This is an excerpt from Mike Snyder's awesome poem, "Thoughts collected on a super crazy bouncing ball, or Poem written in a rare used bookstore." Thanks, Mike--we'll get to work on those out-patient procedures...as soon as I put up that 5 cent psychiatry sign.
Mike's book, Poems Written Near a Laundromat, is now available for purchase at the Lion.
"...But in some downtown beloved bookstore one may bundle toboggans finding a cease-
fire in this sea of love-n-literary desire lying about with the lonely lions
devouring minty tea feasting on a banquet of coffee-n-biscotti...
'self-educated' can never be overrated..
the seeds are sewn, and who knows where they're goin',
..please excuse the mess,
a rampaging nanny goat just smashed thru a downtown police barricade
and galloped in
looking for 3 billy goats gruff..this is noooo jest..
Earlier we had a Sinatra crooner yammer at the top of his lungs
and some kooke demanding a library card or he'd start a fire,
sir, this is not a library--only a sanctuary..
and we're still working on out-patient procedures."
-Mike Snyder, from "Poem written in a rare used bookstore"
10.3.07
2.3.07
The Minstrel
This is a book written originally as a gift to Elvis Presley from Bernard Benson, who, according to the dust jacket blurb, was the inventor of guided missiles, homing torpedoes, and the Delta Wing aircraft, who later retired from his work to a medieval home in France where he devoted himself to the studying the Tibetan culture (which explains why our yak shepherdess is so excited about this book). The book itself is a fable about a minstrel from long ago who gets reincarnated as--guess who--and is thus able to once again bring joy and peace to the world. Our copy is a reprint published shortly after Elvis' death; the copyright page indicates that proceeds from its original sales went to support Tibetan sages.
I couldn't make this up if I tried.
-S.
I couldn't make this up if I tried.
-S.
28.2.07
En Ven Er En Der Kan Li' Dig
En Ven Er En Der Kan Li' Dig, by Joan Walsh Anglund. A...Dutch, is it?...book with wonderful illustrations.
My litmus test for deciding if a book is in Dutch or German....If it looks like German, but I can't understand it, it's Dutch. This works most of the time.
My litmus test for deciding if a book is in Dutch or German....If it looks like German, but I can't understand it, it's Dutch. This works most of the time.
24.2.07
Martian Landscapes
Wow. The sky is red from all this West Texas dirt that's blown in. I feel like reading some Bradbury. If anybody out there has a picture of this dust storm, shoot me a copy and I'll post it.
The Psychology of Arithmetic
The Psychology of Arithmetic, by Edward Thorndike, 1923
This is evidently a book on the psychology of teaching arithmetic, not on the inner motivations of the numbers themselves. A quick perusal of the text turned up this gem of a line:
They just don't write 'em like that anymore.
This is evidently a book on the psychology of teaching arithmetic, not on the inner motivations of the numbers themselves. A quick perusal of the text turned up this gem of a line:
What armament of satisfiers and annoyers, of positive and negative interests and
motives, stands ready for use in the formation of the intrinsically uninteresting connections between black marks and meanings, numerical exercises and their answers, words and their spelling, and the like? School practice has tried, more or less at random, incentives and deterrents from quasi-physical pain to the most sentimental fondling, from sheer cajolery to philosophical argument, from appeals to assumed savage and primitive traits to appeals to the interest in automobiles, flying-machines, and wireless telegraphy.
They just don't write 'em like that anymore.
Back from Tibet
Greetings and Salutations!
It's been a while since I've been able to blog, but hopefully there will be a bit more time for such things in the future (Ha; I've said that before.).
We now are carrying pinon nut coffee and chocolates. This is the best coffee I've ever tasted, period, and I'm excited to finally carry this company's products. I brew a pot daily, so feel free to drop in for a quick cuppa. Fair warning, though--I brew it strong enough to mule kick.
The 2007 Penny for Your Thoughts lectures were kicked off by Dr. Christopher in January. In case you're new to the Lion, this is a free series of talks given on subjects ranging from poetry to science and everything in between. The next talk will be given by Dr. Marcy Tanter in March. Please check our Events listing on the website for details.
What else.... We still have an open mike poetry night the 3rd Thursday of each month. There are other groups and special events listed on the calendar.
