We try to provide a selection that's less typical than the rest; from forbidden Rumi poetry, to the work of Thomas Pynchon and Alan Moore. Check us out!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
We're Online!
Attention book and bookshop lovers: part of our inventory is now available online at Amazon.com. Check out our online storefront.
We try to provide a selection that's less typical than the rest; from forbidden Rumi poetry, to the work of Thomas Pynchon and Alan Moore. Check us out!
We try to provide a selection that's less typical than the rest; from forbidden Rumi poetry, to the work of Thomas Pynchon and Alan Moore. Check us out!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
You know, for kids
I came across a great children's book I thought I'd share while I finish what I'm reading.
Seven Blind Mice is the retelling of a simple allegorical tale. There are many versions of the story stemming from the original which involved 6 men in the dark with an elephant, each believing they've stumbled upon something different (come on guys, use your nose).
Young makes it kid friendly with colorful mice, but I think the message may be more useful in the adult world. As Young puts it: "The mouse moral: Knowing in part may make a fine tale, but wisdom comes from knowing the whole."
The collage work is very nice, and reminds me of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book is simple and beautiful. 
Friday, June 25, 2010
Pandora's Book
One man attempts to do what Amazon can only fake: recommend books to read based on your taste.
it's simple:
the Biblioracle asks that you list the last 5 books you've read and he plays matchmaker, taking into consideration the millions of ideas, contradictions and subtleties that get distilled into broader feelings for a particular book, as only a human can.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
the scenic route to wellness
This past monday I ran into Joseph, a new Jersey City local.
It was the summer solstice [go sun go], 7am, and I was practicing sun salutations and downward dogs with 900 other people in the middle of Times Square. What?! I don't think I need to tell you that TSQ is probably the worst place for yoga. Try clearing your mind of clutter while tourists snap photos of you from the second tier of a bus and a 50 foot "Persian" Jake Gyllenhaal stares down at you as if laughing. But it was worth it, if only for the spectacle.
Somehow, in the middle of all that craziness, *ahem* relaxation, I ran into Joseph. Turns out he's into wellness. Not surprised? Well, I was surprised to learn that he's an acupuncturist. He described his approach to practice and how he's shifted his focus over time from muscles to fascia - the tissue that connects our muscles and runs through our entire bodies, bound to every part of our systems. Fascinating stuff.
"I've got some books on acupuncture you should see", I told him. And here they are:
The practice of acupuncture is thousands of years old. Impressive. They say that there's no counterpart in contemporary medicine, but I can think of at least one; shiatsu [it's a stretch to call it contemporary medicine - but you get my point].
Both of these focus on the concept of health and wellness as a balancing act within us. Our bad habits -poor posture, junk foods- throw us out of whack and these healing practitioners come in and communicate to different parts of our system, coaxing them back into a harmonious balance. There are points along the meridians of our bodies and the application of needles [acupuncture] or pressure [shiatsu] to those specific points promote the flow of blood and energy.
The topic makes for a good read, but it's the aesthetic of these books that really get to me. Beautiful and hilarious. In the end, it is all about balance, and what better way to promote balance than learning about ancient techniques and laughing-from-the-gut at photos of those techniques being put to use in the 70's.
It was the summer solstice [go sun go], 7am, and I was practicing sun salutations and downward dogs with 900 other people in the middle of Times Square. What?! I don't think I need to tell you that TSQ is probably the worst place for yoga. Try clearing your mind of clutter while tourists snap photos of you from the second tier of a bus and a 50 foot "Persian" Jake Gyllenhaal stares down at you as if laughing. But it was worth it, if only for the spectacle.
Somehow, in the middle of all that craziness, *ahem* relaxation, I ran into Joseph. Turns out he's into wellness. Not surprised? Well, I was surprised to learn that he's an acupuncturist. He described his approach to practice and how he's shifted his focus over time from muscles to fascia - the tissue that connects our muscles and runs through our entire bodies, bound to every part of our systems. Fascinating stuff.
"I've got some books on acupuncture you should see", I told him. And here they are:
The practice of acupuncture is thousands of years old. Impressive. They say that there's no counterpart in contemporary medicine, but I can think of at least one; shiatsu [it's a stretch to call it contemporary medicine - but you get my point].
Both of these focus on the concept of health and wellness as a balancing act within us. Our bad habits -poor posture, junk foods- throw us out of whack and these healing practitioners come in and communicate to different parts of our system, coaxing them back into a harmonious balance. There are points along the meridians of our bodies and the application of needles [acupuncture] or pressure [shiatsu] to those specific points promote the flow of blood and energy.
The topic makes for a good read, but it's the aesthetic of these books that really get to me. Beautiful and hilarious. In the end, it is all about balance, and what better way to promote balance than learning about ancient techniques and laughing-from-the-gut at photos of those techniques being put to use in the 70's.
Friday, June 18, 2010
A Single Pebble
My last read, A Single Pebble (John Hersey), was a thoroughly pleasant surprise. It was a little vintage book I plucked from the dollar rack at Housing Works Bookstore. I'm a sucker for old books and this one was beautiful inside and out - easily worth the price.I hadn't heard of Hersey, but his written voice felt right from page one. Do yourself a favor and read him before you read about him.
The story here is about a you
ng engineer who travels to China to survey the Yangtze River for the building of a Dam. The young man's observations of a foreign people and landscape are simple, yet thorough and subtly complex. In short this is a beautiful and thought provoking little book.Loosely related side note: there is an interesting Stuff You Should Know podcast about earthquakes caused by Dams [the loose connection is the mention of a Dam on the Yangtze River].
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Goal!
Hi there mouse-clickers and page turners.
I've spent the past few months collecting used books and selling them at the Creative Grove market in Jersey City. I've been meaning to start this blog so I can share some of my findings. So here goes...
A bit of background:
Several months ago (December '09 to be exact) I started on my quest to open a bookshop cafe in Jersey City. Can you believe the 6th Borough doesn't have one?! I've come a long way and have my sights set on a great location. All that remains is raising the money needed to get the shop open and running. I've got about a quarter of what I'll need.
I've spent the past few months collecting used books and selling them at the Creative Grove market in Jersey City. I've been meaning to start this blog so I can share some of my findings. So here goes...
A bit of background:
Several months ago (December '09 to be exact) I started on my quest to open a bookshop cafe in Jersey City. Can you believe the 6th Borough doesn't have one?! I've come a long way and have my sights set on a great location. All that remains is raising the money needed to get the shop open and running. I've got about a quarter of what I'll need.
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