Showing posts with label Taylor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taylor. Show all posts



We've made a little montage Christmas video for you. 
Our staff are holding their favourite 2014 reads, but there are also some Christmas picks thrown in throughout.

Merry Christmas to all - we hope it's full of Peace, Love and Books!

Featuring our staff: Wendy, Louisa, Ian, Jenna, Ally, Claire, Anna, Hollie, Manon, Michelle and Eli.

The song is aptly titled, These Words Stick Me to You and it's by the amazing Dear Time's Waste.
We are soon to farewell one of our long time part timers, Taylor. She will venturing out into the great wide world of primary teaching (but not before she works one more crazy Christmas here!)

These will be my last few months at Time Out Bookstore. I have been working here since I was a wee thing in high school (not much shorter than I am today), since Wendy pulled me away from the shelves one afternoon and asked if I'd like to come and work over Christmas. I think I went into shock a little bit, but I remember the excitement that quickly followed "I've got a job! In a BOOK shop!" Next year I will be delving into the scary world of having a full-time career as a Primary School teacher, which I am so excited for, but to do this I have to say goodbye to a place that has been home for nearly seven years. So before I say goodbye to this chapter of my life I thought I'd share with you a little bit about the magic of this place.

 My first Christmas working here I think the staff thought I was a little strange. Anyone who has ever worked in retail over Christmas will tell you it is not a time of joy. But here was this fifteen-year-old girl, bright-eyed, arriving early, getting lumped with all of the lowly chores, and still getting disappointment when it came to leaving. I fell in love with the children's room, adopted it as my domain, and to this day have never fully given it back. Now, as a soon-to-be teacher, it gives me so much joy to watch children come in with their passion for reading plastered all over their faces, and to play some role in helping them find books that get them excited. Books have so much to offer us, new worlds to explore and escape into, adventures to go on with fictional-friends, ideas to grapple with, new words to roll around on our tongues. We need books to stoke the fires of our imaginations, and from great readers come great writers to continue the on-going cycle.

 Over the years I have worked here I have seen many people come through the door, and so many of these wonderful people have such a heart for this place and the continuation of the bookselling trade. We have some fiercely loyal customers, and I want to say I am so thankful to you (you know who you are) for making these last seven years possible for me and for everyone who works here.

 Each morning that I opened the shop and gently wake her up to the new day, I feel like I am being greeted by an old friend. And in some ways I am, I am being greeted by so many old friends, all in their little inky worlds. Words and stories have had such a role in making me who I am, in shaping my dreams and my passions, and so has this shop and all the people who have worked here with me over the years. In a few months I cross over to the other side of the counter, and begin a new chapter with this store in the role of customer. But I know that this family will always have a place for me, and these books will always welcome me back, and this store will always be home.

 Thank you for the amazing memories.
Ms. Taylor Adair meets her idol: Laini Taylor.

Here at Time Out we have been fortunate enough to receive a visit from the amazing author Laini Taylor, who not only has a great last name but also wrote one of my favourite series of books; Daughter of Smoke and Bone. In honor of this visit, and the signed copies of her books that we have in store [weehee], I thought I would write a little something telling you why this is a book you should read!


I will start with a little disclaimer: We all have different taste in books, just like with everything else in life. Some love chick-lit, some loath it. Some love sci-fi, some run the other way. Laini’s series is a fantasy series, and if that just isn't your book-jam I completely understand and will not bully you into reading this series.


That being said; YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY ALL READ THIS SERIES!


Meet Karou; a prague art student who speaks more languages than she has fingers and whose hair seemingly grows out of her head a fierce topaz blue. She often disappears for days at a time and the monsters she draws in her sketch books and the stories she tells of them make you believe they might be real. Which, of course, they are. On the other side of a door that can only be opened from the inside lies a world where angels and monsters are real, and they really don’t like each other very much. Caught somewhere in the middle Karou has to figure out who she is and what she wants, and what she is prepared to lose to get it.


