Hyatt Hotel's Andaz hotel chain has been described as "cheeky, cutting edge" so this news comes as no surprise when we hear that the Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London, United Kingdom has a new service for guests.
For an initial two week period the hotel will have the world's first "Read in Residence" by the name of Damian Barr. Mr. Barr's role is to read books or talk about literature with guests.
Not a great replacement for my parents reading to me and not a service I would use myself but I do like the promotion of enjoying literature while traveling.
Book a room at Andaz today :-)
Todd
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Hawaii
My family and I recently traveled to a Honolulu, Hawaii for a "working vacation" since I had to give a speech and my wife is on maternity leave so now was the ideal time to go!! Due to this trip I have not posted here for several days but I did collected news items along the way that I plan to post on this week including this one --
Hawaii Book and Music Festival
Third Annual - "free event celebrating books, reading, storytelling, and music............."
May 17 and 18, 2008
Fasi Civic Center grounds
Full details can be found at -- www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org
Due to family time and working via blackberry I only read one of the two books I brought with me on our trip. The book was "Little Heathens" which is a memoir on Iowa farm life during the Great Depression of the 1930's. A far departure from our kayaking in the ocean and my surfing lessons I have to tell you. Truly the world economy has been in worse shape than it is today.
Hang loose and read more,
Todd
Hawaii Book and Music Festival
Third Annual - "free event celebrating books, reading, storytelling, and music............."
May 17 and 18, 2008
Fasi Civic Center grounds
Full details can be found at -- www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org
Due to family time and working via blackberry I only read one of the two books I brought with me on our trip. The book was "Little Heathens" which is a memoir on Iowa farm life during the Great Depression of the 1930's. A far departure from our kayaking in the ocean and my surfing lessons I have to tell you. Truly the world economy has been in worse shape than it is today.
Hang loose and read more,
Todd
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Minnesota Book Awards
Yet another year goes by that I have to miss the annual "Minnesota Book Awards" gala which is set for April 12 this year in St. Paul, Minnesota. This event is organized by Friends of the St. Paul Library (www.thefriends.org) with admission nearly the price of two hard cover books at only $40.00 :-)
As I reviewed the nominee list for these awards according to the following award categories:
Children's Literature
General non fiction
Genre fiction
Memoir and Creative non fiction
Minnesota
Novel and short story
Poetry
Young adult literature
I sadly noted that I have not read even ONE of the books nominated this year!!
Clearly we can always read more,
Todd
As I reviewed the nominee list for these awards according to the following award categories:
Children's Literature
General non fiction
Genre fiction
Memoir and Creative non fiction
Minnesota
Novel and short story
Poetry
Young adult literature
I sadly noted that I have not read even ONE of the books nominated this year!!
Clearly we can always read more,
Todd
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
United Nations
If you hate the United Nations like I do let me recommend this work of "near fiction" that I just completed reading this past weekend:
"Foreign and Domestic"
by Michael Mannske
The central theme is that the President of the USA signed a Declaration of Dependence with the United Nations so the member states get to divide up parts of the USA with the French winning the mandate to control my State of Minnesota -- Mon Dieu!!
Let us hope we never see the UN's "smurf helmet" military troops stationed on USA soil. In fact I am reminded of my personal campaign to re-locate the UN from New York City to a new location such as -- Zimbabwe or Sudan - thus freeing up some prime real estate for developing in the Big Apple.
Time to order the moving vans,
Todd
"Foreign and Domestic"
by Michael Mannske
The central theme is that the President of the USA signed a Declaration of Dependence with the United Nations so the member states get to divide up parts of the USA with the French winning the mandate to control my State of Minnesota -- Mon Dieu!!
Let us hope we never see the UN's "smurf helmet" military troops stationed on USA soil. In fact I am reminded of my personal campaign to re-locate the UN from New York City to a new location such as -- Zimbabwe or Sudan - thus freeing up some prime real estate for developing in the Big Apple.
Time to order the moving vans,
Todd
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Bacon cookies?
Personally I have to think cookies would be more popular as a little snack at your local book club meetings but later this year you might want to consider giving attendees bacon!!
I am pleased to promote a new book that my friend/former colleague, Heather Lauer, will have published later this year which is solely focused on "bacon". I don't have all the details yet regarding what this book will focus on in terms of its chapters but I do know it will be based on her personal blog which is found at:
www.baconunwrapped.com
Please don't get the pages greasy,
Todd
I am pleased to promote a new book that my friend/former colleague, Heather Lauer, will have published later this year which is solely focused on "bacon". I don't have all the details yet regarding what this book will focus on in terms of its chapters but I do know it will be based on her personal blog which is found at:
www.baconunwrapped.com
Please don't get the pages greasy,
Todd
Friday, March 21, 2008
Buy Our Books AND Our Stores!
The USA's second largest book seller -- Borders Group Inc. , based in Ann Arbor, Michigan - announced today that it is exploring selling itself having just arranged for $42.5 million in financing from its largest shareholder (Pershing Square Capital) just to stay afloat.
It will be interesting to watch who might purchase Borders given the book industry's declining sales figures. Barnes and Noble should probably avoid buying the struggling Borders opting instead to sell books in new ways versus adding more retail space to its balance sheet. Personally I could see a private equity fund like Pershing take the company private like Chrysler Corporation is today.
Sadly I don't have the financial resources to buy Borders myself but I do have enough cash to buy the hugely discounted books I think Borders will be offering consumers to improve their cash flow.
Cheap books make for even better stories,
Todd
It will be interesting to watch who might purchase Borders given the book industry's declining sales figures. Barnes and Noble should probably avoid buying the struggling Borders opting instead to sell books in new ways versus adding more retail space to its balance sheet. Personally I could see a private equity fund like Pershing take the company private like Chrysler Corporation is today.
Sadly I don't have the financial resources to buy Borders myself but I do have enough cash to buy the hugely discounted books I think Borders will be offering consumers to improve their cash flow.
Cheap books make for even better stories,
Todd
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Last Will and Testament
Today I finally completed one of those "adult things" we should all do -- I typed up my Last Will and Testament dictating how my assets (assuming the government doesn't take the rest of what I have) will be distributed once I pass on to the great library in the sky. Question - do you think Heaven charges late fees for overdue books? :-)
One section of my will that I am proud of is a provision that donates my personal library and a cash amount to the public library in my boyhood home of Ida Grove, Iowa. You can see what is going on in the area (quiet but a good place to raise a family) via this website -- www.idacountycourier.com
My community library exposed me to a world of learning and clearly helped prepare me for the three college degrees I have completed since I left this small town which sits in the heart of the Maple River valley.
My donation is a small thank you to the community leaders who made certain my hometown had a high quality library. May future students benefit from this gift.
Read on MacDuff and damned be the man that first cry, "hold enough!",
Todd
One section of my will that I am proud of is a provision that donates my personal library and a cash amount to the public library in my boyhood home of Ida Grove, Iowa. You can see what is going on in the area (quiet but a good place to raise a family) via this website -- www.idacountycourier.com
My community library exposed me to a world of learning and clearly helped prepare me for the three college degrees I have completed since I left this small town which sits in the heart of the Maple River valley.
My donation is a small thank you to the community leaders who made certain my hometown had a high quality library. May future students benefit from this gift.
Read on MacDuff and damned be the man that first cry, "hold enough!",
Todd
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