what do your books say about you?

What does a personal library say about its owner? What clues do the books that line the shelves provide about the person who bought them? 

In Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books, those questions are answered for a handful of famous authors. The book, written by Leah Price, author and Harvard English professor, is a never-before-seen look at the private libraries of 13 renowned authors. It contains photographs of their libraries along with a list of each of their top ten favorite books. It also features the answers to such questions as: When did you start buying books? How do you arrange them? How many of them have you read? Do you throw any out? Do you mark them up? Do you have an e-book reader? 

Stunning photographs of their libraries and close-ups of individual volumes –– first editions, worn textbooks, pristine hardcovers, and childhood favorites –– provide great visuals. Read more about the book at the Harvard Gazette here. 

{Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books is coming soon to the NBPL}

beach reads

With summer nearly upon us, we thought we'd share some of our favorite beach reads.  All great escapes and nothing too terribly heavy.  We'd LOVE to hear some of yours.  

For more beach reads, check out our beach read board on Pinterest here.  

(Too Much Money, Dominick Dunne; Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris; A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway; How to Travel Ingonito, Ludwig Bemelmans; Wonderful Town, David Remnick;Hotel Bemelmans, Ludwig Bemelmans; Living Well is the Best Revenge, Calvin Tomkins; Fifth Avenue 5 A.M., Sam Wasson; The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde; The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair, George Plimpton; Shiksa Goddess, Wendy Wasserstein; Philistines at the Hedgerow, Steven Gaines)

fall in love with reading

We came across this fantastic graphic aimed at getting kids excited about reading. The image was created by Burning through Pages, an organization with a very singular goal: to inspire a love of reading in today's youth by recommending, donating, and discussing books. Brilliant, we think. Don’t you?

So stop by the children’s section of the library, or go online here to take advantage of the multitude of online resources available. And help your child fall in love with reading.

the fantastic mr. dahl

If the name Roald Dahl doesn’t sound familiar, we’re certain you’re familiar with his work: like James and the Giant Peach, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, among many others.

Born in 1916, Roald Dahl was a British novelist and short story writer perhaps best known for his award-winning children’s books. Who doesn’t love Charlie Bucket? Or the bewitching Matilda? And the fantastic Mr. Fox; simply fantastic.

Last month, England’s Royal Mail released a series of gorgeous commemorative stamps (three shown above) honoring the talented Mr. Dahl. The bad news? The stamps won’t work in our mail system. The good news? The Newport Beach Public Library has all of Roald Dahl’s books, and most all on DVD and our newest addition to the children’s section: Blu-Ray discs. Check them out -- they’re clever and timeless classics that will never go out of style.

eBooks are here to stay

EBooks may or may not be your thing. Some people (this author included) love the feel of a hardcover book in their hands. And when the concept of eBooks was first mentioned years ago, these same people balked at the idea, certain that hard-cover book lovers could never be swayed. But they could and they were (this author included). And then, along came the iPad and Kindle and Nook –– and the simplicity and immediacy of it all started to look appealing. Very appealing. The fact that you can read about a New York Times bestseller on your iPad and download that very book within seconds is bliss. And when you’re packing for a holiday on a remote island and reading is at the top of your agenda, six heavy books weighing down your luggage is not so appealing. But your light eReader is. 

So what do eBooks have to do with the library? Simple. The Newport Beach Public Library has thousands of books that you can check out and download to your eReader. It’s an easy process, but one that hands-on instruction can serve to make easier. If you’re interested in learning more, check the Library’s website for upcoming demonstrations, then grab your iPad, Kindle or Nook and join us. Looking forward to seeing you there.