We’re all familiar with the famous British World War II Propaganda Poster, “KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON”. It’s become something of a major icon in graphic art history. I know, I know, the millions of parodies that have popped-up lately make me sick to my stomach too but it’s still a great piece of art. Well, here’s a very clever video telling it’s origin story and it’s extremely interesting to hear about. Plus, this poster was “re-discovered” at a famous UK Bookstore named BARTER BOOKS and that, in itself, is worth watching the video for. It’s a fun building & looks like a place where you could get lost into books forever. It used to be an old train station & it’s completely beautiful.

This is just a quick post to share the amazing news that, for a limited time, the Official Website of Book Author Jane Austen is offering her classic story, “Pride & Prejudice”, as an online book you can read for free. Yes, FREE!! Woo Hoo! It’s important to note that 2013 is the 200th anniversary of this book. So, if you’re tired of being embarrassed at fancy dinner parties where people have snubbed you because you have not read this important piece of literature yet then here’s your chance to do so, just CLICK HERE!

OH MY GOD!! Today, over at the NYR Blog, Architecture critic Martin Filler wrote a lot of very kind words at the New York Review of Books for Chip Kidd and Dave Taylor's BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN!! Now, for the few people who have not read this new Batman Graphic Novel (DC Comics) the basic plot revolves heavily around the idea of “Architectural issues”. So, Martin Filler was the perfect person to write this article, ha!

The wonderful thing, Mr. Filler wrote a very thought-provoking piece and it’s a great article. In fact, this review seems to be one of the main reviews that really “got the book”. The title of his article is “Batman vs. Koolhaas” and we’re asking all our readers to please check it out and while you’re there please feel free to leave a comment. Also, please be sure to share this link inside your online social activity. Yes, we’re talking to our facebook and Twitter Friends here, ha ha!

Thank You Martin Filler for your excellent review.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile then you might recall a post we did where we mentioned an event called, “LIVE from the NYPL: Building Stories Together” that featured the Authors Chris Ware and Zadie Smith. This public speaking event happened back in December of 2012 and was a CLOSING EVENT for the famous New York City Public Library. Both Authors talked about the art of writing and it was both informative & very entertaining. In fact, the post we did here revolved around a link to the PODCAST that was later posted of the event & if you didn’t get to go to it, then you could listen to it online.

Anyways, this post is about a review of that event. Paulina Reso, a Contributing Editor over at the WILD RIVER REVIEW website, just published a very excellent in-depth story about the event. She gives us an excellent idea on what it was like to be there and also what issues both Authors brought up that were pretty interesting. Her article is very informative. She also includes a bunch of excellent visuals to go along with her writing that are fun to see. ( Thanks Paulina! )

So, please be sure to check it out by clicking right HERE!

Right now is the time for you to own a piece of Book Selling History. Like, literally, right this minute! We just found out that the letters from the original BORDERS BOOKS flagship store are being auctioned off on eBay for charity and the sales end on January 31st, 2013. Holy Crap, that’s tomorrow!!

Yes, they’re selling the letters individually ( I want the Letter “B”, ha ha ) and they would make a great decorative item to display in your home. They each measure almost two feet tall and are made of metal & plexiglass. But the important thing is that the proceeds to these sales are going to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation. This non-profit charity organization is dedicated to assisting booksellers and is a great cause. So, please click here to check out the EBAY AUCTION.

The Biblio-Mat is a random book dispenser built by Craig Small (thejuggernaut.ca) for The Monkey's Paw, an idiosyncratic antiquarian bookshop in Toronto, Canada. Biblio-Mat books, which vary widely in size and subject matter, cost two dollars. The machine was conceived as an artful alternative to the ubiquitous and often ignored discount sidewalk bin. When a customer puts coins into it, the Biblio-Mat dramatically whirrs and vibrates as the machine is set in motion. The ring of an old telephone bell enhances the thrill when the customer's mystery book is delivered with a satisfying clunk into the receptacle below.

I’ll admit this blog post is kind of weird but it is also something that is pretty interesting to see. Plus, it’s sort of a way to pay some respect to some great people we deeply admire, check it out! Here are a few grave sites of some famous Authors: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ( Sherlock Holmes ), William Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet, duh!) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby).

It’s kind of hard to read but Shakespeare’s marker says,

"Good Friend, for Jesus' sake forbear
To dig the dust enclosed here:
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones."

The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins turns 75 in 2013. So, to celebrate, Random House created a special foil-covered Anniversary Edition with a newly color-enhanced interior that would please even King Derwin himself! When the royal carriage approaches, young Bartholomew Cubbins removes his hat as is required by the haughty king. But as soon as Bartholomew does so, another hat appears on his head! This goes on and on, angering the king and frustrating his royal assistants until Bartholomew (quite literally) sheds 500 hats and almost loses his head! A delightfully strange story about an event that “just happened to happen and was not very likely to happen again,” the 75th anniversary of “The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins” is likewise an event that won’t happen again, and their 75th Anniversary Edition will be available for a limited time only at the regular edition price of $14.95. Dr. Seuss fans won’t want to miss it!

Chip Kidd gave a lecture on Typography and Graphic Design at the HAMMER MUSEUM at UCLA in Los Angeles, California on November 28th, 2012. So, right here is the high-quality video they just posted of the event. Thank You Hammer!

Shown down below is a totally wonderful Promo Video that brings together some of the most beloved literary characters to rally people behind the BOOK PEOPLE UNITE movement and help get books in the hands of kids who need them the most. Join the movement at bookpeopleunite.org

Starring: Pinocchio, Madeline, Greg (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Rip Van Winkle, LeVar Burton, Three Blind Mice, Humpty Dumpty, Curious George, Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Goldilocks and the three bears, Captain Ahab, Three Pigs, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Babar the Elephant, Mr Men, Little Miss, Mr Tickle, Little Miss Chatterbox, Mr Tall, Peter (The Snowy Day), The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Black Beauty.