One Girl Collecting

The Blog is Moving

2016-10-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

The rumors are true. I am moving the blog. Yeah, I know, change is hard—but 7 years on Blogger is a good run, and we're just outgrowing the platform. For those folks who are like me and have a hard time with change, I thought it would be good to have a bit of transition time. So, over the next month I'll continue posting here, but will also be posting more content at the new website: Onegirlcollecting.com.

The site is currently up and running, although I'm still working out some of the kinks. (You can consider this a soft opening.)

The new platform gives me A LOT more control over the design and page offerings and also lets me have a little cleaner interface. (And it's WAY more mobile friendly.)

Eventually, all the links to this blog will redirect to the new site. I just wanted to give followers some lead-time to get used to the change.

On the new site I've cleaned up Identifying First Editions and Book Collecting Tips and added an Identifying Book Club Editions page as well as a Book Collecting Terms page.

In the Post: Mister Monkey & The Comet Seekers

2016-10-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

Look what I found on the front stoop this morning as I was coming back from errands!

Harper Collins was nice enough to send an advanced reading copy of Mister Monkey by Francine Prose (due out October 18th) and a hardcover copy of Helen Sedwick's debut novel, The Comet Seekers (due out October 11th). Just in time, as I'm hopping on a plane tomorrow. I think I'll save the hardcover for my return (so I don't have to lug it across the country with me). So Francine Prose, it looks like it's up to you to entertain me.

2016 NBA Finalists Announced

2016-10-07T09:33:00.001-04:00

The National Book Award Finalists were announced yesterday in the categories of Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Young Adult fiction.

Winners will be announced November 16th.

Chris Bachelder, The Throwback Special (W. W. Norton & Company)
Paulette Jiles, News of the World (William Morrow/HarperCollinsPublishers)
Karan Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs (Viking Books/Penguin Random House)
Mahajan, The Association of Small Bombs (Viking Books/Penguin Random House)
Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad (Doubleday/Penguin Random House)
Jacqueline Woodson, Another Brooklyn (Amistad/HarperCollinsPublishers)

Kate DiCamillo, Raymie Nightingale (Candlewick Press)
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell (Artist), March: Book Three (Top Shelf Productions / IDW Publishing)
Grace Lin, When the Sea Turned to Silver (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Jason Reynolds, Ghost (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also a Star (Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House)

Review: Blind Sight by Carol O'Connell

2016-10-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

Blind Sight—a Mallory novel (#12), Carol O'Connell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, Sept. 2016)

Hard cover
Genre: Mystery
Cover price: $27
388 pages

Synopsis: A blind child and a Catholic nun disappear from a city sidewalk in plain sight of onlookers. There, then gone—vanished in seconds. Those who witnessed the event still cannot believe it happened.

It was all too real. Detective Kathy Mallory and the NYPD’s Special Crimes Unit enter the investigation when the nun’s body is found with three other corpses in varying stages of decomposition left on the lawn of Gracie Mansion, home to the mayor of New York City. Sister Michael was the last to die. The child, Jonah Quill, is still missing.

Like Jonah, the police are blind. Unknown to them, he is with a stone killer, and though he has unexpected resources of his own, his would-be saviors have no suspect, no useful evidence, and no clue — except for Detective Mallory’s suspicions of things not said and her penchant for getting to the truth beneath lies. Behind her back, the squad’s name for her is Mallory the Machine, yet she has a dark understanding of what it is to be human. A child is waiting, time is running out, and atop her list of liars is the mayor himself…and a theory of the crimes in which no sane cop could believe.

*Starred review from Kirkus.

Review

Even on her worst days, Carol O'Connell is an exceptional writer. She's a master at creating tension and twists. The characters she's created in and around Kathleen Mallory are compelling, flawed, and captivating. Unlike her other books, the mystery here is not who is killing people, but to what end?

O'Connell very clearly lays out who the bad, smarmy characters are and easily lets you figure out who's behind the killings. Less clear is the ever dangling "brilliant," "fail proof" plan behind the killings. O'Connell, via Mallory, spells it out at the end but like everything else in this novel it feels rather superficial.

Mallory and her companions felt like caricatures of their earlier incarnations with constant reminders of their key characteristics: Riker's frumpy suits, love of alcohol, and suicidal leanings or Janos, the quiet spoken "gorilla," who could break a man in half if he wasn't so nice; Lt. Coffey the young, jaded captain with thinning hair.... The rest of the supporting cast came off equally flat or stereotyped, even Mallory, who acted more like a petulant child than the single-minded, sociopathic, truth-fighting machine we've come to admire. And for those interested in the Charles Butler character, just know that he doesn't play a huge role in this story. His character shows up about 1/3rd of the way through the book and is relegated to small, predictable scenes.

Even though the returning characters felt flat, the story of Jonah (the blind child) and Iggy (his captor) was compelling and kept me reading. In fact, I finished this book in a day and a half. I just wish all of the characters had as much depth in this story as she gave to these two.

