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Wednesday 22 May 2013

For the Joy of Books..

 And books are such a joy aren't they!!
They are real treasure.
I love children's books the most.
Maybe because they almost always have pictures & I like pictures a lot. They always help to tell the story...it's how we remember them so well.
 Barbara passed on an Inspiring Blogger Award to me quite recently which was so very sweet of her. I have decided to be innovative with the honour & use it as a catalyst (like tag) to tell you about one of my favourite places in Hastings. The Little Red Book Shop.
 Siobhan & Adrian are two terribly talented & very interesting people..
  so it is not at all surprising that..
 their book shop feels such an inviting & inspiring place to be.
 It's very easy to find yourself drawn in the door..
 and made to feel so welcome & at home amongst the shelves & shelves of friendly books & carefully collected memorabilia.
 You could be forgiven for shuffling over here & sitting right down for a nice long browse.

 And after a time, perhaps, hoping for a nice cuppa too.


Nosey little monkey!
 In fact, The Little Red Bookshop is a little like a unique & special blend of tea..quite distinctive & like no other. Being here necessitates a different pace, a surrender of hurry & rush. Inquisitiveness & wonder awaken & your neck soon becomes slightly strained by the inconvenient sideways hobble of the true book shop browser.
 There is a fine blend of the old & the new, the ancient & the contemporary. Around every corner & in every nook & cranny you may be greeted by a startling find, a book that catches your eye or a small collection of kiwiana: vintage, perennial.


There is constant state of ebb & flow going on here: gathering in, sending off, titivating.
 Siobhan & Adrian have recently extended the bookshop space to include a reading room with coffee machine out the back. It is still a work in progress, but should be available very soon.
I feel quite sure that Siobhan & I share a love of vintage children's books, as, a world away at March House Books does Barbara, whom I mentioned back at the beginning of this post. She has a lovely blog highlighting children's books & illustrations & other bits & bobs. Barbara also has a wonderful website:
 "March House Books is an online book shop specialising in the sale of gently used children’s and illustrated books. Every item in our store is accompanied by a picture or pictures so that you can see exactly what you are buying. We also provide comprehensive condition reports."
I first came across Barbara on Pinterest which is where I love to gather together all my favourite book titles & children's illustrations.
Visit my board Lovely Children's Books & Illustrations here.
And Favourite Children's Artists here.
This is one of my favourite little videos...about the joy of books of course!!!
Thank you so much for visiting!!
I'd love to know..what were your own favourite childhood books?



 ♥♥♥♥♥

19 comments:

  1. Looks like a wonderful place - I could spend ages there!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  2. Looks like a wonderful place!! I enjoyed the visit. :D

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  3. Oh my goodness, the fairyland book looks full of promise. I do love old books and there is an antique book shop in a village near me that sells original copies of Beatrix Potter, Winnie the Pooh, etc., they go for hundreds of pounds but it's quite exciting to leaf through them and pretend you might buy!

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    1. Hello Betty, yes I think that I may love the covers of some of the old children's books most of all..the promise & possibilities. How wonderful to have access to a genuinely old bookshop. Wow original copies of such well loved favourites..as you say pretend that you might actually buy is useful!
      I hope that you are feeling better now.
      Lots of love Catherine x0x0x

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  4. Yes, yes, yes! I do love books and have so many favorites. You know that I love The Wind in the Willows. I reread Harriet the Spy on a regular basis. I love the "shoe" books: Ballet Shoes, Theater Shoes, Dancing Shoes.
    I love the illustrations of Jane Dyer.
    Oh my goodness! I could go on and on and on!
    GREAT bookstore! Great post!

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  5. Stop with the book post! -grin- I have such a book problem...I've helped start 2 libraries and have just boxed up about 500 books to give to a friend to sell on the i-net. I've promised myself I CANNOT buy any more books until I've moved...promise!

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    1. Hello Sandra...how wonderful being a library initiator!!
      Why am I not surprised!
      A fantastic legacy...libraries are marvelous aren’t they.
      500 is quite a few books indeed..they weigh a ton too don’t they.
      Good luck with the selling process. Just think you’ll be able to buy some more books with the proceeds ; )
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  6. I've seen this video before & it's one of my all time favorites - can you imagine how long it took them to make that!