I have to admit that when I heard the premise of the story I was skeptical. Angels and monsters and [spoiler] love?  It seemed like a story that could too easily succumb to cliches. BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE!
Laini Taylor fills her story with quirky, lovable and hilarious characters. Kas, the ex-boyfriend who makes his living lurking around prague dressed as a vampire. Zuanna, the tiny, fierce and hilarious best friend who brings light and reality to the fantasy. The plot has strength that comes from far more than the love story at it’s center, this is a story about war just as much as it is a story about love. Taylor writes beautiful prose that makes you laugh, and then in the same moment evokes powerful emotions of sorrow in the heart of the reader. I think what I love the most about this series, besides the fact I could not put it down (seriously I was reading them in lectures sneakily using my laptop to hide behind), is that although so much of the story is fantastical, the characters, reactions and interactions are so real that you start to believe that it could all be true somehow. And you want it to be!

All three of the trilogy are out now so if you are looking for your next page-turner, look no further. We have all three books in stock and if you get in quick you could get one of the copies Laini signed for us!



Thank you to Ruby Mitchell and Hachette for bringing Laini to visit!
On this very stormy Wednesday, Taylor Adair gives some advice on the best books to read in the bath.

In my opinion there is no better way to easily relax than to have a long, hot, bubbly bath. My family have always been bath people. After a recent long and tiring day at work my Dad came home and just had the look about it, my first words upon seeing him were: "Can I run you a bath Dad?" The cure to a bad day, the cure for a tired body, the remedy to the blues of a cold winter's night, a bath has healing properties beyond the physical. To ease your spirit and rally your mind.

Now you're all asking, 'Taylor I came to this blog expecting to read about books and all you've given me is a paragraph about why baths perhaps the best things in the world?' Well, wonderful reader, there is something that can maximize the healing and relaxing powers of a bath, and that is what I like to call a 'Bathable Book.' In reality any book can be a Bathable Book, but I thought I'd share with you a list of some books that I have found are exceptionally good Bathable Books.

What I deem an exception Bathable Book is a book that; gets me running more hot water at least twice, because I've been in the bath reading for so long; makes me want to run a bath just for the sake of reading my book; draws you completely into it's world; is NOT depressing; is of a good size (not too big or thick as this makes for a more perilous bath/reading experience)

These books range from newish releases to books that came out a few years ago, there is a mix of adult and young adult fiction, but what they all have in common is their exceptional Bathability:

One of my favourite series, a page turner with great characters and witty, clever writing.

The modernisation of the Jane Austen novel. Though I did find this book a little cringe worthy in parts, it was a fun, light read if you take it with a grain of salt.

The beautiful and heart-breaking story of Hemmingway's first wife, Hadley, that has been poetically written.

The servants of Pride and Prejudice have the chance to tell their story in this book that brings you so far into their world your hands will feel red from the laundry.

What if the Queen of England discovered an unquenchable love for books and shirked her responsibilities in favour of curling up with a book? A fabulous short novel from Alan Bennet about just that.

Society has been reduced to probability and algorithms, everything is decided for you based on an equation including who you will spend your life with. A great page turner of a series of what our world could become.

Magic, mystery, and a strange circus. This book went straight to my top five, the perfect escapism that is still incredibly well written.

A bad analogy of this book would be to call it a cross between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, but it is a great fantasy story full of magic and journeys and mystery.
Taylor Adair
Time Out staff member and YA guru.








For the last 6 years I have been paid to live among books. I 'work' at Time Out Bookstore on Mt Eden Road. I say work in air quotations not because I sit around doing nothing but because the work I do is enjoyable and satisfying.

 One of my jobs here is helping people find the right book. I'm privileged to work with some amazing people, and the best thing about our cohort of bookstore workers is that we all have our own taste and niche when it comes to recommending books to customers. 

 One of my niches here is down the very back of the shop, through a 'Where The Wild Things Are' painted door frame, in a little room full of colour, adventure and magic.. and often children. The Kids Room is what we call it, but trust me when I tell you it holds many wonders for those of us who have outgrown our Single-Digit and teenage years. This is actually where I was found and adopted by Wendy, the owner of the shop, when I was fifteen. I spent so much time lurking and reading in that room that Wendy asked if I'd like to be paid to do it. I told you this room was full of magic.

