Have I mentioned yet that I love Melbourne? It has an indefinable something that just makes me feel quite happy to be living here. It's not stunning like Sydney or filled with beautiful buildings and oozing history and charm like many European cities, it's not even easy like other smaller cities. There are too many cars, rather average beaches and it's pretty darn flat but it has a really great feel, really great food and really great shops.
God that's shallow... See? Undefinable. I'll work on that and come up with a better reason or perhaps a list one day.
One place I do love is our local Readings Bookshop. This is the sort of place that make you want to forget that Book Depository exists. The walls are lined with an amazing array of books, their kids selection is good, the staff know their stuff and it's alive with shoppers and browsers. It doesn't feel like a bookshop that's dying a slow retail death.
I popped in today and spotted these. Handbag queen Orla Kiely is now doing kid's books for uber cool mid century styled up bambinos.
While you're there stay awhile, buy something, we need them to stay open. This week we learnt that an entire swathe of Melbourne's South East (population 140,000) has no access to a local bookshop after the demise of the big book chains, Borders and Angus and Robertson. I don't like the idea of a suburb without a book store. I also don't like to pay too much for a paperback so perhaps I'll order online and buy some locally too and enjoy the experience.
It did occur to me that if you cut these Kiely books up they would make the most fabulous nursery wall art. I know, a thought like that could get me banned from bookshops.
Ooh, I was just looking for some cute, vibrant books for my three month old today... Might go check these out, thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh, Ann, I'm so thrilled to see you back in Blogland again. This is so topical and also a bit of a conundrum for me, given how much I've saved buying books through Booko. I think I'll do the same as you - mix it up. I treasure Fullers too much to see it go under! J x
ReplyDeleteI loved Melbourne when I visited it - it actually reminded me of Vancouver. I thought maybe that was just me being homesick and then I met two women from Melbourne who were so excited I was from Vancouver because they had visited Vancouver some years before and loved it because it reminded them of Melbourne...I ended up staying almost three weeks and I think I was only planning on staying five days!
ReplyDeleteThose books look awesome...I might have to go to the bookstore tonight after work...
Nice to hear you're enjoying Melbourne Ann. Now I think you know I'm an OK fan but didn't know she was doing children's books now. I have another book of hers and had the same wicked thought about tearing out pages and framing them but didn't quite have the courage in the end! Claire
ReplyDeleteComing from Victoria there is so much more to love than Sydney.... You will find old buildings etc once u live there for a while... Oh how I miss it up here on the mid-north coast! Sigh...
ReplyDeleteYour blog is great, I always love reading it, there is usually something in each of your posts that keeps popping back into my mind, your line about wanting to forget that the book depository exists, so true...
ReplyDeleteGlad you are doing well back over the ditch :)