2 . An 80-foot floating library, built in 1963 and called Bokbaten in Norway, visited around 250 small communes along the west coast of Norway twice every year before 2020. Many of the villages along the west coast of Norway are most easily accessible by boat rather than car, so in 1959, a group of librarians got government funding to s art a waterborne library service with special on stress on children’s literature.

Large enough to hold around 6, 000 books, the boat also hosted readings, children’s pays, and other cultural events onboard. It traveled along the coast on 64-day tours during the fall and winter months, welcoming up to 150 children at a time and unloading books for each community to keep until the boat made it swayback the next time around. In summer, the library was repurposed as a tourist boat.

But in 2020, it looked like it might be the end for the library. After nearly 60 years in action, the popular boat had its funding cut by the government, which ended the floating library program. “The book boat is a floating house of culture, which means a lot to thousands of children in the communities that don’t have a good library offering,” Norwegian librarian and author Stig Holmas wrote on Facebook at the time. “It has large numbers of visits,” he went on, adding: “What a shame!”

Luckily, 28 local municipalities (市政当局) banded together in support of the beloved library, helping organize 88 cultural events to make people realize the importance of the boat between August and November 2021. Then, in February 2022, the Fritt Ord Foundation, a private Norwegian nonprofit, provided the library with nearly $300, 000 to keep the program running. Later that year, journalist Maria PileS vas and, whose grandfather built the library, was employed as manager for Bokbaten.

The boat is now a traveling bookstore, and it continues to carry on the tradition of inviting authors, actors and musicians to come aboard and perform live readings for children.

3 . A Book-list by Trusted Critics

Has your mom ever caught you picking your nose or biting your nails? In this book, bad habits yield complex explanations that justify their very existence.

And really, how hard is it to believe that nose pickers are actually pushing hidden nose buttons that release “cheerful beams” that make everyone happy?

What happens when you have to leave your home where the desert reaches all the way to the sea and 100 butterflies always fill the sky? This picture book about immigration deals with its serious subject matter while keeping heart, humor and family close at hand.

It tells the true story of how the girl and her family moved from one land to another.

Our lives are our stories. In this one Sophie Blackall manages to spin a single sentence capturing the imagined lives of a houseful of children on a farm. The images and story were inspired by the detritus (废弃物) she discovered in an old farmhouse.

The resulting images are sure to delight children and adults alike, while the story is a reminder of what we leave behind.

It’s never easy to explain that a family member is imprisoned, and it can be especially hard for children.

This simple picture book draws on the author’s own childhood to tell the story of a young girl whose brother is in prison. A gentle and hopeful story for kids about very adult situations and complex feelings.

4 . There are many great independent bookstores in North Carolina. If you’re looking for some good books to read, you can visit the bookstores listed below.

It’s a literary meeting place right in historic downtown Hillsborough. It was opened in 2009. You can find new books, used ones or the latest works by local authors. Because it specializes in local writers, Purple Crow Books is a favorite tourist destination. It’s a great place to grab a signed copy of a book by your favorite local author.

109 West King Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278

This is an independent bookstore with friendly staff dedicated to (致力于) providing the best customer service. Founded in 1984 by Nancy Olson, the store provides a wide variety of carefully selected books, events, discussion groups and town hall meetings. The owner Lisa Poole bought the store in 2013 and is dedicated to serving the locals.

4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27609

This bookstore is located in the historic Borkenhagen House in the Winter Park neighborhood of Wilmington, North Carolina. It has been finding good homes for great books since 2005. It stocks a carefully selected collection of literary and life-enhancing titles for all ages and also features locally-made cards and gift items.

4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403

This bookstore was opened on December 21, 2013 and has been an important part of the rebirth of downtown Greensboro ever since. It features fiction and poetry along with a remarkable children’s section and a broad range of general interest titles. Within the store is a busy cafe serving coffee, wine, and beer sourced primarily from local small businesses.

304 South Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401

Through teaching myself to love reading, I gathered some tips to motivate you     1     (take) up reading.

Don’t give up after the first book. To be     2     (honesty), if I quit reading after my first book, I would never have become the reader I am today. Surely, you won’t love every book you read. Some will bore you while others will get you to occupy     3     (you) in reading every page. If you don’t like the first book you read, put it aside and switch     4     another one.

Track your progress. If you track the books you read, you will definitely feel a greater sense of achievement after each book. It is appropriate     5     (create) a routine. Whether that is early in the morning or before bed,     6     (come) up with a routine is of necessity. What’s more, choosing a place where you are unlikely to     7     (distract) from your reading.

Overall, reading is a lifelong hobby. Don’t equip yourself     8     complicated books; invest your time in the books which interest you.

7 . Grace Hemingway gifted her son, Earnest, a copy of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem Hiawatha on his sixth birthday. While it’s hard to say how much her choice of gift influenced Earnest Hemingway at the time, he grew up to become one of the most famous writers in history.

Books can make for charming gifts. Giving a book as a gift to someone is much more than a simple exchange of goods.

When giving books, think about your recipients’ (接受者) favorite. It is worth the time to try and find a rare copy, like first editions or signed copies. They’ll be delighted by the effort. Are your friends stuck in a dullness and in need of some motivation? You can gift them a book that offers inspiration. Also, not mainstream yet useful guides related to their career are helpful.

A book when received as a gift has meaning to the recipient by itself if you’ve put some thought into it. An inscription (题词) adds to the appeal of your gift by making it more individualized. Without an inscription, although still meaningful, the book is just a book indistinguishable from hundreds of thousands of copies out there. A case for not penning down an inscription is that it makes it easier for them to pass it on to someone else if they don’t like the book.

Wondering if you should give your recipient a hardcover or a paperback? There is no universal preference among readers. Some like the paperbacks because of the convenience, easy to carry around and travel with. But many people, including me, prefer hardcovers because they’re more traditional and last much longer. A study designed to find a relation between the weight of wine bottles and their prices found that in most cases the weight of a wine bottle related positively with the price. The weight helped consumers perceive the wine as better.

In a word, books can make for memorable gifts. A good book gifted thoughtfully will create a pleasant memory.