I don’t usually do this… in fact I don’t think  I’ve ever done this before… telling my readers to watch a youtube video is SO not me… but I’m doing it now. Click here to see the sweetest, neatest, most amazing little video. It was shot at Type, a Toronto bookshop at 883 Queen St. W., with the aide of many, many, helping hands. The amount of work involved in producing this just boggles my little mind. If you love books, love to read, and I’m sure you do if you’re reading my blog, you’ll LOVE this short video. You’ll want to watch it over and over again. It will make you happy! Guaranteed!!

You probably don’t care, but I’m writing this anyway… the winter is long, cold, and dark, plus icy and… can you tell I’m not a fan? Like a squirrel hoarding away nuts to make sure he survives the winter, I stack books to get me through the doldrums of  despair while I check off the days on the calendar til spring. And this year I’m so lucky because some of my favourite authors recently released new books. So, sitting on my coffee table waiting to be read are: 

• Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
• I’ll See You in My Dreams by William Deverell
• The Accident by Lynwood Barclay
• Tell It to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami
• The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill
• Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

George Whitman died at the grand old age of 98 this week in Paris. He was the owner of one of the most famous English bookstore in the world. Situated on the left bank of the Seine River, Shakespeare and Company was home to many a wandering bibliophile for more than half a century. Whitman allowed would-be writers and travellers in need of a bed to crash in the store in exchange for some help around the shop. One such person was Jeremy Mercer from Ottawa who ended up writing a really great book based on his “adventures” in Shakespeare and Company. The book is called When Time was Soft There and it’s a great and timely read.

I heard about this book on the radio and immediately went to look it up because the title was so captivating, plus it made me chuckle. It’s called A Perfectly Kept House is a Sign of a Misspent Life: How to Live Creatively with Collections, Clutter, Work, Kids, Pets, Art, Etc. It’s by Mary Randolph Carter. It sounds fascinating so I immediately put my name on the list for it at the library – yes it even has a waiting list. So I’m not the only person who is surrounded by clutter, dust bunnies, and, well let’s face it – junk. And I though here’s a woman after my own mind when I read the comment “don’t scrub the soul out of your home”! I am so intrigued by this book that I can’t wait to get my paws on it.

Anita Rau Badami’s new book, Tell it to the Trees, will be released in mid September.  I really, really liked her last book, Can You Hear the Nightbird Call, so I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her new one.

You know how much I love Jamie Oliver. And apparently I’m not alone. Not only has his latest book, Meals in Minutes: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast been in the top 10 best-selling culinary books in Canada for weeks, but when it was released in Britain late last year it set a record for being the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time. All time!

Who needs a spa when you’ve got this…

Twice annually Bill Gates packs it all in and schedules a week-long ‘reading retreat’ (not only does he have gazillions of dollars – but he’s got his head screwed on properly!). During this time he does nothing but pore over the books and papers he’s set aside during the year. And this kind of retreat seems popular in the U.K. You can sign up at London’s School of Life (?) and get a customized book list plus lodging at one of several modern country houses. Now who would want a pedicure when you could have this! No mention of food though… I M H O you’ve got to have good food to go with this.

Well-known British writer Jeffrey Archer’s new book, Only Time Will Tell, will be released in late August. This is the first book in a series called The Clifton Chronicles. The series portrays the Clifton family over the course of 100 years, starting with Harry Clifton, a dock worker in Bristol England in the 1920s. Mark your calendars guys! This is bound to be good.

I just read an article in The Globe & Mail (A novel soundtrack, by Marsha Lederman, May 11th) that I found quite intriguing. Music specifically chosen by a writer to go along with their book… how about that! Author Jodi Picoult has even included a CD with her latest book, Sing You Home, where each song corresponds to a chapter in her book. It just so happens her protagonist is a music therapist so this is more than fitting to the overall effect and enjoyment of her novel.  Even Stephanie Meyer suggests soundtracks for her Twilight books on her website. And singer Sylvia Tyson, who recently published her first novel, has a corresponding album which has the same name as her book. Interesting eh! I like noise in the background when I read so this might be something to check out.

I couldn’t believe it… there it was staring out at me from a page of The Globe & Mail… The Royal Wedding for Dummies. One of those yellow Dummies books. All about the royal wedding. Honest.