Creepy crawlies
Shop assistant says, "Sorry, sir, we don't sell wasps."
The man says, "Well, you've got loads in the window."
Silly joke but it neatly brings us onto the subject of insects, entomology, zoology, wasps, ants, butterflies, moths, bees, wetas or whatever your particular area of interest is.
Today's pictures are from a three-volume set of Episodes of Insect Life, published in 1849 by Reeve, Benham & Reeve, by Acheta Domestica. There are some superb illustrations as you can see.
We do have a huge range of entomology books, from general interest to the very specialised professional field, from cheap and cheerful to really expensive, from textbooks to picture books, from academic tomes to introductory courses. Whatever you're after, we've probably got something of interest. Browse through our catalogue and see what you can find.
Fifty Years Adrift
Fifty Years Adrift by Derek Taylor and George Harrison (Editor)
This is a limited numbered edition which is signed by the author and also by the editor George Harrison. It comes in a dark brown heavy card slipcase. It is a small quarto with dark brown cloth boards and polished dark brown leather corners & spine. On the spine, there is gilt lettering in a red title panel between five raised bands. An attractive gilt & red ship motif sits in the middle of the front board. All the page edges are gilt.
It is very expensive but would be a great present for the music lover in your life. There is plenty of coverage of Derek Taylor's contact with elite musician such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Roy Orbison. The layout of the book is intriguing. It is a beautiful edition. Has to be seen to be believed.
Music makes the world go round
"Let me be clear about this: I don't have a drug problem, I have a police problem."
Keith Richards
"We don't comment on whales and the rainforest. You need a rock star for that? Some idiot who couldn't tune a guitar six month ago is now an environmental expert?"
Gene Simmons, KISS
Gods of Rock by Rob Fitzpatrick and Mark Roland is packed with legends, lore, myths, facts, escapades and quotations from the world of popular music from AC/DC to ZZ Top. If you run a pub quiz or just like trivia, this is the book for you: bands with mad names, longest prog songs, most overrated albums, songs used in political campaigns, religious rockers, least & most sexy rock stars, and much more.
We have a huge range of books on all kinds of music. Whatever your area, we probably have something to interest you. Come in and have a look or browse through our online catalogue. You get over 100 books to browse with the key words 'country & western' and over 1000 with the key word 'music'.
Joseph Conrad
Secondly, although he was actually from Poland and Polish was his first language, he became a UK citizen and wrote really beautiful prose in English, his second language. There are not many who could do that.
But thirdly, and definitely my favourite, he apparently didn't like to read reviews of his work. What he did was measure the review with a ruler and the longer the review, the happier he was with it. Seems like a very sensible strategy to me.
Regent Book Sale
Everyone knows it is time for the 24-hour Regent book sale. It is now under way in Dunedin. Our boss flew down from Auckland yesterday to be ready for today's opening.
He needed to be picked up from Momona Airport and so, as you can see in the accompanying photo, a loyal employee of Hard to Find Books Dunedin headed out to collect him.
Another weird title
This is not a book about making and eating food that is good for your face or your skin. It is also not a book about how to make beautifying face masks. Either of those might justify the writing of a book with such a weird title.
But - and this is a big but - it is actually a book about how to waste hours and hours just to make plates of food look totally inedible. In fact, it would probably put you off your food so may help if you're dieting. Otherwise there appears to be no reason why anyone would ever consider this worthwhile.
However, someone called Christopher Salyers did and he has written a how-to guide. You want a totally pointless gift, pop in and pick up our copy - we won't be needing it.
More weird titles
A customer popped into the shop today and said he'd seen yesterday's title. His favourite is a book called It was On FIre When I Lay Down On It. I think it's a brilliant title - makes you envisage someone talking to a police officer in dubious circumstances. In fact, you could easily add, "It was on fire when I lay down on it, honest, Guv!"
If I'd thought of the title, I would definitely have written a book. No idea what this book is about but let us know if you do. It's written by Robert Fulghum. I think it trumps yesterday's weird title and is the winner so far this week.
Keep trying to remember any good ones you've come across.
Weird Book TItles
While working out the back amongst our internet stock last week, I happened to spot a book with a title that made me smile. It's probably happened to all of us at some stage when in a book shop or a library or while perusing someone else's book shelves.
How about this one:
Fish Are Such Liars
I didn't even stop to look what it was about. I just smiled and carried on. But later I thought it might be quite interesting to scout around for strange or amusing titles and/or for those kinds of books where you wonder how on earth anyone could ever have thought it was worth writing such a book or that it would ever find a reader or a buyer.
Anyway, Fish are Such Liars starts this week's theme of oddities. The book is by Ronald Pertwee and turns out to be fiction rather than fishing. I was envisaging some angler reminiscing about catching (or not) wily trout but it was not to be
