I was going to do a post on ‘funny ladies’ today but I thought I would share with you two bookish bits and bobs that I have discovered in the last twenty four hours and wanted to share with you all as I thought you might enjoy them.
The first is a wonderfully heart warming story of a man called Guanlao (or Nanie by locals) in Manila who because he loved books so much, and had rather a lot, decided that he would leave some outside with a note saying ‘free to read’. Now if you did that round my way you would either never see them again for dust or possibly find them sat outside soggy in the rain (Autumn seems to have arrived). However much to Guanlao’s surprise people borrowed them, brought them back and added to the collection. Now he has a public library of his own which now looks like this…
You can read the story in full here (and a big thanks to Polly, who I wish would get blogging again, for sending it me). I think it is a wonderful, wonderful story of a wonderful man and how books do have a real power. I could go all deep but I shall refrain.
Now that your hearts are feeling all warm and fuzzy, hopefully, I thought I would share something with you which I found on YouTube by chance yesterday and made me almost cry with laughter. Here is Ellen DeGeneres trying to read for an audiobook of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, it is pure brilliance…
Isn’t that hilarious? Anyway hopefully that has brought some bookish joy into your days as it did mine. I am still thinking about that man and his public library; it is so inspiring I almost want to do something similar. Don’t you?
Ellen is hysterical! thanks for posting!
I love her and I think that sketch is just hilarious.
Thanks Simon! I almost choked on my coffee watching the Ellen video! Hilarious
And the Guanlao story is simply lovely! What a beautiful idea.
I think the only way that Ellen interview could have been bettered is if she had had E. L. James on the clip too. I wonder if she has interviewed her… goes off to youtube.
The Manila story is inspiring!
I know, if it was sunnier and warmer here I would be tempted to do it outside my own house, ha!
That is a very heartwarming story about the man in Manila. I didn’t know that could ever happen in the Philippines. That just surprises me in a very good way and makes me happy.
It definitely couldn’t happen in Liverpool sadly Claire, too many scallies hahaha!
Aw, I have this Manila piece waiting to pop up tomorrow in my Weekend Miscellany! I wish I’d known about it when I was there in 2006… shame.
Ooh I didn’t know you had been there. Mind you possibly for the best, the baggage allowance on the way back would have been well and truly crippling financially hahaha.
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