It’s time once again for a Book Depository Lucky Dip! For those uninitiated folk, this consists of me typing an enticing search term into the Book Depository’s engine, and then hand-selecting the finest results for your viewing pleasure.
Given that in Australia it is currently the peak of the summer/school holiday boredom season, and parents are seeking more elaborate ways to escape from their hyperactive and ever-present offspring, I have selected the search term “Things to Do”. Parents, you can thank me after you have successfully adopted some of these new avenues to personal growth.
For those wondering what to do with that extra whalebone they’ve got lying around the craft room:
The Basics of Corset Building: A Handbook for Beginners (Linda Sparks)
For those who like to spend quality reading time in the bathroom:
52 Things to Do While You Poo (Hugh Jassburn) …if that is his real name….
For the disenfranchised Twentysomething set:
Things to Do in a Retirement Home Trailer Park…When You’re 29 and Unemployed (Aneurin Wright)
For the God-botherer looking for a shortcut to paradise:
Good News for the Anxious Christian: 10 Practical Things You Don’t Have to Do (Phillip Cary)
For those too busy to pursue leisure activities in the prime of their working life:
100 Things to Do When You’re Dead (Rob Bailey)
And my personal favourite,
For those who live in locations with plummeting land values, or conveniently located adjacent to a museum of military history:
Tank Spotter’s Guide (Marcus Cowper/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
This is my personal favourite not so much because it is a guide to spotting tanks (that may proliferate in one’s local neighbourhood one presumes) although that is reason enough. What I love most about this title is the fact that it is compiled by the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Now, to members of the CoJCoLDS, there may be some bleeding obvious reason why tank spotting is a reasonable and expected leisure pursuit, but as I do not count myself amongst this membership, the authorship of this book seems bizarre at the least, and therein lies its worthiness as pick of the bunch for this foray into Lucky Dipping.
Other contributions are most welcome, if any of you are aware of a not-to-be-missed title relating to “things to do”.
Until next time,
Bruce
my read shelf:
The Bookshelf Gargoyle 
Well, some interesting finds. I’m with you on the Tank Spotting authorship. I think that that deserves some more research. And the one about things to do when you’re dead seems interesting. We have a book about 100 uses for a dead cat. The two books might pair up nicely.
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They might indeed! Perhaps you could supervise the editing of the niche-market release “Things To Do With A Dead Cat When You’re Dead”!
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I will put that on my to-do list. 😀
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This is a riot! Thank you for sharing. I have a handful of your posts in my inbox that I need to read through – not enough time. LOL. I’ll get there eventually…but the good news is we’ll be posting our first submission to your Small Fry Safari Kid Lit Readers Challenge this week. Woo hoo. Happy Reading!
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Hooray! Yes, I have been suffering a bit of manic posting disorder lately. I’ll ease up a bit soon, for everyone’s benefit!
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You have outdone yourself this time GB, where on earth did you find The basics of corset building, I’d love to see my teenage boy’s reaction to this as an activity…
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It was surprisingly easy – apparently things to do is a prolific search term for weird books. I even had to cull some of my finds. I’m now planning a risky but hopefully rewarding trip to the next Lifeline Book Fair to do a physical lucky dip hunt. I think it will be an untapped gold mine of bizarre titles!
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