Weird things customers say in bookshops – you will cry with laughter!

Weird things customers say in bookshops

by Jen Campbell, HB $15.00

 

CUSTOMER:  I read a book in the sixties. I don’t remember the author, or the title. But it was green, and it made me laugh. Do you know which book I mean?

This is an absolutely hilarious gift book choc full of memorable customer/bookseller conversations.

Anyone who has been involved in the book industry will both love and sigh at this quirky collection.

CUSTOMER: What kind of bookshop is this?

BOOKSELLER: We’re an antiquarian bookshop.

CUSTOMER: Oh, so you sell books about fish.

Find & Keep – Not your average craft book from Beci Orpin

Beci Orpin is a well renowned designer with background in textiles and graphics, and a creative spirit through and through. This book is more than just a book of craft projects, it is also a look into the life and mind of a truly creative person. You might think her designs ring familiar if you have visited the Taco Truck that roams the streets of the inner north, because she did all the graphics for them.

Seperated into interesting chapters, Out and About projects might include a graphic skateboard ramp, a kite or perfect picnic snacks. Studio projects will inspire you to use vintage postcards as art, go pom pom crazy and make an inspiration wall out of just about anything. Home projects are more along the lines of dream catchers, mobiles and cake stencils. It’s all good, really. Beautiful photography from Chris Middleton completes this crafters dream of a book; all at once Find and Keep is interesting, inspirational and practical. What more could you want?

My favourite thing about writing this blog is all the awesome projects I’ve found that I want to make, including the things we could do for a window display… My least favourite thing is now I really want to buy it! Hardback, $39.95.

Malthouse: A Football Life

Malthouse: A Football Life

by Christi Malthouse, HB $50.00

Mick Malthouse is one of the great football people of the modern era. After playing 174 tough games for St Kilda and Richmond, Mick went on to become a brilliant coach, taking both West Coast and Collingwood from the bottom of the ladder to premiership glory.

His daughter, Christi, has written a great biography which looks at his entire public and private life. She provides great insight into the man behind the scenes and aspects of his life and personality that would be unknown to most.

There can be no doubt that Mick Malthouse has had a fascinating career and changed the lives of hundreds of young footballers. This book is funny, insightful and warm; a great gift for any football fan!

 

 

Get your taste buds out folks

Our cooking section is quite literally overflowing with all these new books we’re receiving. There’s something for everyone here at the moment you can’t go wrong. If you fancy something Asian perhaps pick up Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong. There’s lots to suit anyone who feels like Italian; Nigelissima is Nigella Lawson’s new book, already proving popular. For pizza Pete Evans has a new one out and Theo Kalogeracos’ popular book from a few of years ag

o Theo & Co has been revamped in Theo & Co Take 2. 

Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals is, we’ve heard, easier to use than the

insanely popular 30 Minute Meals; we’re sure it won’t last long as Christmas draws ever closer. Matt Preston is the last Masterchef judge to bring out a cookbook (perhaps because he’s not actually a chef) and I already want to eat (and make, I suppose) his macaroni cheese recipe. Matt Preston’s 100 Best Recipes is home cooking you can actually do! Yes please.

If desserts are more your style Darren Purchese of Burch & Purchese has Sweet Studio for you accomplished bakers and Gabriel Gate has picked his 100 Best cakes and desserts for his new book.

You need never look at the pantry feeling uninspired again, and I’ve only mentioned a fraction of the books weighing down our shelves at the moment. So many wonderful choices, so little time.

The John Lennon Letters

 

With many of the big supermarkets and department stores doing a pretty good job of convincing everyone Christmas is just around the corner, it’s not too surprising that some great gifty Christmas releases are now gracing our shelves. The John Lennon Letters is edited by The Beatles official biographer, Hunter Davies, published with special permission from Yoko Ono. Take in a range of Lennon’s letters, lists, doodles, postcards and notes written to a surprising range or friends, family, newspapers and even the laundry. 250 missives make up this collection found through dealers and collectors along with original recipients, organised in chronological order. Reproductions of many of the notes along with doodles and cartoons mean this is a visual journey as well as a literary one, providing a fascinating window into the mind of such an iconic musician and artist. The John Lennon Letters will make a wonderful, lasting gift this holiday season. Even if its for yourself…Hardback, $45.

Olympic Gold: Our Greatest Individual Olympians Since 1896

Olympic Gold

by Robin Poke & Kevin Berry, HB $50.00

 

Take a good look back at our Summer and Winter Olympics history with this beautiful hardback book. 74 individual gold medalists are honoured in over 350 pages of photos and stories.

Each medalist has a career highlights and fast facts section along with brilliant photos of the event and victory. The story of their journey to Gold are wonderfully written by a variety of authors ranging from journalists to family members to the athletes themselves.

From our first modern Olympic Gold Medal in track in 1896 to Steve Hooker’s inspirational win in the High Jump to Lydia Lassila’s Winter Gold in 2010 this book cover it all. A must have for sports fans as we gear up for more Gold Medals in London this year!

Sign Language; Travels in Unfortunate English. Hilarious!!!

Sign Language, HB $17.95

Come on in and grab this fantastic gift book that will make you laugh until you cry!

Daily Telegraph readers in England sent in all the funny, silly, quirky signs they have encountered on their travels that combine into a well captioned, hardback gift book.

Perfect for anyone who needs a laugh or as a little extra present.

 

Powderfinger; Footprints

The inside story of Australia’s best loved band might be quite a grandiose tag line but this is a great pictorial homage to a truly great band. A photo-biography split into intelligent and interesting chapters this wonderful paperback is a look at not just the band but each of its members and even the Fifth and Sixth Fingers. Interesting, enjoyable AND it will look lovely on a coffee table, it’s really very multipurpose. A great addition to the stocking of any Aussie music-lover. Large format Paperback, $45.

Heston’s Back!

Everybody’s favourite kitchen scientist is back with a new book Heston Blumenthal at Home. This is, theoretically a ‘basic’ cookbook but it is Heston so theres digital probes and all sorts of interesting things to keep things exciting. As you would hope from the king of molecular gastronomy. He’ll have you considering buying a sous-vide set up (water bath and vacuum packing machine) and delighting in his secret to the Ultimate Cheese Toastie all in one book. That is covering quite a few bases in just over 400 pages. And just to sweeten the deal the covers amazing and the price is nice at $65 for a hardback. A lovely Christmas gift for the avid home cook (aspirations of chemistry greatness optional).

Helicopters have Landed!!

As a great gift for kids of all ages we now have some Radio Controlled Helicopters.

We have two models; both are 3 Channel RC meaning that they can be controlled up/down, forward and left/right.

One model is smaller and retails for $29.95 and the other is slightly larger for $39.95.

Both are made of light weight metal and are very robust.  They are intended for indoor use.

AND ALSO

EDUCATIONAL KITS AND SOLAR TOYS

Once again we have a range of interesting and informative kits for youngsters to enjoy at Christmas and in the holidays.

The kits include Transformer Robots, Boats, Planes and Science Discovery on various topics

Solar kits introduce users to the possibilities of solar power and you get the chance to put it together yourself, learning as you go.

Priced from $9.95