in the middle was predictable, but the book was ultimately worth the tears.

The story is told by Enzo the dog – who is nearly a human trapped in a dog’s body.  Frustrated by his lack of opposable thumbs and his inability to speak, he makes an interesting observer and sometimes participant to the life of race car driver Denny Swift. Read more…

2 Comments » | Tagged Better World Book Club, Allrecipes.com, book club, dana barrett, Discussion Questions, Enzo, Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Secret

The Better World Books / NCFL Libraries & Families Award

Posted by admin on 07.11.2009 at 7:00 am

We are so proud to be working with the National Center for Family Literacy on a new national award for libraries.

The Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award is three $10,000 grants that will be given to three different library recipients each year to help enhance family programming already under way in library settings. The award will connect more families to their local libraries and expand their literacy efforts in new and innovative ways.

We work with over 1,800 libraries across the country, so we know how passionate they are about literacy. We also know how tough this economy is and how hard it is to get funding for much needed programs. That is why we are so proud to be partnering with NCFL on this award.

For more details, check out our press release – or just go to www.famlit.org where libraries can also submit their contact information and be notified when the application is available.

Have your say » | Tagged Impact, Our Partners, better world books, Grants, Libraries and Families Award, National Center for Family Literacy, NCFL

Better World Books Podcast: Laura Flanders

Posted by Dana on 07.08.2009 at 7:20 am

I got the chance to sit down with Laura Flanders recently at the Green Festival in Seattle.  This is a busy, smart woman who knows how to talk and knows what she is talking about.  After all that’s what she does for a living.

In addition to being an author, Laura Flanders hosts GRITtv – a daily talk show which airs online as well as on satellite, cable and public tv.  The show also airs weekly on radio and focuses on both news and arts.

We talked primarly about the book BLUE GRIT which focuses on the Democratic party and Laura’s belief that the party has to stop pandering the middle and focus on it’s liberal base.  The Blue Gritters as she calls them.  Read more…

Interview with Laura Flanders [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1380)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Blue Grit, green festival, GRITradio, GRITtv, Host Dana Barrett, Laura Flanders

Better World Books on CNN Today (2-Jul), Saturday (4-Jul), and Sunday (5-Jul)

Posted by John on 07.02.2009 at 5:57 am

Just learned Better World Books will be featured repeatedly on CNN today and this weekend. Check it out during the shows that air at one of these times (all times are EDT). Please pass it on!

CNN-U.S.
Thursday 2-Jul: 8:00a, 12:00p, 2:00p
Saturday 4-Jul: 7:00p, 10:00p, 1:00a
Sunday 5-Jul: 6:00a

CNN HLN
Thursday 2-Jul: 12:00p, 2:00p, 4:00p
Saturday 4-Jul: 6:00p
Sunday 5-Jul: 6:00p

Update 12:35pm: Watch It Now:

65 Comments » | Tagged Uncategorized