Archive for September, 2006

Reading Chair

Friday, September 29th, 2006

Everyone has a favourite spot for reading… a chair, a couch, the bed on a Sunday morning, outside on the lawn — the list is endless. Nobody & Co. have designed the Bibliochaise, a chair shelf fusion piece of furniture. Curious.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Photographs of Libraries

Tuesday, September 26th, 2006

For years Candida Hofer has taken photographs that document public spaces — often in a detached, perhaps clinical fashion. The images are usually devoid of people, and highlight patterns, repetition or a sense of order. With her images there is an archaeological sense of discovery and documentation. Libraries is a collection of her photographs documenting some of the great libraries of the world.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Chávez Endorses Chomsky

Monday, September 25th, 2006

Once again reinforcing the idea that no press is bad press… After Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez endorsed Chomsky’s book Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance at the UN last week it shot to the top of the bestsellers list.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Lynne’s gunning for more poor punctuation

Wednesday, September 20th, 2006

Lynne Truss has set up a website so people can inform on anyone using poor punctuation. I notice the website has a picture of her holding a gun although it is clearly plastic.

I also see that Much Ado Books from Alfriston in East Sussex is Lynne’s favorite bookstore. They sell via Abebooks and it’s good to see an independent store getting singled out for praise by a major author.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Doodles in the Oval Office

Tuesday, September 19th, 2006

I don’t think I’m going to buy this book - Presidential Doodles. I guess ‘Presidential Shopping Lists’ could be the follow-up.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Banned

Tuesday, September 19th, 2006

We’ve talked about it, and now Google is talking about it.

As part of the 25th anniversary of Banned Book Week Google is allowing you to peek inside these contentious books.

Popularity: 9% [?]

The world’s worst novelist

Monday, September 18th, 2006

Many decades ago, I used to drink in a pub called The Eagle and Child in Oxford. It was famous for being the hang-out of The Inklings - JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and others. I can just imagine them sipping their pints and giggling over Amanda McKintrick Ros - ‘the world’s worst novelist’.

I wonder what they’d think about the fact that her books are now collectible.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Airport security

Thursday, September 14th, 2006

I know exactly how JK feels. If she had checked it in, they’d only have lost it

Popularity: 8% [?]

Dig out that unpublished manuscript

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

It’s time to find those unpublished manuscripts. There’s money on the table.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Inspired by garbage

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

Some people are inspired to write by love, nature or even revenge. Other people are inspired by garbage trucks (or bin lorry if you are in the UK)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Airport Wireless

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

There is a reasonable amount of air travel for the staff at Abebooks (some more than others). Industry tradeshows, conferences, offices on two continents all add up to some time spent in airports. To make those hours sitting in lounges a touch more bearable, Travelpost has compiled a list of wireless internet availability in 141 US airports.

Just need to find an list of international and Canadian airports… anyone?

Popularity: 9% [?]

Product placements in books

Tuesday, September 12th, 2006

I think it’s disgraceful that some authors are adopting product placement tactics. Bloggers would never do anything so base.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Getting excited about Harry

Tuesday, September 12th, 2006

Almost every day we receive a request from someone with a Harry Potter first edition that they suspect might be valuable. Today the Allentown Morning Call has an article on just this subject.

We all wish we had this copy.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Penguin’s Great Ideas Series

Friday, September 1st, 2006

Love the design and typography on the covers of Penguin Great Ideas series. Bold, simple, striking… a really well executed concept.

See series 1 and series 2.

Good to see large publishing houses showing this level of care and creativity in their products. Eye magazine comments on this as well.

Popularity: 8% [?]