Category Archives: Libraries

Another Reason To Love Brooklyn

When I was a little kid my Grandmother used to grudgingly take me to the Brooklyn Library on Flatbush Avenue. She wasn’t much of a reader and never understood how I could spend so much time looking at books. But … Continue reading

Posted in Books, ebooks, Freedom of Speech, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Book of Kells

One of the highlights of a trip to Dublin for any bibliophile is a visit to the magnificent Trinity College Library. And the most popular attraction in the library is the amazing 9th century Book of Kells. The devotional text … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Get a New York Public Library Card (even if you don’t live there)

One of my favorite places to visit in New York City is the NYPL flagship branch in Manhattan. The grand Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is a must see for any book lover in the city. The grand Beaux-Arts design aside, … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Books, Freedom of Speech, Libraries, Maps, Museums, USA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“LIBRARIAN – HAPPY EASTER X”

“LIBRARIAN – HAPPY EASTER X”, just  three words and a signature X was all it took to once again open one of Britain’s most intriguing literary mysteries of the 21st century. In November 2000, a pair of notebooks belonging to … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Museums, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Conjure-Man Dies

“The Conjure-Man Dies” is a product of the Harlem Renaissance and the most important work of long-overlooked writer Rudolph Fisher. First published in 1932, the book was the first full-length mystery novel to feature an all-Black cast of characters, including … Continue reading

Posted in Books, History, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Library of Short Stories

I recently discovered The Library of Short Stories  a website which compiles and shares out-of-copyright short fiction. The free site collects short stories across various genres. There’s classic Conan Doyle,Lovecraft, Dickens, Poe, and so much more. Here’s what the site … Continue reading

Posted in Books, ebooks, Europe, History, Libraries, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book the Vote

The group Writers for Democratic Action along with dozens of independent booksellers, librarians, and the student group Democracy Matters has launched a new project called  Book the Vote, with the aim of registering more voters, particularly in battleground states, before … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Freedom of Speech, Libraries, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

‘Theatrum orbis terrarum’

I have been fascinated by globes and atlases all of my life. When I was in 1st grade, I convinced my Mother to buy me a small spinning globe for my bedside table. When I was at university, I came … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Maps, Museums | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

It is the small everyday deeds of folk that keep the darkness at bay

If you are a regular visitor to TBTP, you are well aware that I am a Tolkien aficionado. I imagine that many of you are also fans. Then you will be happy to learn that the Tolkien Estate has launched … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Books, Libraries, Maps, movies, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Book House Library

These days it seems that the most innovative libraries are found in China. The  luminous Pingtan Book House Library is a new library in the rural village of Pingtan, China. It takes shape as an ‘infinitely looping’ staircase enclosed by a … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Asia, Books, Libraries | Tagged , | 1 Comment