That's all for now!
Blessings,
Sarah
It's been a while since I've been able to blog, but hopefully there will be a bit more time for such things in the future (Ha; I've said that before.).
We now are carrying pinon nut coffee and chocolates. This is the best coffee I've ever tasted, period, and I'm excited to finally carry this company's products. I brew a pot daily, so feel free to drop in for a quick cuppa. Fair warning, though--I brew it strong enough to mule kick.
The 2007 Penny for Your Thoughts lectures were kicked off by Dr. Christopher in January. In case you're new to the Lion, this is a free series of talks given on subjects ranging from poetry to science and everything in between. The next talk will be given by Dr. Marcy Tanter in March. Please check our Events listing on the website for details.
What else.... We still have an open mike poetry night the 3rd Thursday of each month. There are other groups and special events listed on the calendar.
That's all for now!
Blessings,
Sarah
6.12.06
Christmas at the Lion
Greetings and Salutations!
Christmas has arrived at the bookstore. Thanks to family, friends, and the occasional unsuspecting customer, the shop is decorated for the holidays, and looks great (I can brag since I can't take any credit for the work.). With the twinkling lights on the tree and Julie's beautiful singing filling the air, the Christmas spirit is definitely in full force here. If anyone has a good mulling spice recipe, I just might start offering cider for sipping while browsing the stacks. Please email me if you have a good (and simple!) recipe that holds up well in a pump pot.
Mrs. Claus will be reading Christmas stories here when it gets closer to the 25th. Check out our calendar for the exact date.
Congrats to our NaNoWriMo winner for writing a stellar 50,000+ word novel in less than 30 days. Wow! We're not worthy. If any other WriMo participants met the deadline, let me know and I'll toss virtual laurel wreaths your way, too.
That's all for now, folks. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good read.
GBTFB,
Sarah
Christmas has arrived at the bookstore. Thanks to family, friends, and the occasional unsuspecting customer, the shop is decorated for the holidays, and looks great (I can brag since I can't take any credit for the work.). With the twinkling lights on the tree and Julie's beautiful singing filling the air, the Christmas spirit is definitely in full force here. If anyone has a good mulling spice recipe, I just might start offering cider for sipping while browsing the stacks. Please email me if you have a good (and simple!) recipe that holds up well in a pump pot.
Mrs. Claus will be reading Christmas stories here when it gets closer to the 25th. Check out our calendar for the exact date.
Congrats to our NaNoWriMo winner for writing a stellar 50,000+ word novel in less than 30 days. Wow! We're not worthy. If any other WriMo participants met the deadline, let me know and I'll toss virtual laurel wreaths your way, too.
That's all for now, folks. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good read.
GBTFB,
Sarah
3.11.06
NaNoWriMo
Greetings, WriMos!
It's the first week of the writing frenzy, and I'm excited at the feedback I so far received from ya'll. I'll make this email short so you can get back to your novel, but I've a couple of updates.
First, the kickoff donut fest was moved to this Saturday (tomorrow) at 7:30 am until 9:30 am. Come when you want; if you just want to grab a bear claw and run, that's fine, or stay and visit with other WriMos. As always, you are free to write at the store anytime. Hang out all day if you'd like--the upstairs area is usually pretty quiet. I've stocked up on some gourmet coffees and teas for WriMos only.
Also this Saturday, Mike Kearby, author of Road to a Hanging, will be visiting the store from 10am until 11:30 am. He is available for book signing as well as for chatting about writing in general, and so I encourage you to drop in to say howdy. His book is young adult's historical fiction, so bring the kids if you have any. This event is free and open to the general public as well as you, our illustrious writers. (On the same note, be sure to pencil in time for the Author Extravaganza on Nov. 30th, 7pm-8:30pm. More info on that, later.).
What else...Oh! Hopefully everyone has done this already, but just in case: Don't forget that you have to register at http://www.nanowrimo.org/ in order to participate in this event. If you haven't, it's not too late, but we're already on Day Four, so I encourage you to sign up this week. And if you haven't started your novel yet or decided, "Ah, well, there's always next year..," CARPE DIEM! You only live once! You can do it! It's not too late to begin (Three participants will be starting their novel tomorrow, and my money's on their actually finishing before anyone else.)! Write...write like the wind, my fleet and frisky authors! And did I mention that I'm giving gift certificates to anyone who hits the 50,000 word mark? Writer's, rejoice!
