By Mary Carlson – only seven copies were made. Published by Eager Beaver on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.
Now this is a love letter
February 14th, 2012 by Richard DaviesGeorgette Heyer: the queen of romance
February 14th, 2012 by Richard Davies
Unless you are a fan of historical romance, then there is a good chance that you will be unfamiliar with Georgette Heyer. Who is she? For a start, she’s one of AbeBooks’ top 10 bestselling authors during the 16-year history of this company.
Last time we looked she was behind William Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie and Stephen King but ahead of J.K. Rowling, Charles Dickens and James Patterson. Read more about Georgette Heyer and her literary legacy.
Supermarket row in Hay-on-Wye
February 13th, 2012 by Richard DaviesPlans to build a supermarket have caused uproar in Hay-on-Wye, the used book capital of the world, reports the Daily Telegraph. Reading through this story, I am reminded a little of Blot on the Landscape by Tom Sharpe.
Police sketches of literary characters
February 10th, 2012 by Richard Davies
Galleycat alerted me to The Composites – a Tumblr – dedicated to police sketches of literary characters. It’s definitely my site of the day. Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon, Keith Talent from London Fields, Edward Rochester (above) from Jane Eyre, Pinkie Brown from Brighton Rock, Emma from Madame Bovary….
Charting the Unknown: Collectable Maps and Cartography
February 10th, 2012 by elizabethc
Collectible maps are wonderful. Changed borders, different and unusually named geographic regions, and more. These elaborate and fascinating rare maps span the world and many are embellished with beautiful artwork. You will see sea monsters, whaling scenes, sailing ships, emblems and learn what a cartouche is.
This selection goes from Sri Lanka in 1513, when large sections of the globe remained unexplored, to war-torn China in 1944.
10 Greatest Shakespeare Film Adaptations
February 9th, 2012 by elizabethc
I liked this list on popmatters of The 10 Greatest Shakespeare Film Adaptations of All Time.
I agree with the Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet – as much as that version was reviled by many, it was equally as celebrated by others, I among them. I enjoyed the creative interpretation and the modern take, though John Leguizamo left much to be desired as Tybalt. I was also happy to see the Kenneth Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing make the list – it’s one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, and the adaptation is brilliant. I love Emma Thompson, and she made a perfect Beatrice. Let’s all just conveniently block out the Keanu Reeves bits, shall we?
There are many on the list I haven’t seen – I have some homework to do.
Graham Greene and Shirley Temple
February 9th, 2012 by Richard Davies
The blog 101 Books writes about Graham Greene and eight-year-old Shirley Temple. The English author reviewed one of Temple’s movies and wrote this:
Watch the way she measures a man with agile studio eyes, with dimpled depravity. Adult emotions of love and grief glissade across the mask of childhood, a childhood that is only skin-deep. It is clever, but it cannot last. Her admirers—middle-aged men and clergymen—respond to her dubious coquetry, to the sight of her well-shaped and desirable little body, packed with enormous vitality, only because the safety curtain of story and dialogue drops between their intelligence and their desire.
Blimey! I thought she just sang songs about the good ship Lollipop. 101 Books goes on to reveal how Greene wrote The Power And The Glory.
Understanding book sizes: octavo to elephant folio
February 8th, 2012 by Richard DaviesBooks come in different shapes and sizes. They can be small or very big indeed. Quarto, duodecimo, octavo and elephant folio are just some of the terms you will hear used, and this video from my colleague Christi helps to demystify the jargon.
You can learn more about book sizes at the AbeBooks’ Book Collecting Guide.
The Animals of Publishing Logos
February 8th, 2012 by elizabethc
From penguins and dolphins to borzois and beyond, this article explores how some of the best-known publishing houses in the industry chose their animal-themed logos.
I love how some of them, like Penguin’s penguin have become so iconic that I hardly even recognize them as a picture of an animal anymore – I think “books” not “penguins” when I see it.
My personal favourite is Puffin. Here are some facts about puffins:
-A puffin is a seabird, whose diet consists mainly of fish.
-For some reason, a lot of people seem to think puffins are flightless birds. Not so.They nest on cliffs and rock faces, so being flightless would be a cruel trick.
-Their outrageous, colorful bills are largely to attract mates – they shed them after mating season to reveal a smaller, less impressive beak.
-There are a lot of puffins in Iceland, and they’re hunted there, for meat, feathers etcetera. If you’re a tourist to Iceland you can expect to see Puffin offered on a lot of menus, including the fresh, raw heart of a puffin offered as a delicacy. That strikes me as a bit on the grisly side. Sure, we eat chicken, but if someone offers me the fresh, raw heart of a hen, I will politely decline and request a well-broiled drumstick.
-Puffins have been featured in many advertisements and signs because of their contribution to the hilarious phrase “No Puffin’!” in order to communicate that people should please not smoke in the vicinity.
Who is Philip Carter? Altar of Bones author
February 8th, 2012 by Richard Davies
Who is Philip Carter, the author of Altar of Bones? asks The Independent. Altar of Bones is a thriller based upon a global conspiracy but the real mystery is the identity of the author. Philip Carter is a pseudonym and the book is selling well.
No more clues have been given as to its authorship. Even the editorial director at Simon & Schuster, who has been in email contact with Carter, claims not to be in on the secret. All we know is that he or she has written before, under another name, and sold a lot of books. There is no other hint to help us narrow down contenders, although this has not stopped a list of possible authors emerging on internet posts and reviews, with Brown, Robert Ludlum and Harlan Coben among them. Some are questioning the gender – could it be a woman, writing in a crime and espionage genre largely commanded by male writers?
The Bobbs-Merrill Story: From Oz to the Kitchen
February 8th, 2012 by elizabethc
Bobbs-Merrill existed in a bygone era of books. This company published L. Frank Baum, Ayn Rand and Irma S. Rombauer’s Joy of Cooking, but is largely forgotten now except by connoisseurs of the used book world.
Discover how a Midwestern company put a book into almost every household in America.
Happy 200th, Charles Dickens
February 7th, 2012 by elizabethc
As you have no doubt been made aware by various Facebook, twitter, google and other posts today, it is Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday.
Here is our contribution – Charles Dickens facts, Charles Dickens trivia, the most expensive Charles Dickens works we’ve ever sold, and a Charles Dickens video, which I particularly recommend.
January’s Most Expensive Sales – Casino Royale and More
February 7th, 2012 by elizabethc
The year began brightly with an inscribed first edition of Ian Fleming’s debut 007 novel, Casino Royale, selling for more than $46,000. The book, published in 1953, remains one of the most desirable of all modern first editions.
The other sales on our top 10 most expensive sales of January list aren’t bad either with appearances from Hermann Hesse, Aldous Huxley, Marcel Proust and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
