Category Archives: Books

The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I was today years old when I discovered that America’s greatest living short story writer George Saunders published a children’s book more than 20 years ago. Issued in 2000 by Villard Books, an imprint of Random House, The Very Persistent … Continue reading →

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Chain Gang

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

When the public library in Rawicz, Poland needed to move its entire collection from it’s 70 year-old library to a new building 350 meters away it put out a call for help from the local community. On November 25, 2022, … Continue reading →

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Some You May Like, Some You May Need

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

What better way to start the week than unexpected photographs of animals being amusing from the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. Who wouldn’t love to spend an afternoon riding a tourist train in Japan’s verdant countryside powered by leftover ramen broth. … Continue reading →

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Nation States

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I recently discovered that one of my favorite sci-fi authors has been running a wonderful website for 20 years that allows users to create, grow, and administer their own nation state. Australian writer Max Barry’s website NationStates offers the opportunity to own … Continue reading →

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Just Another Caturday

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

   

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Everybody Loves a Travel Guidebook Parody

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Here in North America the travel guidebook author and travel show host Rick Steves is almost universally loved, but is also the target of good natured satire as well. While I’ve met Rick, and even spent an afternoon hanging with … Continue reading →

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Bizarre Books

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Brian Lake who manages Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers in Bloomsbury, London has compiled  a volume of truly odd and eccentric book covers in his new book Librorum Ridiculorum A Compendium of Bizarre Books. The books in the collection range from fairly … Continue reading →

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It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

George Orwell’s seminal dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four became a powerful symbol of resistance to totalitarianism. Last month an impressive reproduction of the novel’s original manuscript was released by SP Books. The only surviving Orwell manuscript of any of his works … Continue reading →

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Brooklyn Public Library’s Most Borrowed Book

Posted on November 19, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

When I was a young child I spent quite a lot of time in Brooklyn. I did the usual things that Brooklyn kids did; I played stick ball in the street and stuffed my face at the corner candy store. … Continue reading →

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Book of Joe

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I am not a big hobbiest, but about five years ago I became mildly obsessed with the process of home coffee roasting. Now I am on my second roasting machine and quietly researching a larger capacity replacement. Of course I … Continue reading →

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