    I love children's pictures books a lot too & have a small collection. I have many that were passed down in my family & have kept quite a few of my own from when I was a child, adding to it by keeping my son's favorites when he was small. I checked picture books out of the library even when my son was in high school. I will never tire of them. I love all the illustrations & artists on your Pinterest page. It seems we love the same things when it comes to books especially. :o)

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    1. Hello Jenny, that is so precious that you have books from your own childhood. I still have quite a few Beatrix Potter books & a few Noddy's from mine. Other's I have re-aquired of more recent times, like The Magic Faraway Tree that my Aunty Margaret read to me when I was 7 & had the chickenpox.
      I am always drawn to the children's books on the library sales table & in Op shops & at Fairs.
      I am so glad that we share such a lovely common appreciation Jenny.
      Are you well now?
      Much love & friendship to you Catherine x0x0x

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  7. That place looks absolutely lovely, makes me hanker for a napier/hastings trip even more! I love the word titivate! As a child i loved tales of the faraway tree by enid blyton, and i used to weep buckets over the tale of the little match girl by hans christian anderson. When i was a little older i was crazy for pullien-thompson horse-y stories, and i've enjoyed re-reading the anne of green gables series recently. Love the chalked sign. Sigh. I wish rangiora had a bookstore like this x

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    1. Hello Max...oh I am so glad that you love words too!!
      Funny that you should mention the Magic Faraway Tree..it was one story that I absolutely loved, probably because my Aunty Margaret read me the whole thing one week when I was 7 & had the chicken pox & my mother had gone. The story is so quirky & fanciful!
      I wept buckets a few months ago myself when I re-read The Little Match Girl...I realised it’s how I’ve always felt in life.
      I did love Anne though too..thank you for reminding me of her.
      How lovely to have a chance to share some of your best books with your sweet innocent growing children.
      Hope you’re all well down in the chilly place : 0
      Thought of you this week when I bought some chestnuts at a road side stall...yum!
      Much love Catherine x0x0x

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  8. Hello Catherine, gosh that shop looks amazing & inviting & interesting. I particularly LOVE all their decor & the vintage bevelled edge mirrors up high on the wall - I would most definately love to visit there when I am ever over your way my friend :-)
    I too love books & love to read & find it such a great relaxation & unwind time & also I must admit I like to lose myself in the stories & think about the characters as i go about my day.
    Also I love the smell of bookshops too. Have a great weekend my friend, sun is out here :-) Julie x0x

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    1. I do love these exchanges Julie..thank you for being such a delightful participant & friend.
      Yes it’s the décor & vintage stuff that makes the bookshop really work for me & it’s getting fuller & fuller!
      Poor Siobhan told me yesterday that she still has to explain to people every other day what the shop actually is ‘cos they just don’t get it & one man complained loudly about the $3 price tag on the book he wanted to buy since it was just a secondhand old book. Funny how you get used to your own value system..I can’t even begin to imagine having to go back to buying everything new & paying retail prices. Of course, making stuff yourself is awfully useful too & a great addition to secondhand isn’t it ; )
      Just spied the first snowdrops out today..I do love them.
      Hope your back is managing under the strain of all that mulch moving..it’ll be worth it.
      Do you add manure from the farm somewhere in the process?
      Much love & friendship
      Catherine x0x0x

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  9. What an amazing place. I could loose a lot of time and money in there. I collect children's books and love seeing what a wonderful selection they have - so many good second hand bookshops turn their noses up at them. I esp collect Girls Own books - School stories and the like -but also have a wide selection of other things, mainly books I remember reading or books that catch my eye or , well the list goes on.

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  10. I’m so sorry it took me a while to get back to your blog, it's been a busy week. I love, love, love this post! You have included everything dear to my heart in these wonderful pictures. I so want to visit this bookshop – I can see lots of things I would buy just looking at the pics. I can only imagine what treasures are hidden away.
    I’m off to visit you on Pinterest now. You always have something beautiful to look at.
    Thank you for mention my website. Barbara x

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  11. Hello Carolyn, yes I thought you might like this little book shop. I would love to see your collection. I guess most children's books have interesting, colourful covers which is always enticing, quite apart from what the story might be about! I am glad that there are so many of us who treasure & admire these books & stories. I am delighted to find that my niece (3) & nephew (7) having been reading (read to) Noddy stories, Alice in Wonderland & The Magic Faraway Tree just recently...excellent stuff!
    Have a lovely week.
    Much love Catherine x0x0x

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    1. How Lovely! It warms my heart to know these wonderful books are still being read and enjoyed. Barbara

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  12. Hello Catherine! I came from March blog and enjoyed a lot your post. This book shop is wonderful! I would love to be there...such a pleasure! I collect vintage children's china and their illustrations brought me to children's books and now I enjoy them a lot. I saw The big book of Nursery Rhymes in one of your photos, it must be very interesting.
    What a pity that I will not be able to go for now...
    Besos from Argentina!! Silvina

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  13. I love the book video- so much fun! The book shop you shared is fabulous. I adore the blend of old and new! Bookstores are so amazing to explore. :)

    Once I started reading I never stopped! As a child I read lots of fairytales, Beverly Cleary, and basically anything about horses!

    So happy to have found your blog.
    ~Jess

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So lovely of you to leave a comment. Thank you!! So sorry if you've tried to leave one & it hasn't worked. You are welcome to email me at catherine@sunshinevintage.nz instead, if you'd like to, much love Catherine♥

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