RAINY DAY HAS GONE JAPANESE

The window is looking lovely with 2 beautiful antique Japanese kimonos hanging on bamboo and some lovely Ikebana arrangements of Clivea. 

There are several other kimonos for sale hanging in the shop from $20-$30 each and are in wonderful subdued colours in quality fabrics. Small, medium and large are available but get in early for the best choices. They make great Christmas presents, wonderful fo male dressing gowns.

There are also some amazing books such as Japan houses, Japanese kimono designs, The cooking of Japan, Suki’s kimono, Japanese folktales, Dictionaries and many others.

Call in and say Kon’ichiwa to Meryll, she might even have some soothing Japanese music playing.

This month Rainy Day Books has gone PURPLE.

There is no other theme to the window except a glorious explosion of colour.

The book featured cover children’s, fiction and non fiction but all are a wonderful shade of bluey-purple.

Lulu and the purple pebble, The truth about cats and The dusk fairy are all great children’s picture books, 101 poems to get you through the day (and night) is beautiful poetry and Edward Rutherfords – The forest is one of his best historical books. Set in the New Forest from the time of the Norman conquest to present day this blockbuster saga has witches, wars, smuggling and sea battles. http://www.edwardrutherfurd.com/the-forest.html

Stephanie Alexander’s great work – Stephanie’s journal is included along with several purple and silver copies of the Guinness book of records.

Taking star place is one of my favourite authors – Louise Penny. How the light gets in is her 9th book in the critically acclaimed series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surete du  Quebec, however I refuse to sell this book to anyone until they have read the other 8 in the series. This is just one of those books that has to be read in sequence.

There is also a comprehensive guide to the collecting of Rocking horses.

Do call in and admire this lovely window and enjoy the artistry as well as the books themselves. Local artist in The Basin Janette Bird has done a wonderful job of pulling together a delightful display. http://studio4artists.com/?page_id=32

MKR = Meryll's Kitchen Reads

Rainy Day Books has gone cooking mad and the window is full of brand new cookery books all at half the marked price.

Two fat ladies, Jamie Oliver, 4 Ingredients, Culina Mundi, Juliegh Robins, Monty Don, Rosemary Stanton and Gary Rhodes are a just a few of the cooks displayed.

Cook books (And gardening books) are one of my favourite ways to while away a wet afternoon. I may never use all of the recipes but it is a pleasure to just browse through.

I am having a great time now I have rediscovered the joy of jam and relish making. My kitchen smells wonderful for the day and my pantry is full of glowing jars. Quince jelly, preserved quinces, lemon/lime butter, rhubarb relish, nectarine jam are some of my latest creations.

...... © Meryll Williams Rainy Day Books  1301 Mountain Hwy, The Basin

MOTHER'S DAY 2015

Most of all the other beatiful things in ife 

come in twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds.

Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, 

brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, 

but only one Mother in the whole world.

Kate Douglas Wiggin

May 10th is "Mother's Day" here in Australia.  It's the day when our thoughts are for, and about, our Mothers.  

You may have, or be a Mother, then there are Grandmothers,  Mothers-in-law, Step-mothers, adopted Mothers and Grandmothers.   There are Foster Mothers.   Then there are women who could have been Mothers.

Each and every mother is a special person and woman.   

Rainy Day Books window display this year has a quiet and dignified look about it, highlighting some light reading that will make Mum's day enjoyable and interesting.

Visit Rainy Day Books and choose something that you know Mum will like.  Perhaps a certain author; perhaps a beautiful "coffee table book" of photographs of a country where she was born or has travelled; a novel;  an autobiography;  a book of poems;  a classic.   

There's always something out of the ordinary that you'll find on the bookshelves of Rainy Day Books.  Make a visit during this coming week.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

ANZAC DAY

April 25th is a celebration honoring the fallen soldiers of the First World War.  It is also a day when Australians (and New Zealanders) honor the injured and the families of those solders.

Given that in the 100 years since the first landing at Gallipoli Cove which was the desperate attempt to thwart the enemy of that time (Turkey), our thoughts on Anzac Day also include all the soldiers, sailors and airmen who have fought more recent wars in the pursuit of freedom.

The window display this year was ablaze with bright red poppies and included some of the pieces of uniform of past eras as well as tools that "diggers" (Australian soldiers) have used on countless occasions.

Rainy Day Books held a special Lest We Forget event comprising of book reading for children accompanied by canine companions.  An event for children and their parents (and grandparents) bringing the Anzac story into the modern day so that children could better understand the events through the eyes of writers of childrens books.

Books covering World War events including the History of the Great War by E.C. Bean (in its own bookcase) were part of the window display and all for sale.

DOLL'S HOUSES

Did you have a doll’s house when you were young? I did and I always wanted to climb in and live in mine. It was so neat and tidy and simple and it had stairs which of course a 1960s bungalow in Melbourne didn’t have.

This week at Rainy Day Books there is a lovely wooden doll house in the window and some special books on setting up and furnishing doll’s houses.

Also a large fold out book that stands up to make a medieval castle complete with knights.

Don’t miss the cutest little cottage night light that looks just like a fairies house.

Some of the books are The Doll’s House Decorator ; the complete guide to do-it-yourself furnishings for dolls and doll’ houses by Vivienne Boulton $15.

Also The doll’ house do-it-yourself book by Venus and Martin Dodge and a lovely copy of Paul Gallico’s The love of seven dolls.

Do come along and enjoy reminiscing about old toys.

SHOES, SHOES, GLORIOUS SHOES

Shoes and books, what a strange combination.

This week sees Rainy Day Books expanding its horizons with some lovely shoes for sale (and a pair of moccasins as well.)

There are also many books about the history of shoes and the indulgence of shoe buying.  We all have a little of Imelda (Marcos) in all of us and just love to buy really nice shoes.

Jeanette Bird, a local artist, has done a sumptuous window, very red and lush with some wonderful fiction books as well as facts about shoes. 

Come and see the two tone (red and white) 1960s Niblick golf shoes, just for a laugh.

CHRISTMAS TIME

This year there is an amazing window display at Rainy Day Books where only used recycled pages and books have been used to make decorations.

There were no useful books harmed in the making of the display, just Reader’s Digest condensed books and some old music scores that had fallen apart.

A huge 1.2 metre Christmas tree, small trees and also chains of hearts, birds and stars are all made from paper.

Christmastime, that season of excess, over packaging and waste.

Why not try second hand books as a present and use the purest form of recycling that there is.

No changes needed to the books that I stock, they go out of the shop in the same form as they come into it.

Come in and look at the window and I will help you find the perfect gift for the most difficult people on your shopping list.

Thanks for your support during this year and I wish you a healthy, holy and happy Christmas and all the best for 2015.

Happy reading

Meryll