Atomic Books Blog

Wow, it's pouring! It just takes one drop of water to ruin a book. Moisture is paper's nemesis. On days like this I almost want to just close, lest the rain gets on any books as people come in and out. Rain date for the Shank Yard Sale is tomorrow! Same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!

This week Rachel finished Tokyo: A Certain Style by Kyoichi Tsuzuki: "This is the coffee table book for people who live in apartments the size of SUVs. Since we just moved this past week, I stumbled upon this book again (which I'd never really finished reading) and felt much better about all of our clutter around our new house. Seeing the way real people live in Tokyo (without the Zen gardens and the minimalist rooms you see in Japanese decor books) is fascinating and inspiring. It's just room after room packed with books, clothes, CDs, pots and pans, organized to the hilt or not, students, professionals, families, all juggling their lives between their tiny personal space and their possessions." Lauren read Playing Right Field by George Tabb: "George is a long time contributor to Maximum Rock 'n' Roll . His columns are always very funny and enjoyable to read. This book reads just like the essays and details the life of George as a child, following him...

Kids today! All they seem to do is MAKE stuff! Making like all these cool, witty, cute, arty things. I tell ya... Oh wait, we did that, too. But everyone thought we were losers for wasting our time drawing and shit.

Idle Type has a new look and some local commentary . Hampden IS the Bomb ! Oh, they were from a farm . I thought they came from outer space! Are you going to race ?? Triplets !

I've extended the Flickr Pro Account contest since there were many technical difficulties in the past week (Flickr was down, Blogger's always got some kind of issues...). So here are the details again: Are you on Flickr yet? Are you on but you don't have a Pro Account ? Well, here's a contest for you! I have a Free Pro Account to give away. Here's the deal: Take a photo with a book in it. "Best Photo With A Book In It" wins the Pro Account. "Best" being totally arbitrary and up to me. Email me a jpg or a link to your photo submission. Deadline is Thursday, May 5th, at midnight. The winner will be announced May 6th!

It's the 25th birthday of Post Its! This piece was created by local artist, Bruce Willen, and it hangs behind the counter at the store. We love office supplies.

Our founder, Scott Huffines, in 1987. I have no idea what this ID is about and he won't tell me.

Neil (of the pull away pants that pulled away during Chester Stacey 's Eddie Money set a couple of 80s Nights ago one) says he's in high school...but doesn't he look like he's 10??

Aw, it's Lauren before her prom, 1989.

It was 45 degrees and drizzly at 6:30pm yesterday, but some brave souls came out to play softball anyway. It wasn't as Bad News Bears-y as I expected (who expected bookworms to be so competent at sports?) and it's always a good time watching Benn's pants fall down as he tries to run. The Baltimore Bookstore League will meet every Sunday at 6:30pm at Roosevelt Park's diamond (Corner of Falls Rd. & 36th St. in Hampden). Come a little early to warm up. Especially if you haven't touched a ball or bat in 25 years. Like me. Check this blog for cancellations. And watch out for the cops on the corner with their seat belt trap. They've been out there on Sundays disrupting traffic and yelling at motorists...because they've got nothing better to do?

Dug hated the 80s, too. Here he is, in the Summer of 1987.

In case you didn't know, Lisa (of Secret Crush Society , who will be playing Hate the 80s ) and Becky's 1985 high school yearbook has a handy definition of the movement.

Are you on Flickr yet? Are you on but you don't have a Pro Account ? Well, here's a contest for you! I have a Free Pro Account to give away. Here's the deal: Take a photo with a book in it. "Best Photo With A Book In It" wins the Pro Account. "Best" being totally arbitrary and up to me. Email me a jpg or a link to your photo submission. Deadline is Thursday, April 28th, at midnight. The winner will be announced next Friday.

This week Lauren read Cruddy by Lynda Barry: "life of roberta knives, trains, murder, greed, drugs, friends childhood is cruddy" Benn read Hate Annual #5 by Pete Bagge: "It's good to see HATE, but Bagge should turn the essays into comics too." Rachel read Prime by Poppy Z. Brite: "Revisit tasty chefs simmer then boil over in Texas, which blows" Maggie read Love & Rockets V2.13 : "Jaime's art is great Julio's day is so long! Hopey loves Maggie."

Whoa. And you thought mine was bad! Update: I guess I need to clarify. This is Benn's college freshmen ID. Benn's full name is Joseph Benson Ray, IV. Yes, that's Benn. Why would I lie?

The Baltimore Sun finds out what's on some Baltimorean's iPods , including Benn's. "Anyone who uses 'shuffle' a lot will tell you that iPods have a personality and go through moods," says Ray, who named his iPod AtomicPod - Atom for short. "I've heard they did studies to verify the randomness of the iPod, but I don't care. Atom definitely gets into moods where it wants to play certain kinds of music." These iPodsters are worse than people who anthropomorphize their pets!

This is my college freshmen ID. Wow...the hair! Can you see how happy I was? Can you stand it?? Can you even wait to Hate the 80s ??

Hey look who dropped by on Saturday: Daisy Hernandez , Shawna Kenney , Inga Muscio and Michelle Tea !

What a show it was!

This week Rachel read Sleepy Little Kittens by Torahiko Yamashita: "This isn't a book so much as an instrument of torture. It's a fucking cute bomb." Lauren read Dolltopia by Abby Denson: "The story revolves around Kitty Ballerina and Jim the army man doll. Tired of their lives being played out by human fantasy, they escape the dream house for the land of Dolltopia where dolls that choose not to conform live. It's a story of punk rock dolls and embraces the ideas of freedom of choice and revolution. The art is very cute, in the style of Dame Darcey, and the story is fun."