Category Archives: The Reading Life

Spring Reading List 2020

Posted on by under The Reading Life

At long last, winter begins to thaw…only to leave us facing the twin challenges of a contentious election season and something called a “novel coronavirus.” (The first “novel” we never want to read.) But whether you’re stockpiling books to hide from the world—we do this year-round, so we’re not judging!—or simply hankering for engaging stories to keep you company on warm, sunny days, Bas Bleu’s new Spring 2020 edition is loaded with fantastic reads. Choose one of our three Spring Reading Collections—Novels, Mysteries, and Nonfiction—and save 20% off the package price. (Bas Bleu Society members, remember you receive 15% off the regular cover price of all books + free standard shipping, so feel free to create your own book set.) Continue reading →

A Bluestocking in New York

Posted on by under Behind the Scenes, The Reading Life

Winter is “show season” for Bas Bleu, when our editors travel to trade shows to source new products for our catalog. Earlier this month, editor KG headed to New York to attend NY Now, the National Stationery Show, and Shoppe Object. Three shows in two days is no mean feat—sensible shoes and a hearty breakfast are key!—but she couldn’t travel all that way without squeezing in a little sightseeing, too. Here are a few highlights from our very own bluestocking in New York: Continue reading →

Famous Poems Read by Famous People

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Audiobooks gain fans every day, helping readers while away long commutes, road trips, workouts, and more. Even bibliophiles who prefer the printed page value those bookish recordings as a way to squeeze extra reading into busy days. How do you think the Bas Bleu editors tackle so many books?) But sometimes what we need most is to stop what we’re doing—if only for a few minutes—and concentrate on nothing but the words. Poetry is ideal on those occasions: Its concise form demands that every word count. And because the only thing better than reading poetry is listening to people read poetry to us, we’re celebrating World Read Aloud Day with seven famous poems read by famous people. Continue reading →

Puzzles and Books to Celebrate National Puzzle Day

Posted on by under The Reading Life, Word Play

Jigsaw puzzle pieces

Did you know? Today is National Puzzle Day! In our experience, avid readers also tend to be avid puzzlers, whether whiling away a quiet afternoon bent over a jigsaw puzzle—raise your hand if your family tackles one on summer vacation every year—or flexing those little gray cells with challenging word games and riddles. Puzzles and puzzle books are a staple of the Bas Bleu catalog, for kids as well as adults, so we’re highlighting a few of our favorites with this list of puzzles and books to celebrate National Puzzle Day. Continue reading →

10 Important People in the History of the Book

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close-up view of a weathered leather book

Modern readers treasure the physical object known as “the book,” a steadfast constant in a rapidly changing world. But a long view of literary history reveals a dynamic creature: From tablet to scroll to ancient codex, from leather-bound luxury item to mass-produced paperback to digital tablet, the book has evolved over millennia. But how did this epic transformation occur? And who can we thank for it? Today in the Bluestocking Salon, Bas Bleu’s editors are tipping our hats to 10 (of many!) important people in the history of the book. Continue reading →

Winter Reading List 2020

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After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, January feels like a letdown. But don’t despair: Those cold winter days stretching before you are the perfect excuse to hibernate with the books on our winter reading list. Lucky for you, Bas Bleu’s Winter 2020 edition arrived with the new year, and it’s filled to the brim with terrific new books and gifts. You loved last year’s Winter Reading Collection, so this year we curated three packages—Novels, Mysteries, and Nonfiction. Purchase all six books in a package and receive 20% off the package price; each title is also available for individual purchase at its regular cover price. (Remember, Bas Bleu Society members, you receive 15% off the regular cover price of all books + free standard shipping, so feel free to create your own set.) Continue reading →

Books Recommending Books, Vol. 4

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From time to time, fellow bluestockings ask us, “I really liked this book. Do you carry something similar?” As we head into the holiday season, shopping for gifts and looking forward to wintry days spent curling up with a good book, we compiled a list of “books recommending books.” The titles in these pairings aren’t exactly alike: Yes, some have similar plots or subject matter, but others are kindred spirits in terms of character, theme, or mood. We hope you’ll find something new you’ll enjoy…or perfect picks for avid readers on your gift list! (All of the suggested “try this” titles are available for purchase on the Bas Bleu website. Just click on the book cover.) Continue reading →

Bas Bleu is on Instagram!

Posted on by under The Reading Life

cell phone displaying Instagram screen

Our editors will be the first to tell you: We’re book people, not tech people. But one of our favorite things about the digital world (besides the Bas Bleu website and this blog, of course) is the enormous community of readers we’ve found online. Over the past five years, we’ve been fortunate to share bookish stories, literary recommendations, and more with avid readers we’ve “met” on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and right here in the Bluestocking Salon. This summer, we finally took the plunge…and joined Instagram! Continue reading →

15 Things to Do Instead of Wasting Time on Your Phone

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brick wall with "no cellphones" sign on it
When was the last time you looked up from your smartphone and realized a half-hour had passed—and yet you’d accomplished nothing? If you’re anything like Bas Bleu’s editors, that time was yesterday! We love these handy pocket-sized computers, which allow us to send emails, look up driving directions, buy a new dress, book dinner reservations, check football scores, share photographs with friends, watch an episode of our favorite TV show…and, yes, make telephone calls. But we’re the first to admit we waste far too much time scrolling mindlessly on our phones, time we could be spending doing so many other things. With a little help from our Autumn 2019 edition, we came up with this list of 15 things to do instead of wasting time on your phone. (For the record, reading this blog post counts as a Very Important Use of your smartphone.) Continue reading →