Who says old books have to go to the rubbish dump? If you’ve got a pile lying somewhere that you know you will never read again, look at this article published on the ReFab Diaries blog. When you learn how you can transform your books into impressive pieces of art as shown in this article, you’ll definitely want to try doing so at once. The technique involves folding all the pages of a book in a certain way.
Source: http://www.refabdiaries.com/2012/01/book-folding-free-patterns.html
If you’re not the kind of person who becomes emotionally attached to the books you read and cannot care less for the heaps of books collecting dust on your shelf, you might be interested in this article published on MotherNatureNetwork.com on 9 novel ways to reuse a novel. It gives a bunch of creative ideas on how you can give more meaning to the life of those bundles of pages lying ignored on your shelf, such as turning a book into a secret stash box, a cactus planter, an electronic charging station and much more.
Source: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/recycling/stories/9-novel-ways-to-reuse-a-novel-or-any-other-book
While American libraries are noticing a rapid increase in the rate of e-book lending, most publishers are becoming more and more wary of this situation. Major publishers are still reluctant to make titles available in digital format. Alex Alben reports that publishers fear that the growing popularity of e-books will eat into their print-book sales.
Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2020268612_alexalbenopedlibrariesxml.html?cmpid=2628
This cycle we discovered what the illiteracy rate is around the world, what Africa is doing to help more of its children in learning to read, a children’s author who is writing books to make her town’s next generation wonderful and what good can reading tragic fiction can do us:
When you’re feeling downright miserable and want to read something that will help you feel better, what’s the kind of book you would instinctively reach for? Probably a light and entertaining volume that you know would perk up your mood.
Often, though, humorous tales that you otherwise love, have a completely opposite effect during these times of gloom, leaving you more upset than before, at the “unfairness” of the world. It is probably for times like these that Martin Chilton suggests you pick up Thomas Hardy’s “Jude the Obscure” or Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” Don’t be surprised if you find yourself counting your blessings and feeling relieved that you’re not a character in these gloomy stories.
By the way, it’s not just adults who can benefit from an occasional dose of bleak narratives. Howard A. Ludwig writes that a bummer book or two in your kids’ reading shelf can help them learn that bad things sometimes do happen, but they should see the positive aspects of life even during those hard times. Ludwig has given a list of books that you can add to your children’s library. One of them is “A Story for Hippo,” by Simon Puttock. This is a tale of a monkey and a hippo who were close friends. Hippo dies and Monkey can only but cry all the time. Eventually, Monkey learns that sharing stories about Hippo with others makes him feel better.
Texas-native children’s author Terri Kelley is on a mission: to educate, entertain and inform children through realistically written stories. She composes tales on the situations and problems that are affecting children, and writing is not only her passion but also her way of giving back to her community. Mary Bailey tells more about Terri Kelley and her goals as an author.
While depressed people are usually encouraged to read mood-boosting books as a self-help strategy to lift up their spirits, Martin Chilton discusses what the impact of reading a bleak, dark novel might be on an unhappy person. He wonders if reading appalling tales of someone else’s misfortunes would distract the readers’ mind from their own worries. Read his article to discover names of the top 20 depressing reads of all times.
Most, if not all, children’s books you might have come across would have had cheery and bright storylines with “happily ever after” endings. Howard A. Ludwig has come up with a list of books that are quite the opposite. He also argues that having some of these books (with apparently disappointing endings) on your kid’s bookshelf might actually be a good idea.
Books are gateways to an ocean of knowledge and information, opening up opportunities for learning, growing, bringing positive changes to this world. The passkey to gain access to all that books have to offer is the ability to read! Can you imagine not being able to make out the meaning of this sentence? One in every five adults in the world cannot do that. The Lubuto Library Project is opening libraries in Zambia for disadvantaged youth, giving them a chance to improve their literacy and not grow up into another generation of non-reading adults. Read more on the Care2 website.
Source: http://www.care2.com/causes/literacy-libraries-are-changing-lives-in-africa.html
Dink NeSmith says books are his “happy hour.” When he’s travelling, he downloads books onto his iPad to minimize his load, but for day-to-day reading, he is one of many people who prefer books that they can snuggle up with on the couch, feeling the 12 ounces of weight of paper and ink and turning the pages now and then. He has written short reviews of three of the books he read recently and liked on OnlineAthens.com.
Source: http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2013-01-18/nesmith-happy-hour-double-shot-books