If I lived in San Francisco...

I would go to this.

Magazine Round Up

Every Friday we get new magazines. Some of the titles we did not ask for (like Fairway Living Your Luxury Lifestyle Resource and Major League Soccer, The Magazine for Soccer Lovers) and some I love (like The Believer and Juxtapoz).

This week I feel the need to share the thoughts that crossed my mind as I unpacked our magazines today.

My secret boyfriend James Franco is on the cover of Out.

Amy Adams is looking fantastic on Vanity Fair, she used to work at Hooters?

Hugh Jackman is on a horse for Men's Journal

And Martha wants you to make everything by hand for the holidays in Martha Stewart Holiday, Special Edition

I find I never take the time to read magazines, but I do love looking at the pictures.

Library Envy

As a book lover I dream of one day owning a house and finally giving my books a room of their own. In this dream there are floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with well read and loved books. Come to find out my dream library gets put to shame by Jay Walker's real library. I'm a little jealous and a lot in love. Thank you Wired magazine for bringing this national treasure to my attention.

The last paragraph of the article is the best.
"Walker struggles to balance privacy with his impulse to share his finds with the outside world. School children often visit by invitation, as do executives, politicians, and scholars."

I have one question: How do I get invited?

Books and the non-death of reading

I was reading The Olive Reader, and found an amazing article Dave Eggers wrote for Esquire. It's on reading and it is wonderful. I hope you'll read it and love reading all the more! The Future of Words.

Open Mic Night!

October 12, 2008 at 5 pm.

Laguna Beach Books is pleased to host Orange County's first open mic writer's night, an event that will occur the second Sunday of every month beginning in October. Writers of both fiction and non-fiction pieces are encouraged to attend, and everyone will have an opportunity to share their work. This event will be facilitated by writer Meredith Resnick.

The inspiration for this event came from DimeStories, a new program in development for NPR. The show's concept grew out of an open mic series that began in San Diego four years ago at The Grove bookstore. Writers are given a time limit of three minutes to read their story, which allows for a fast-paced evening with tightly-edited pieces.

With the creation of an open mic night, Laguna Beach Books has the goal of creating a more cohesive writing community in Orange County. Because the night will occur on a monthly basis, there will be a consistent focus on the arts/literary lifestyle and it will hopefully benefit the greater community. The bookstore has also been a large supporter of other community organizations such as Planned Parenthood and the Friendship Shelter.

This will be a great opportunity for writers to get exposure and receive feedback on their work. Open to all writers and listeners, this event is free to all.

For more information, please contact Danielle Bauter at 949-494-4779 or via email at danielle@lagunabeachbooks.com.