• Science Fiction

    A very good read is a Dr. Who story (written by the Late Jon Pertwee) Originally a B.B.C. Radio Drama, Titled : The Ghosts Of N Space,in Book form the Author is Mr. Barry Letts, and was put out as one of the Missing Adventures Series, and came out thru : Virgin Publishing ( London ) in 1995, ISBN 0 426 204344, this story is also out in both cd & audio cassette,with the Late trio of Nicolas Courtney, Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen reprising their roles as The Brigadier, Sarah-jane and The Doctor,
    The story takes place in many time periods, from Midevael , Ninteenth Century and present day Italy , and centers around a Castle and a necromancer named Maximillian , who tries to perfect the elixer of life, of course things go wrong , and it is up to the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) , Sarah-Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) and the Late Nicolas Courtney's Brigadier and his Uncle , along with Sarah's Aunt's Ward Jerimy to sort things out and put things right, in this story (which would have made a Fantastic Television serial) The Doctor is summoned by the Brig to investagate a supposed haunting of an Italian Castle which is owned by the Brig's Great Uncle, Meanwhile Sarah and Jerimy are on holiday in Italy and while out seeing the sights happen to run into the Brigadier , but the brig thinks he is seeing things , later the Brigadier boards a ferry which will take him to the Italian island which the Castle sits, Sarah and Jerimy by now have followed the Brig , but do not wish him to know it , they all end up on the island, only the brigadier moves too quickly and out vacationing pair are easly lost, they make their way to the ferry terminal thinking they may catch the next boat back to the mainland , and are soon dismayed finding the ferry they were on WAS the final one of the day, they further wander , it starts to rain and they happen onto the very Castle the Doctor and the Brig are in ,unknowingly and decide to take refuge from the rain , inside the Brig's Great Uncle is just showing the Doctor one of his monsters as he calls them , which have been appearing , farther along in the story The Doctor and Ssarah-Jane take a few rides through time in the T.A.R.D.I.S leaving the brigadier and young Jerimy along with the Brig's Uncle to hold down the fort
    This story is available in Paperback as well as audio disc as well as cassette tape and is a MUST for any Whovian's collection, and can be found either through the B.B.C. or Big Finish Audio

  • Other

    The Underwater Museum
    Written by ; Jason de Caires Taylor
    ISBN#9781452118871
    On the seabed off the coast of the West Indies and Mexico , Artist Jason de Caires Taylor's living sculpture's are a permanent embellishment to the underwater landscape , Taylor casts life sized statues from materials used to encourage reef growth and sinks them to the ocean floor
    Over time , the sculptures attract corals , algae and a diverse variety of fish species and evolve into beautiful and surreal installations that adapt with their enviornment
    This book offers a glimpse into these awe inspiring creations , in shots of the sculptures at various stages in their metamorphosis , plus informative text and images about the practicalities of the artist's process
    An immersive tour of Taylor's underwater sculpture parks , this collection is a visual treat for ocean enthusiasts , enviormentalists and art lovers
    This book is Hard cover , 128 pages and selld for £ 15.99

  • Antique Corner 18th & 19th cent books

    Published by ; Benham & Company , and Written by ; Mrs. Georgene Benham in the year 1891 , This book at the time it was written , would have been invaluable to the homemaker of the day , Titled ; Polite Life and Etiquette , or What Is Right And The Social Arts
    I did'nt come by my copy in a dusty old stack in a local Antique or Used Book Shop , I happened across it at a yard sale , in amongst a battered cardboard box , with 25 cents scribbled acrosss the box , at first I nearly passed the box up, as most of it's contents were just paperback's , then I happened to notice a few hardbacks , recognizing they were rather old I grabbed the one which I thought was in the best shape , then opening it I was surprized 1891 , this was in 1995 , over 100 years old, I quickly went to my pocket and retrieved a quarter , then took the book over to the man , himself in his 70's and purchased the book, 353 pages faux croc binding with gilded pages & gilded title on cover and spine , this book covers such things as : Manners , How to choose rhe correct books for Ones Library , How to Conduct yourself , both in interacting with others , and in writing your letters , and that is only the first two chapters , Also covered ; Meeting & Greeting in everyday life , friendship kisses vs public kissing , the etiquette of how to choose cards , such as condolence cards or cards of congratulations , there is a whole chapter on how to conduct a wedding & a smaller chapter on the old traditional items to give on someones wedding anniversary , this book has chapters from the proper way to conduct yourself whlie playing chess or lawn tennis to Funeral etiquette , even a chapter on how to present yourself , if ever introduced to a person of Royalty, back in 1891 this book probably sold quite well , but now a days , most people would roll their eyes at things in it , such as etiquette on how long to stay while visiting a friend , or something still done by the older but no young woman now a days would retrete into wearing only black the rest of their life, still myself being more old fashioned read this book cover to cover , and I still agree with some of the things printed in it's pages

Books Bound In Human Flesh Discovered In Harvard Library

There's just  something creepy and arcane about old books , but a discovery recently made amongst the Harvard University library's dusty shelves might rank as one of the creepiest library findings of all time , three ancient texts with peculiar looking leather covers were found to be bound with human flesh

The meaty tomes were not the work of an old , depraved , Hannibal Lecter , but are the remnants of a tradition that was once relatively common in the 17th century , yes , believe it or not , but there was a time when covering a book with human skin was fashionable

The practice was known as "Anthropodermic Biblopegy" and it was a particularly common appropriately enough , among anatomical textbooks , Medical professionals would often make use of the skin from cadavers they dissected for the bookcovers , basically it was just a way of avoiding letting anything go to waste

The three skin covered books found at Harvard library were a bit of a break from tradition , however, they were not anatomical text books , but were instead books on Roman Poetry , French Philosophy and Medieval Spanish Law , the Spanish law book was especially uncanny titled ,Practicarum circa leges regias , it was not bound by the skin of a cadaver , researchers identified it's cover as coming from a man who was flayed alive , an inscription found on the book's final page reveals the ghastly story :

The bynding of this booke is all that remains of my dear friende Jonas Wright who was flayed alive by the Wavuma on the fourth day of August , 1632 King Mbesa did give me the booke , it being one of Jonas' chiefe possessions , together with ample of his skin to bynd it, Requiescant in pace

According to the Director of the University libraies , the three books are probably not the only ones in the library covered in human pelts , with further searching he believes more volumes could be found

Queen Victoria's Journal

Queen Victoria's first ever journal , given to her by her Mother ( The Duchess of Kent) , in 1832 starting a habit which would last until her passing in 1901 , the journal records the sights of the Industrial Midlands through the eyes of the 13 year old future Monarch , it is one of 141 surviving in the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle , it can be seen as part of the Ttrasures From The Royal Archive's Exhibition at Windsor Castle