Yea.....books,
Sarah
It's the first week of the writing frenzy, and I'm excited at the feedback I so far received from ya'll. I'll make this email short so you can get back to your novel, but I've a couple of updates.
First, the kickoff donut fest was moved to this Saturday (tomorrow) at 7:30 am until 9:30 am. Come when you want; if you just want to grab a bear claw and run, that's fine, or stay and visit with other WriMos. As always, you are free to write at the store anytime. Hang out all day if you'd like--the upstairs area is usually pretty quiet. I've stocked up on some gourmet coffees and teas for WriMos only.
Also this Saturday, Mike Kearby, author of Road to a Hanging, will be visiting the store from 10am until 11:30 am. He is available for book signing as well as for chatting about writing in general, and so I encourage you to drop in to say howdy. His book is young adult's historical fiction, so bring the kids if you have any. This event is free and open to the general public as well as you, our illustrious writers. (On the same note, be sure to pencil in time for the Author Extravaganza on Nov. 30th, 7pm-8:30pm. More info on that, later.).
What else...Oh! Hopefully everyone has done this already, but just in case: Don't forget that you have to register at http://www.nanowrimo.org/ in order to participate in this event. If you haven't, it's not too late, but we're already on Day Four, so I encourage you to sign up this week. And if you haven't started your novel yet or decided, "Ah, well, there's always next year..," CARPE DIEM! You only live once! You can do it! It's not too late to begin (Three participants will be starting their novel tomorrow, and my money's on their actually finishing before anyone else.)! Write...write like the wind, my fleet and frisky authors! And did I mention that I'm giving gift certificates to anyone who hits the 50,000 word mark? Writer's, rejoice!
Yea.....books,
Sarah
Our BookTalk message board is down. I'm not quite sure what the deal is, but I'll try to get it back up as soon as possible. The Tibetan yak shepherdess is currently brushing her yaks (and everyone knows how long it takes to properly groom such beasties), but when I see her tomorrow I'll notify her of the problem.
In the meantime, I'll post the book news here.
The Domesday Book has now been digitally archived. Here's the website:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/
Pretty neat, huh?
GBTFB,
Sarah
In the meantime, I'll post the book news here.
The Domesday Book has now been digitally archived. Here's the website:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/
Pretty neat, huh?
GBTFB,
Sarah
9.10.06
NaNoWriMo
Greetings and Salutations!
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (pronounced na-no-wry-mo) for short, is November, and we're hosting Stephenville's participants. I've placed the official link on the newsletter, so if you're interested in becoming part of this insane writing phenomenon, go for it. In addition to signing up with the official site, please drop me a line or drop by the store on or before Oct 31st, and you'll become eligible for the "WriMos only" in-store perks and events. Come on...you've always said you wanted to write a book, right? Here's your chance to ride a wave of intense literary momentum to help you achieve that goal.
GBTFB,
Sarah
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (pronounced na-no-wry-mo) for short, is November, and we're hosting Stephenville's participants. I've placed the official link on the newsletter, so if you're interested in becoming part of this insane writing phenomenon, go for it. In addition to signing up with the official site, please drop me a line or drop by the store on or before Oct 31st, and you'll become eligible for the "WriMos only" in-store perks and events. Come on...you've always said you wanted to write a book, right? Here's your chance to ride a wave of intense literary momentum to help you achieve that goal.
GBTFB,
Sarah
12.9.06
Evening in Tibet
Greetings and Salutations!
Long time no talk to, eh? We've much to catch up on, so grab a cup of tea for the duration. I'll post this in two entries, one business, one fun.
First, business:
We have recently added two new sections to the bookstore: romance and vintage paperback! The romance section is a hodge-podge of all the sub-categories in that genre, and are all priced at 1.25 per book. I'm really excited about the vintage paperback section. There's everything from classic pulp fiction (featuring menacing lagoon creatures, classy dames, cynical private eyes, and larger than life starship captains...though not all in the same novels, of course) to historical works. It's hard to pick a favorite out of them all, although the frighteningly upbeat government-issued 1961 chapbook on nuclear fallout protection for the whole family is definitely a top contender.
