The end of the year asks for lists. Even more so when there is an anniversary too. Last Monday, the 21nd of December, Kimbooktu celebrated its third blog year. All in all, it seems like a good moment to evaluate the year. I also did this in 2007, click here to see that post. I forgot to do it last year, for some reason… Anyway here are some facts and figures about the three year existence of Kimbooktu:
Total Views until today: 326,467
Views in 2009 until today: 104.938
Best day in views ever: 2,955 on January 4. 2007 (Thanks to an article in the ALA newsletter, see here.)
Total amount of posts until today: 503
Top 3 of the best viewed posts in the last year until today: (Click on the title to read)
1. Design your own book cover (6.650)
2. Catalog your books online (3.245)
3. The world’s best bookstore (2.085)
Top 3 of Kimbooktu’s favorite posts in the last year: (Click on the title to read)
1. Biggest bookish wish came true
2. Kimbooktu writes for Bookstore Guide
3. Kimbooktu’s library at night
Total of comments until today: 1.293
Google hits on “Kimbooktu”: circa 31.500
Kimbooktu yearly / anniversary roundup December 23, 2009
Merry Christmas December 23, 2009
Fellow Book Lovers!
Kimbooktu wishes you a merry Christmas and a bookish new year.
Thank you very much for your interest in this blog! I look forward to posting for you in the new year…
Kimbooktu’s Library at Night October 7, 2009
Over the years, I have posted photo’s of my library. Since a library is almost a living creature that ever changes and evolves, I thought it would be nice to show you how my library looks today. But first, I will take you back in time.
2007
The first time I posted a picture of my library, it was on Kimbooktu’s sister website Yourshelves.com. Click here to see what my library looked like on July 14 2007. Back then, we still lived in our apartment and had only four cases with about 200 books in them. A couple of months later, on September 18, I posted another picture to be seen here. Still in the same house, but now with a few more cases. And a bit more books. We realised our house got to small for our books and started to look for a new house.
2008
We moved into our new, much bigger, house six months later. I kept you updated on how my new library was coming along. My biggest wish came true. An entire room for all of my (our) books! It was so much fun putting the shelves in and unpacking all of the boxes of books. All the books were placed in a certain section, so they are easy to find back. There were a few empty cupboards back then, to be filled up in the years to come. You can read this post of April 30. 2008 and see the photo’s here.
2009
Now, over a year has passed and the library has changed a lot. Not only are there more books it. There are now a little short of a thousand books in there. So, the empty cupboards are getting filled already. Along with these cherished books, I keep special possessions. Things that people I care about give me, nicknack’s I bring back from my travels. The room has gotten far more personal.
The decor has changed too. I replaced the chairs, that so many of you loved, with a little sofa. So much more comfortable when reading! Above the faux fireplace hangs a fantastic picture now. My parents gave it to me last Christmas. I adore it. Next to the picture are little shelves to hold nice bookmarks, special books and different sorts of book related things.
Click ‘more’ below to see the photo’s I took less than an hour ago. Kimbooktu’s Library at Night. (Title pinched from this
Not so bookish Kimbooktu October 3, 2009
As you might know, I am a keen (amateur) photographer, next to a book lover. Back in 2004, when my husband and I were still dating, a photo project came to existence. It all revolves around a stuffed mouse, our love and our passion for photography. And travel. I won’t say anymore, because I want to surprise you.
After 5 years this project, Mouse, is still going strong and I wanted to let you know about it. I have posted about it before here, and I was not sure if I should post about it again. This because it is not bookish and it really should not belong on Kimbooktu. Since it turns a smile on the faces of a lot of people, I decided to mention it again.
