Now listen up and listen good. You’re students now. You should read. Twitter doesn’t count. Fuck the planet, you need to read stuff on dead trees. Salient’s a good start, but unless you wanna be one of those sad sack’o’shit students who graduate after seven years a squillion Zim Dollars in debt and bitching about the poor state of the liberal arts in academia, then you need to move on to the next step: books.
Books aren’t just something you get assigned and ignore. They are fun and cuddly and don’t judge you when you spend your nights alone.
Wellington has many fine establishments that will, in exchange for money or drugs, supply you with books. Here I review several of them in a format suitable for your social-networking-addled minds.
Second-Hand Books
Arty Bees: Big and badass. Go to Manners Street for SciFi/Fantasy, Courtenay Place for sheet music and lowbrow.
Ferret: By the bucket fountain, an island of calm in a sea of brilliant insanity. Smallish. There’s always good stuff in the window. Cuba Street.
Pegasus: Cram-packed with goodness. Wouldn’t want to be there in an earthquake. Left Bank.
Quilters:The stealth bookshop of Lambton Quay. It even has a stealth upstairs level. Great NZ history stuff.
New Books
Borders: Chain megastore. Everything that’s wrong with Western Civilization. I love you. Lambton Quay.
Dymocks: A good store, in spite of a slightly embarrassing Tolkien fixation. Lambton Quay.
Parsons: Books and classical music. Classy. Lambton Quay.
Unity: Wellington’s finest selection of non-fiction. Willis Street.
Vic Books: Not just for textbooks! Definitely worth checking out about once a month. Kelburn & Pipitea Campuses.
[ssba]
About the Author (Author Profile)
BK Drinkwater's actual origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is said that he sprang from the summit of Taranaki fully formed, four days after the birth of Aristotle. He resents having been overshadowed in this way.Comments (19)
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It seems worth pointing out that Dymocks on Lambton Quay offers a 10% student discount off full price books with a valid tertiary ID. mmmmm cheap books!
Nah got tooooooo much partaayen to do man!
If only there was some kind of service that let you borrow books and would take them back after you’ve had a resonable chance to read them.
Ah. If only. Maybe one day some enlightened individual will start up such a service.
I know a guy by the name of George P. Library that is considering such a thing. Wonder what he will call it…
I hear he’s considering “Friendly George’s Bookarium and Pizzaria.” I don’t think the concept will catch on, and besides, the man’s a degenerate drunk.
Degenerate, yes. Drunk, most certainly. But visionary, without a doubt. And he is apparently contemplating a foray into beta-max lending.
I think you’ll find that was Dr. P. Manglethwaite. Not George P. Library. Although it is a common error.
I’m noaht allowed tah read
I’m afraid such a “bookarium” concept would lead to much reading among the lower classes, so we shall have to staunch it at the source of its flow. Perhaps by supplying Mr. Library with a lower class of drink (say, meths), allowing his mind to wander onto other things (say, the texture of the back of his hand).
I heard that Dr P. Manglethwaite and George P. Library are lovers.
Impossible. Library loves only the bottle; Manglethwaite loves only himself.
*sits in the corner of the Manglethwaite and laughs*
And let the silliness begin!
This is a big in-joke-wank-fest isn’t it. I’m calling Gordon from Glasgow and going down to the pub to get some beers. See you guys down there?
Pete! Get off the blogosphere and come back to bed!
Sad to see Dymocks go…
” The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way […] “
Thanks. It was a big blow.
The word is that Salient will go entirely online for the next issue — just hope it is not going down the path of, say, the Christian Science Monitor!
Tames hath changed. I’m allowed tah read mah Dad’s bail applahcation naow