By the way, we are now carrying Brodart covers and other book-friendly preservation and storage products.
We're having our Grand Opening at the end of this month. Details of activities are still in the works; I'll post the schedule when it's finalized.
The Open Mike Poetry night has been going strong for several months now, and has become a personal favorite event. It's open to everyone, poet or no, so feel free to drop in whether you have something to read or not. Original work is encouraged but not required, thank goodness; I would not be able to participate otherwise! Poet I am not. Anyway, we meet at 7pm on the third Thursday of every month (which for this September is the 21st). All I ask is that you drop me a line or drop by the store to RSVP--that way I can brew enough java to go around.
We are starting up the Penny for Your Thoughts lectures this fall. Again, details will be up soon.
Fall is for Football here at the Lion. Yes, really! October we will feature all literary works pigskin. Whether you're a die-hard fan or would rather have a root canal than watch sports, I have a couple of surprises up my sleeve that will appeal to both ends of the enthusiasm spectrum....
Let's see...am I leaving anything out? Oh! There is another book group forming here. They will be meeting once a month in the evening--I don't think the group has fixed a specific date or time. They will be reading general fiction, which includes a pretty broad range of novels. A few people have approached me with the hopes of starting a Sci-Fi only group. There's not quite enough call for it yet, but if a couple more people would like a discussion over that genre, perhaps we'll get that together.
Guess that's it for now. I'm working on a second post about the latest crazy bookstore adventures...stay tuned.
GBTFB,
Sarah
Long time no talk to, eh? We've much to catch up on, so grab a cup of tea for the duration. I'll post this in two entries, one business, one fun.
First, business:
We have recently added two new sections to the bookstore: romance and vintage paperback! The romance section is a hodge-podge of all the sub-categories in that genre, and are all priced at 1.25 per book. I'm really excited about the vintage paperback section. There's everything from classic pulp fiction (featuring menacing lagoon creatures, classy dames, cynical private eyes, and larger than life starship captains...though not all in the same novels, of course) to historical works. It's hard to pick a favorite out of them all, although the frighteningly upbeat government-issued 1961 chapbook on nuclear fallout protection for the whole family is definitely a top contender.
By the way, we are now carrying Brodart covers and other book-friendly preservation and storage products.
We're having our Grand Opening at the end of this month. Details of activities are still in the works; I'll post the schedule when it's finalized.
The Open Mike Poetry night has been going strong for several months now, and has become a personal favorite event. It's open to everyone, poet or no, so feel free to drop in whether you have something to read or not. Original work is encouraged but not required, thank goodness; I would not be able to participate otherwise! Poet I am not. Anyway, we meet at 7pm on the third Thursday of every month (which for this September is the 21st). All I ask is that you drop me a line or drop by the store to RSVP--that way I can brew enough java to go around.
We are starting up the Penny for Your Thoughts lectures this fall. Again, details will be up soon.
Fall is for Football here at the Lion. Yes, really! October we will feature all literary works pigskin. Whether you're a die-hard fan or would rather have a root canal than watch sports, I have a couple of surprises up my sleeve that will appeal to both ends of the enthusiasm spectrum....
Let's see...am I leaving anything out? Oh! There is another book group forming here. They will be meeting once a month in the evening--I don't think the group has fixed a specific date or time. They will be reading general fiction, which includes a pretty broad range of novels. A few people have approached me with the hopes of starting a Sci-Fi only group. There's not quite enough call for it yet, but if a couple more people would like a discussion over that genre, perhaps we'll get that together.
Guess that's it for now. I'm working on a second post about the latest crazy bookstore adventures...stay tuned.
GBTFB,
Sarah
11.9.06
Later Tonight...
Sorry about taking so long to update the blog. I've been in Tibet visiting my 172 year old great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother, and my yaks, of course. Sarah's new entries should be up tonight. I promise that the goat pictures will be posted, for those of you who have been so patiently waiting.
