Are We Missing Something

We we're recently informed that our Goggle+ page would be going down unless there was more action on it.  Well, we thought this blog was automatically posted onto that page whenever it was done.  Apparently, that hasn't always been the case.  Therefore, we have made sure that this week's post should also appear there, as well as the other locations it is usually associated with.  Namely, its own website and the store's website as well.  In fact, we need more traffic there.  We must admit that we have been focusing most of our social media attention on only one site or another.  We are sorry that we don't do enough elsewhere.  Now that we have an improved online connection, we should be able to provide even more content online.  At least, we hope so.  Anyway, this week's post was only written to help get views to one place or another.  We hope you find all of our content as great as we do.  See you next week.

Time for Something Different

To be honest, we don't have anything to write about again this week.  Basically, we are just waiting for something else to happen.  At least we can tell you about a few things we are getting ready to do with social media.  We are getting ready to post the latest round of holiday theme pictures, this time for Independence Day.  We will try to post a new capsule review. and this one is really special.  It is going to be about something we have never done before.  Also, we might be posting more online material.  Put an emphasis on 'might'.  Some things will be harder to work out than others.  Anyhow, that is just how things are going here.  See you next week.  We really need to come up with better material.

I Wonder What Today May Bring

It is sometimes hard to come up with a topic for this blog post every week.  Therefore, in honor of today's date, we are reprinting an updated version of a post we wrote last year. It seems very appropriate to feature it today.  By the way, today is also Free RPG Day.  Unfortunately, we are not participating, but we strongly suggest going to your local gaming store and pick something up.  Anyway, see you next week.

Saturday, June 16, is the minor literary holiday of Bloomsday.  It is in honor of the day when most of the action in James Joyce's literary classic Ulysses takes place.  It is named in honor of one of the main characters, Leopold Bloom, who we follow along on both him and, returning character from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Stephen Daedalus.  While I have never celebrated this day at my store. Booknotes, before, I still love the idea.  However, I am not sure how one would celebrate beyond talking about the book and its complex themes and imagery, or perhaps, having a party in the style of early twentieth-century Dublin.   One thing is for sure, I would not be doing anything the characters do from the book.  While most actions are rather harmless, (e.g. taking a walk on the beach looking at pebbles, placing a newspaper advertisement), many are somewhat strange (teaching a class at a Jesuit school, suffering intestinal discomfort after eating at a pub).  Some are just unusual (attending an friend's funeral, becoming a father figure to a young man).  Others are just downright weird (going out drinking with college buddies and talking about midwifery, having a formal question-and-answer session with a friend about third-party events as if you weren't a part of them).  Many actions are immoral (making crude puns to your housekeeper, contemplating the love of your husband while having an affair with an actor).  Some are illegal, both then and now (performing a lewd act while ogling a young nanny with her charges on a beach, going to a brothel and hallucinating about your dead mother).  We strongly suggest not doing any of these things.  Maybe we can come up with some better ideas for next year. In fact, I actually had to read Ulysses in college and enjoyed it.  We were originally only going to read excerpts, but the professor changed his mind.  Fortunately, the library had enough copies for the seven of us.  I still had to skip a few pages near the end to finish it in time.  Unfortunately, I have yet to re-read it.

Superlatives All Around

Last week, we teased that we had big news coming.  Well, here it is.  The Appalachian News-Express has just announced that we won the 'Best Bookstore' award in their 'Best in the Valleys' promotion.  The official announcement is still a few weeks off, but we have already been given our award.

 

 It has been a few years since we have won this award, and we would like to thank all of our loyal customers and friends who voted for us.  The picture frame has gotten broken since the last time we won, so we really can't hang it up anymore.  Also, the fish candle was something we got for free.  It was part of a package of things we got when a gift store closed and gave away much of its stock.  We display it around Father's Day as a decoration, but if anyone wants a fish candle, we would be happy to give it away.  The stars are more decorations we are getting ready to put up for Independence Day. See you next week.

Check Back Next Week

Okay, we will have an announcement coming soon.  We wish we could tell you what it is, or even give you some sort of hint, but we can't.  At least not yet.  Don't worry though.  We will have it as part of our blog next week.  In all honesty, we are starting to run out of ideas for the blog.  We know that sounds kind of ridiculous, but it is true.  This time of year, when we have nothing scheduled and not much news to offer, we really don't have anything to say.  It is hard coming up with something to write about every week [As I have mentioned previously, I write two other blogs.  Coming up with original material for each every week isn't always easy.  I had to borrow a topic just last month.]  Well, there isn't much left to say this week.  We are sorry that this week's post is so short.  If you can come up with any ideas for a future post, feel free to tell us on our social media pages or contact us directly.  We could sur euse the help.  See you next week.