Since we – and the people around us – are so excited about our project, I hope you will enjoy it too. I recently made a short YouTube film about the project. You can view it below. If you like it, I hope you will rate the video, visit the website, sign up for the newsletter and spread the word. I would love it if Mouse could put a smile on as many people as possible. And have them experience the world in a different way…
Sorry for this non bookish post…
Interpretation of ‘The Bookworm’ October 2, 2009
The Belgium library of Kortrijk had a photo contest over the summer. People were asked to take pictures of libraries in Belgium and outside the country. The contest has ended and the winners have been announced. I was particularly interested in the picture of Roos Debrabandere. She went to Poland and took a photo in a restaurant in Krakow. She named the photo “Eat first, read later”. This is the photo:
You might recognize the paint work on the wall. The original painting was made by German Painter Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885), called The Bookworm. Spitzweg made the painting in 1850 and has become quite famous. (Click here to learn more about this artist.) This is what the original artwork looks like:
I love what the owners of the restaurant did with their wall. How they made their own culinary interpretation of this famous bookish painting. It will definitely provide a book lover with a great view whilst enjoying their dinner. Unfortunately I am unable to tell you the name and address of the restaurant. If and when I find out, I will post an update.
If you like to see all the entries of the contest, you can click here. The photo of the restaurant did not win by the way. Probably because it wasn’t a picture of a library, as asked for. If you follow the link you will see the photo that did win.
Book Porcupine October 2, 2009
You have to use a little bit of imagination to see a porcupine in the Book Porcupine, but it is a nice gadget none the less. It is a book shelve, but it is not. It is a block with 18 different spaces in it to store your books in. It is meant to place next to your favorite reading chair. The Porcupine is made in white MDF and you can choose one additional color for free. More colors are available at additional cost.
Cost. This designer book storing item does not come cheap. It will set you back 950 pounds, which is about 1500 dollars. If you want two colors next to the overall white, it will cost you an extra 20 pounds (30 dollars.) Design is expensive. On the other hand, it is a great looking object. And you can adjust it to your color scheme. Click here to learn more.
Clutter free, bookish style September 23, 2009
Got some clutter in your library? Stuff lying around your office? This might be the answer for you! I just love this box that looks like a stack of books. You can put all your things in this BooxStore and hide it between your books. Follow this link to learn more about this nifty product.
Unlimited book storage September 23, 2009
This is a book lover’s dream! A cabinet to store your books in… that get’s bigger! This is no joke. German designers Nina Farsen and Isabel Schöllhammer designed a cabinet to grow along with your book collection. They thought of this some years ago and got the focus award 2007 for this brilliant design. Click here to learn more.
Books and wine September 18, 2009
As someone who enjoys the good things in life, I enjoy good books. And good wine. Sometimes the two work really well together too! For other lover’s of a good glass of vino, I found these bookish gadgets.
I love this wine set! A perfect gift for a wine loving reader. The set consists of three pieces: a bottle opener, a stopper and a little booklet. The latter gives information about the right temperature for certain wines and the cheeses that can compliment the different wines. This makes it even better. As a Dutch girl, I lóve my cheese! The whole set comes in a case that looks like a hardcover book. Wanna know more? Click here
What to think of these bookends that double up as a wine rack? I’m not quite sure where I would put them. I am pretty sure you can make a nice feature out of them in a nice country style kitchen. (Which I do not have.) The book ends would look great with nice books about wine in between them. To find out more, click here
New Bookish film September 12, 2009
I get enthusiastic when films are made about the lives of authors. A new one is just about to be released. It is about the famous poet John Keats. (If you want to learn more about him, click here for the Wikipedia page on him.) I love Keats’ work, so I look forward to seeing this movie. It is called ‘Bright Star’. Click here to see when it will be released in different countries.
The film is not about the entire life of Keats. Which was very short. He died aged 25. The story is about his love affair with Fanny Brawne. Their passionate relationship came to an end when the poet met his untimely death. I will make sure to have tissues near me when I see this. I know already I’m going to cry.
If you want to know more about the movie, you can click here to see its very weird and not very useful website. Or just here, to see the trailer. A thing of beauty is a joy forever…
