Daily Thoughts 10/31/2009

A portrait of Samuel Johnson by Joshua Reynolds showing Johnson pulling a book's cover back and concentrating intensely on its words. It also, Johnson felt, shows his weak eyes. 1775

Daily Thoughts 10/31/2009

I am reading Small Unit Leadership A Common Sense Approach by Col. Dandrige M. Malone. I am not a military person, but I find this book to be quite interesting. The author uses oral accounts of people who experienced combat. Right now, there are two different American soldiers giving accounts of their unit leaders as they experienced them in Vietnam. The language is in the vernacular, it is full of expletives, but it is also very real sounding. The book is very readable.

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2009

Reading Woman, August Macke (1887-1914)

Daily Thoughts 10/30/2009

I read some more of Sandman Slim during lunch. It is very entertaining. I am almost finished reading it. It might be a bit too dark for some people. It is also a bit profane so some people may not like it. The story is very good though and the writing is excellent for the type of story it tells.

This morning, I did a display of mysteries from the storage area. I was trying to come up with a set of words that would simplify the word storage and sound good. We actually call the storage area, the mezzanine. I pulled books by authors like Dashiell Hammett, Agatha Christie, Wilkie Collins, Erle Stanley Gardner, Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, Simenon, Rex Stout, and others to display. We let people check out books from our displays and replenish them most of the time.

Two new bookmarks were also printed up, one for writing books and another for poetry books. Hopefully, people will take them and find something worthwhile to read.

This morning, I was reading the review magazines. They are coming out with more titles like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The latest one that I have seen is a holiday book; It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Zombies by Michael P. Spradlin.

I picked up a few items to take home, mainly videos, Little Lulu Potato Kids, The Color of Magic which is also an entertaining fantasy book, and Blade Runner the 2 Disc Edition, I have seen Blade Runner many times, this edition includes material on the making of Blade Runner. Blade Runner is based on the book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. It is possibly the best science fiction film ever made.

Daily Thoughts 10/29/2009

François Rabelais lisant, Anonymous drawing, beginning of 17th century

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2009

I was reading Sandman Slim A Novel by Richard Kadrey on the train this morning. It is a fantasy novel about a man who escapes from hell to seek his revenge against some magicians who killed his girlfriend. It is an interesting premise. It reads like noire crossed with urban fantasy. Very gritty, dark and intense.

Today has been fairly pleasant. I have a variety of projects going on; having library aides shift the nonfiction and preparing a plan to rearrange the fiction in the storage area so it is more orderly. I also have ben looking at displays for the new books section and thinking about choosing a graphic novel for the graphic novel club.

I read some more of Sandman Slim. The book is engrossing. It holds my attention quite well. I almost missed my train stop on the way home. I can only say that it gets better as you read the story. The challenges get harder for the main character as he progresses through the novel.

Web Bits

There will be a manga library with over 2 million manga opening in Japan in 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/6443382/Japan-to-create-huge-manga-library.html

10/28/2009

King Alfred the Great was fond of reading and learning.

Daily Thoughts 10/28/2009

Today has been a very slow day. I am looking to pick out a graphic novel for a graphic novel club. I am also thinking about the film which will be shown this weekend.

I did not do a whole lot today. I am looking at a book on Small Unit Leadership A Common Sense Approach by Col. Dandridge M. Malone, USA (Ret.).

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2009

Taganrog Chekhov Library & Museum (built in 1911) by Fyodor Schechtel

Daily Thoughts 10/27/2009

I finished reading The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley. It was a satisfying and entertaining read. I think I may have gotten some useful insights from reading the book.

Today, I talked about doing shifting with my colleagues. It was quite interesting.

Web Bits

A plan to make libraries open to the public, both public and university in Nova Scotia, Canada.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6703659.html

A coming new obsession: how to handle a smaller print-book business.

http://www.idealog.com/blog/a-coming-new-obsession-how-to-handle-a-smaller-print-book-business#disqus_thread