Books for Beachcombers

It's finally summer, though, this year, it has felt like summer for quite a while…  Time to hit the beach!   Give yourself a mini holiday: walk a shoreline, build sandcastles with your kids and splash your feet in tide pools while observing the crabs, starfish and gulls. Take advantage of our rare run of warm weather to enjoy the luxury of endless nearby beach options.  You could set a goal to visit a different beach each week.  Here are a few books that may inspire you to explore the wonders Puget Sound has to offer and get creative with the treasures you find on the sand.  Don’t forget your sun screen!

Great Books For Gifting: Adult Fiction

Books are the perfect gift.  There are such a variety to choose from.  For friends and family who prefer to read fiction, here is an eclectic mix with something for everyone on your list... And for your own reading pleasure, as well! 

 

Get Crafty!

You might not want to be reminded, but the holiday season is approaching and time to create the best homemade gift EVER is ticking by.

What's that?  You want inspiration, not Pinspiration?  A good old-fashioned book you can hold in your hands?  Then I've got just the thing for you.  Three titles full of projects sure impress everyone on your list - and then some.

Honey Crafting

From hive to home! From the satisfying taste of fresh honey butter to the blissful aroma of a beeswax candle, Honey Crafting celebrates everything the hive has to offer. Inside, you'll find a variety of sweet crafts for around the home, including Molded Beeswax Ornaments , Oatmeal and Honey Scrub Bar , Honey Gorgonzola Toasts , and Cocoa Lavender Lip Balm . Whether you're interested in creating delicious meals that highlight honey's robust taste, developing all-natural beauty products, or preparing home remedies that will soothe any ailment, this book makes it easy for anyone to savor the simple pleasures that come from harvesting the golden nectar. With step-by-step instructions and plenty of buzz-worthy wisdom, Honey Crafting will help you sweeten up your day with all the goodness that honeybees bring.

Mmmm... gorgonzola.

Beer crafts : making the most of your cans, bottle caps, and labels

Beer Crafts shows you how to repurpose not just the caps but also labels, bottles, and even cans into useful, hip, and quirky items - from attention-getting (if not downright sexy) garter belts to the classic crochet beer can hat, to beer bottle tags, to refrigerator magnets, and more. The projects are super fun, easy to make (even for a first-time crafter), and most of the supplies are things you probably already have on hand or chilling in the fridge. Beer Crafts has jewellery and accessories for guys and gals. From masculine bottle label belt buckles and wallets, to flowery bottle top flip flops and cute-as-a-button beer cap headbands and even beer can jackets for the family dog! There are even funky home decor projects, including candle holders, patio lanterns, bird feeders, and a memo board. And with plenty of beer quotes and trivia, Beer Crafts is recommended bar reading for those who don't craft.

After you've drunk all the beer in preparation for those projects, you may be feeling a little more daring than normal and ready to try something from this book...

Crafting with cat hair : cute handicrafts to make with your cat

Got fur balls? Are your favorite sweaters covered with cat hair? Do you love to make quirky and one-of-a-kind crafting projects? If so, then it's time to throw away your lint roller and curl up with your kitty! Crafting with Cat Hair shows readers how to transform stray clumps of fur into soft and adorable handicrafts. From kitty tote bags and finger puppets to fluffy cat toys, picture frames, and more, these projects are cat-friendly, eco-friendly, and require no special equipment or training. You can make most of these projects in under an hour--with a little help, of course, from your feline friends!




Yes.  People actually do this.

What makes a physical book worth owning?

This week I began reading Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, a real treat for anyone who loves books.  It was late in the evening when I began, so I only had just gotten into story when I started getting sleepy.  So I put out the lights, rolled over, and was surprised and delighted to see this.  Why did the author do this?  According to an NPR interview he did: "When you're making a print book in 2012, I actually think the onus is on you, and on your publisher, to make something that's worth buying in its physical edition."

I love books, but have been trying to not be one of those people whose lives are overrun by them.  Mostly because I always have about 30 library books out, and their due dates put them ahead of any unread books I simply own.  I never catch up!  But I make an exception for a truly special edition of a favorite book.  One example is Lamb by Christopher Moore, a hilarious yet reverent "lost gospel", which has been published in a special edition with a faux leather cover with gold trimmed pages...I really couldn't resist.

What are some books that you couldn't resist owing in all their paper glory?  Why specifically did you acquire them?