IWSG April 2023 Books on the Move

 Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the April newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

As I somewhat feverishly wrote my first book, I basically had a career, two part-time jobs, and a small family. Time for writing was tight, to say the least. Thus the adverb “feverishly”; you tend to write (and run and drive) faster when racing against time. I had written short stories for years. Yet a career in writing hadn’t entered my mind. But the book was different. From the moment the premise came to mind, I couldn’t wait to write it. What I wanted, desperately needed to do was get the all-consuming story out of my system. Once the story was finished, I realized it wasn’t ever leaving my “system” or my heart ;-)  And the idea of sharing what I write began to feel much less terrifying.

I’m finishing up my fourth (and likely last) book now. I continue to keep my weekly writing goals (700 words per week) ridiculously low in hopes of achieving them. Despite the busyness of tax season, my grammar app says I wrote 4400 words last month! I hope I’m not writing in my sleep ;-)

It’s National Bookmobile Day! Did you know Library Camels spend five (5) days a week delivering books in Kenya? Or that elephants deliver books in the hard-to-reach mountain regions of northern Thailand? Indeed they do! And you can read all about them (and others) in a book called “My Librarian is a Camel”

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” J.K. Rowling

Common Places - L

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

L  When Antonio La Cava, a retired school teacher in Basilcata, Italy, realized a need for children to access books, he transformed his three-wheeler into what he calls the Bibliomotocarro (possibly Italy’s smallest library) to deliver books to children in remote communities.

“Without a book, so often a child is alone” ~ Antonio La Cava

  Fun Fact: Benjamin Franklin started his own Lending Library in 1731 (Philadelphia) called the Library Company (he served as a librarian), but it required a subscription fee of 40 shillings. Later, in 1790, one of the oldest libraries in the country opened in Franklin, Massachusetts where residents could borrow books donated by – you guessed it - Benjamin Franklin.

   

Communal Places - F

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

F  Faulkner House Books – Pirate Alley, New Orleans

This charming bookstore in the heart of the French Quarter is located on the ground floor of the home where William Faulkner lived while completing his first novel in 1925. *Masks and Contact Tracing required

 

Do you own any books by William Faulkner?

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore” ~ William Faulkner

Communal Places - E

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

E   The Eclipse Bookstore in Bellingham, Wa, is a veritable oasis for book lovers.  Two stories of unique books, used and rare, are carefully shelved - floor to ceiling - while low stacks on polished floors patiently await perusal and purchase or a more visible place on a shelf once one becomes available. Soft music complements the atmosphere from the ground-floor view of Bellingham Bay to welcoming reading nooks down below. Leave your cares and your timepiece in the car; the visit may take a while. But it will be well worth it!

 

 

What is the title of the oldest book you own?

 

“Books to the Ceiling. Books to the sky. My pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I’ll have a long beard by the time I read them.” ~ Arnold Lobel

Communal Places - D

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

D.  A rolling cart (for purchases) and an overnight bag (ha!) might be in order for a visit to the Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The sheer volume of used and out-of-print books is a staggering delight for any reader. Setting aside ample time for browsing is highly recommended! The Doomsday Coffee & Roasterie is one of several nearby restaurants and is only a two-minute drive away.

 

Do you like to work or read in Coffee shop settings?

 

“There is no Frigate like a book to take us lands away” ~ Emily Dickinson

Communal Places - C

 

Communal Places for Literary Enthusiasts

C  What began as wishful thinking aloud between like-minded friends became a reality in the form of Changing Hands Bookstore on April 1^st, 1974. With an interest in community service and keen eyes for titles not readily found in chain bookstores, Changing Hands outgrew their 500 square foot space in four short years.  A veritable book-brigade of friends and customers helped them move to a larger facility. Their current location maintains much of the mid-century architecture – the former site of the historic Beefeaters Restaurant – in the heart of Phoenix, offers new and used books, unique gifts, over 300 author events, as well as Craft Fairs, Artisan Markets in their event space known as The Commons. In addition, the Phoenix location is the home of Changing Hands’ own First Draft Book Bar, featuring coffee, wine, beer, and snacks where even young Harry Potter fans can wet their whistle with a (non-alcoholic) beverage during the annual birthday party.

 

Iconic before

Fabulous after 

I'd book an event here, wouldn't you?

“There is a crack in everything. That’s how light gets in” ~ Leonard Cohen

Communal Places - A

 April A to Z 2021 Challenge

Communal Places

For Literary Enthusiasts

A

Alabama Booksmith is the product of the life work, the ultimate dream, really, of a family of booksellers from an incredibly long line of them. Strategically facing Alabama’s busiest highway from a tree-lined backroad, The Alabama Booksmith offers exceptional service with a distinctive business model that enhances the unique experience of browsing a bookstore where every cover is visible (how else can we judge, right?) and every book is signed! *Showroom is currently closed, but you can take advantage of their full-service website and parking lot pick-up.

“If you’re always trying to be normal you’ll never know how amazing you can be” ~  Maya Angelou