Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I like their old stuff

Ain't they purdy? I'd be as happy as Peter Blake from Penguin Australasia if I was surrounded by a gazillion of the most splendiferous looking books in the world. Piccie from here.

Penguin has released 50 titles (25 fiction and 25 non) in the original orange-and-cream cover and made my life complete.

What is it about these little puppies that I'd give up my faux-leather passport cover for? Is it that they cost less than a rocket and capsicum sandwich? That they remind me of my first orange-and-cream Penguin (The Year of the Triffids) that I bought at a school fete in 1983 when I was but a whipper snapper with a whole primary school world of bonza badges ahead of me?

Is it that some head honcho-type people at Penguin in London were so doubtful the concept of inexpensive books with cool retro covers would work they decided to only release them for sale in Australia, New Zealand and India, as opposed to the 'real' market for 'real' readers in the UK?

Bah. Whatever the reason, I'm in love. They should go nicely with my Penguin mug, and Penguin scarf, and Penguin shoe horn.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

En masse these little Penguins would make a definite decor statement in one's bookshelves, and from the sound of you Kettle, you would probably have the odd bookcase or two.

Kettle said...

Wouldn't they be beautiful? I could procrastinate all day ordering and re-ordering them.

I have a little more space in my bookshelves now after my Christmas cull, but less space on the floor.

What to do with such old friends? I can't throw them out, and selling them would be like selling members of my family (wrongness). I could leave them on park benches, in acts of kindly meant booky abandonment, to find new friends? I would welcome your suggestions :)

Unknown said...

Advice I have gleaned from many clutter-reduction advice manuals suggests one ask oneself hard questions, eg. why am I keeping all these old birtday cards, etc. Do I need proof that I once had friends and loving family members? I'm not sure how this might apply to your book problem, except the 'friend' bit.
You can dwell in the glow of having loved and been loved by these tomes, but it's OK to let them go now.

I love the park bench idea - or train station, or Hey, what about leaving some in a bookshop!

squib said...

They'd match my Penguin rejection letter!!

:-(

I phoned the local secondhand bookshop about the books I'd culled (no real fiction, just 'The Time Traveller's Wife', and a bunch of miscellaneous rubbish) and they said I had to bring in a minimum of 30 books. I only had 19 so I've been driving aimlessly around with a box of books in the back of the car

squib said...

PS. Are you on Shelfari Kettle?

Kettle said...

Words and Wine, nice thoughts, thanks :) That's a great idea, to leave books in bookshops! It's like reverse stealing.

And squib, an orange-and-cream rejection letter! What a funny rule to have a minimum of 30 books; what if you only had 29 first editions? Would they not welcome them? :)

Thanks for the Shelfari connection. I just checked it out and it looks great. Are you on, and loving it?

squib said...

It was black and white. I think they save their orange and cream paper for acceptance letters. You may have seen my rejection letter craft on my site. The Penguin bead is my favourite one on my rejection necklace because it's so famous

http://poetsquib.com/2008/02/16/101-uses-for-rejection-letters-no-7/#more-474

Shelfari is good. I think it will be useful when you're at a loss for what to read because then you can look for something with 5 stars on a friend's shelf. If you join then add me because I only have 2 friends

Kettle said...

Cool necklace squib. Can I see the word 'omnibus' on one of the beads? If so, I hope they wrote you a kindly meant, omnibus-sized letter :)

I'll get started on Shelfari - cheers.

squib said...

Yes that's Omnibus. They were very nice