The recent lack of posts reflects the fact that I have been otherwise engaged for the last week or so. Much of this time has been spent in the role of "design consultant" to the "operations director" during the course of installation of shelves in my lounge. The shelves are greatly appreciated as they finally provide the opportunity for the unpacking of boxes of books and removal of bags and piles of books from the floor. The walls are painted and my pictures are now on the wall. I can see the lounge carpet in all its glory. What more could a girl ask? OK, there's still some residual work to be done. I have to "finish" the shelves, i.e. oil, varnish or wax them, and then I need to organise the books. But, it was a week of great achievement, restoring some beauty in my home life and the promise of increased organisation for the future...
A shelf is more than a simple shelf, in my books. Done well, it's a piece of precision engineered carpentry and much more. (Kudos where it's due, the OD did a remarkably fine job, without the aid of electrically enhanced tools, too!) A shelf, in my mind, is a home in itself; a home for the wonderful books I collect and read and treasure. That's why I'm still deliberating on the oil vs varnish vs wax scenario, you see. I'd hate to think of anything oily seeping upwards against gravity and into my books. The next phase of this operation will be a "slow burn", no doubt; the shelves have to be "just right" and the book order "perfect". Then, my books, well, some of them, will have a comfortable and long lasting home and I will be worry free.
In between all this and some time spent on job searching, there was a bank holiday weekend here in the UK, so a couple of day trips were also enjoyed. One of these was to the gorgeous Gower peninsula, via Swansea market and the other was a bit of a tour taking in the Brecon Beacons, Brecon itself, Hay on Wye (the "town of books"), and finally, the superb countryside from Hay down through to Abergavenny. When I've loaded up my pictures later, I'll post a few along with some more crime novel information.
The trip to Hay was also fortuitous in allowing me to stock up on some books I've had on the "to buy pile" for ages, as well some other "chance" reads. Will I, won't I like them? At £1 a book for some of them, if I find I do like them, I'll feel privileged and I'll let you know what is good out there that is a tad or more overlooked in the current market place.
For some reason, at some points, conversations of the last week centred on Darwin's theory on the origin of the species and evolution vs "creation". I won't go into my beliefs here and now, but Darwin's theory can move with subtlety into the commercial world. As far as the proposed HMV (Waterstone's) takeover of Ottakar's is concerned, the Competition Commission in the UK has provisionally cleared it. Complications may follow as a number of vultures are circling... But, without doubt, independent booksellers are a dying breed as a result of the changes we see in the publishing world. Thus, I leave you with a picture of an award winning independent bookseller in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
The Aldeburgh Bookshop was the winner of "The Independent Bookshop of the Year - British Book Awards 2005". It has good stock; I bought three books when I visited in March. It's also a comfy environment with spongy chairs to sit in, when browsing. I felt no pressure when browsing its shelves, even though it was exceptionally close to the later closing time.
Aldeburgh, as a location, is a sum of its parts and this book shop is definitely one of its major parts. Check out the Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Maltings Concert Hall for the impact of composer, Benjamin Britten. Check out the local "fish and chippy" , (scroll down), in Aldeburgh, for the freshest fish on this island we call the UK. But if you do make it there, most of all enjoy the coast - it's riveting and enticing. I can understand why Ruth Rendell has a home in Suffolk and why Boris Starling once chose a Martello Tower for his home on that coast.
As for dying breeds, let's help them survive. Here's a good example. A good, well stocked bookshop which serves its community - "The Aldeburgh Bookshop" - may we keep it alive for what it is truly worth, through purchasing our books from them...
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