-The Shepherdess
-The Shepherdess
5.6.06
Trial Run of Message Board
I have created a message board for book-related news and discussion. I have not yet placed a link to it from the website proper because it is only a trial run. We'll see what happens with it. In the meantime, you can find it at the following address:
http://www.vf11.com/belovedbookstor/
GBTFB,
Sarah
http://www.vf11.com/belovedbookstor/
GBTFB,
Sarah
1.6.06
Changes to the Website
Greetings and Salutations! May went by in a flash. Lots of bizarre and wonderful happenings here at the Lion; I'll elaborate in upcoming posts. Suffice it to say that among mad-cap inventory antics, barnyard animal invasions (yes, really), and a surprise celebrity appearance, things have been quite lively in the bookstore.
I've a few immediate updates. First, you may have noticed some changes to the website. We finally have the in-store stock catalogued, so a rough version of it can be viewed by clicking on the "browse our stacks" home page button. As time goes on, the catalogue will be significantly more informative, but it should even now give a general overview of our inventory. Prices should be posted by the end of next month. Second, I have moved our "Letters from the Lion" into this blog format to make them a) easier to update and b) comment-friendly. I welcome your comments and suggestions as well as any book news you may find.
If you have any anecdotes to share about the history of our building and/or the previous businesses it has held, please email me or drop by the shop. That's all, folks, at least for now. Happy reading!
GBTFB,
Sarah
I've a few immediate updates. First, you may have noticed some changes to the website. We finally have the in-store stock catalogued, so a rough version of it can be viewed by clicking on the "browse our stacks" home page button. As time goes on, the catalogue will be significantly more informative, but it should even now give a general overview of our inventory. Prices should be posted by the end of next month. Second, I have moved our "Letters from the Lion" into this blog format to make them a) easier to update and b) comment-friendly. I welcome your comments and suggestions as well as any book news you may find.
If you have any anecdotes to share about the history of our building and/or the previous businesses it has held, please email me or drop by the shop. That's all, folks, at least for now. Happy reading!
GBTFB,
Sarah
Feb-April archived posts
APRIL
I did manage to get a few seedlings in the ground last month, so hopefully in time I'll be browsing through the Literary Lion's cookbook section for creative ways to serve eggplant, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, garlic, and watermelon--probably not in the same dish.This month we will have our first "Open Mike" poetry night. I look forward to hearing you emote, Stephenville, so don't be shy. The event is free; please sign up in the store or shoot me an email so I'll know how much coffee to brew.The online search feature of our website should be up shortly, by the way. Thanks for your interest in this feature.
MARCH
It feels like May outside, so we've got a terminal case of gardening fever. Restraint, restraint, and focus on books. There. Better.To celebrate this early springtime weather, we last month featured books about birds. We still have our collection on display, and it's chock full of Field guides, feeding and watching handbooks, nature essays, and, of course, several fiction books, too. Mr. Popper's Penguins, anyone? This month we will feature anything Irish. Travel guides, fairy tales, modern fiction by authors from the Emerald Isle...you get the picture. What else...oh. If you would like to receive a monthly e-mail updating you on our events and new services, please shoot us an email with the word "NEWSLETTER" in the subject line.
FEBRUARY
Website Test
I did manage to get a few seedlings in the ground last month, so hopefully in time I'll be browsing through the Literary Lion's cookbook section for creative ways to serve eggplant, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, garlic, and watermelon--probably not in the same dish.This month we will have our first "Open Mike" poetry night. I look forward to hearing you emote, Stephenville, so don't be shy. The event is free; please sign up in the store or shoot me an email so I'll know how much coffee to brew.The online search feature of our website should be up shortly, by the way. Thanks for your interest in this feature.
MARCH
It feels like May outside, so we've got a terminal case of gardening fever. Restraint, restraint, and focus on books. There. Better.To celebrate this early springtime weather, we last month featured books about birds. We still have our collection on display, and it's chock full of Field guides, feeding and watching handbooks, nature essays, and, of course, several fiction books, too. Mr. Popper's Penguins, anyone? This month we will feature anything Irish. Travel guides, fairy tales, modern fiction by authors from the Emerald Isle...you get the picture. What else...oh. If you would like to receive a monthly e-mail updating you on our events and new services, please shoot us an email with the word "NEWSLETTER" in the subject line.
FEBRUARY
Website Test
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