 As I said, one of my jobs is recommending books to people, particularly in that back room. As I was opening up the shop this morning one of my favourite books in the Young Adult section caught my eye, and I realised that there are some amazing books out there that can sometimes be lost in the excitement of The Hunger Games and The Fault in our Stars (both of which are fantastic books by the way). But there are some unsung heroes out there who I believe deserve some of the spotlight, even if they haven't been made into major motion pictures (yet). The other thing that can sometimes cast some of these great books into the shadows are the list of fantastic books which have been out for a long time, such as the Inkheart series which is always one of my go-to recommendation for young book-lovers.
So my thought was to compile a short list of my favourite Young Adult books that have come out in the last five years that maybe you haven't heard about, but that you should listen for.

 (I should say, these are books of my taste in Young Adult so most have some kind of magical or sci-fi element.) 

 1. The Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver (2010)

  • Set in a future where the source of all the worlds problems has been identified and cured. Love. Love is a disease that causes irrationality and destruction where ever it goes, so when you turn 16 you are given the cure. Lena is a strong believer in the cure and all that it stands for. But then she meets Alex, a boy who is part of the rebellion, who shows her there is so much more to the world beyond the fence.   
  • Now this may sound like just another teen clique love story... and yes in some ways that is exactly what it is.But Oliver also spins a challenging and thought-provoking world and a page-turning adventure around this love story. The other thing I loved about this series was the reality of it. So often these dystopian books skip over the harsh realities that come with being on the run, but this story embraces and describes them. All three books in the trilogy are out now, and trust me, you will want to jump right into the next one.

 2. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrll (2013)

  • In the future the invention of a time machine has caused nothing but pain and destruction for everyone, and Em and Finn must use the machine to go back and ensure it is never created. The only thing is, other versions of themselves have already tried 14 times, and this time there is only one option.
  • A great book with a new twist on Time Travel. Apparently this is only book one in the series and I'm excited to see where Terrll takes the story next. The books asks how far you would be willing go for the greater good. I can't say too much without giving the story away, you might just have to pick it up and go through all the twists and turns yourself.

 3. Forgotten by Cat Patrick (2011)
  • London remembers forward. She has no memories of yesterdays, she relies on reminder notes, diary entries and her knowledge of what is coming to make it through the day appearing to be an ordinary girl. 
  • This is hard book to try and explain, for obvious reasons! But what a fantastic concept. I started reading this book in bed one night and didn't sleep until I finished it. I literally couldn't put it down. Another love story takes center stage, but who cares. That's most YA fiction for you, embrace it or move on. 
4. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (2013)
  • This is the story of Min and Ed. They were in love, or so Min thought, and then they broke up. Now Min is writing Ed a letter to let him know exactly why. Each chapter is a piece of the letter and is accompanied by an beautiful illustration of a trinket or ticket stub or some physical part of Min and Ed's relationship, all of which are going in a box to be delivered to Ed's front door.
  • For anyone who has ever gone through a break up, your heart will identify with this fantastically tragic story. It will make you smile, make you cry and might even help you learn some things about love.Written by Daniel Handler, more well known as Lemony Snicket the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events.

 5. Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher (2012)
  • Zoe has a secret, one so awful she can't confide in anyone. Not until she starts writing letters to Stuart Harris, a murderer locked up on death row in Texas. Though he never replies Zoe sends letters with pieces of her story as a way to come to grips with what she's done and find a way forward.
  • This is a great read from the author of 'My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.' Because you don't know quite what happened until further down the track I'll avoid giving the 'AHA' moment away. I loved how this was a story about a normal teenager and her life... until it wasn't. 
That is it from me for now. I hope that something I said has inspired you to run off and dive into another world, whether it be one of those I've recommended or not! Happy reading dear friends, and remember to appreciate those slightly dustier books.

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