Honestly, this book felt more like a carrier—something to get us to the next book (or books). Something in which O'Connell could start dropping hints of things to come. Of particular interest:

A flashback conversation between Lou Markowitz (Mallory's foster father) and his then partner Riker: "Lou Markowitz had known that his kid would surely die young. While sitting side by side on bar stools late one night, the man had said to Riker, 'When it happens, don't hold it against her. It won't be her fault.'"
A flash-forward moment of a 90-year old Charles remembering Mallory
A moment when Mallory returned to Iggy's house thought she heard the footstep of a ghost, before her logic explained it away.
And an epilogue, of sorts, in which we flash-forward & the author guides us through Mallory's sterile apartment pointing out clues to Mallory's humanity.

Is it possible that O'Connell is preparing us for the inevitable? Will she kill Mallory?

I know a lot of people felt as if her last 2 novels were just eh, and that this book marks O'Connell's return to Mallory—I'm just not sure. I will be very curious to see where the next book goes.

Take away: The book is definitely worth a read, just don't expect deep backstory.

3.5 stars / out of 5

Hogarth Shakespeare and Margaret Atwood

2016-09-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last year I was excited to read Jeanette Winterson's Gap of Time, a retelling of Shakespeare's The Winters Tale. This was the first in Crown Publishing's Hogarth Shakespeare series, with the promise of three more titles to come. Earlier this year they released Shylock is My Name (a retelling of Merchant of Venice) by Howard Jacobson and Vinegar Girl (a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew) by Anne Tyler. And on October 11th, they'll release the 4th book in the series Hag Seed (a retelling of The Tempest), by Margaret Atwood. It's already getting starred reviews and for anyone who loves Shakespeare this is a fun little series to add to your collection.

Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson (Hogarth Shakespeare, October 6, 2015)

Synopsis: In The Gap of Time, Jeanette Winterson’s cover version of The Winter’s Tale, we move from London, a city reeling after the 2008 financial crisis, to a storm-ravaged American city called New Bohemia. Her story is one of childhood friendship, money, status, technology and the elliptical nature of time. Written with energy and wit, this is a story of the consuming power of jealousy on the one hand, and redemption and the enduring love of a lost child on the other.

Starred review from Publishers Weekly.

Shylock is My Name, Howard Jacobson (Hogarth Shakespeare, February 9, 2016)

Synopsis: Winter, a cemetery, Shylock. In this provocative and profound interpretation of “The Merchant of Venice,” Shylock is juxtaposed against his present-day counterpart in the character of art dealer and conflicted father Simon Strulovitch. With characteristic irony, Jacobson presents Shylock as a man of incisive wit and passion, concerned still with questions of identity, parenthood, anti-Semitism and revenge. While Strulovich struggles to reconcile himself to his daughter Beatrice's “betrayal” of her family and heritage – as she is carried away by the excitement of Manchester high society, and into the arms of a footballer notorious for giving a Nazi salute on the field – Shylock alternates grief for his beloved wife with rage against his own daughter's rejection of her Jewish upbringing. Culminating in a shocking twist on Shylock’s demand for the infamous pound of flesh, Jacobson’s insightful retelling examines contemporary, acutely relevant questions of Jewish identity while maintaining a poignant sympathy for its characters and a genuine spiritual kinship with its antecedent—a drama which Jacobson himself considers to be “the most troubling of Shakespeare’s plays for anyone, but, for an English novelist who happens to be Jewish, also the most challenging.”

Vinegar Girl, Anne Tyler (Hogarth Shakespeare, June 21, 2016)

Synopsis: Kate Battista feels stuck. How did she end up running house and home for her eccentric scientist father and uppity, pretty younger sister Bunny? Plus, she’s always in trouble at work – her pre-school charges adore her, but their parents don’t always appreciate her unusual opinions and forthright manner.

Dr. Battista has other problems. After years out in the academic wilderness, he is on the verge of a breakthrough. His research could help millions. There’s only one problem: his brilliant young lab assistant, Pyotr, is about to be deported. And without Pyotr, all would be lost.

When Dr. Battista cooks up an outrageous plan that will enable Pyotr to stay in the country, he’s relying – as usual – on Kate to help him. Kate is furious: this time he’s really asking too much. But will she be able to resist the two men’s touchingly ludicrous campaign to bring her around?

Starred review from Booklist.

Hag Seed, Margaret Atwood (Hogarth Shakespeare, October 11, 2016)

Synopsis: Felix is at the top of his game as Artistic Director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. His productions have amazed and confounded. Now he's staging a Tempest like no other: not only will it boost his reputation, it will heal emotional wounds.

Or that was the plan. Instead, after an act of unforeseen treachery, Felix is living in exile in a backwoods hovel, haunted by memories of his beloved lost daughter, Miranda. And also brewing revenge.

After twelve years, revenge finally arrives in the shape of a theatre course at a nearby prison. Here, Felix and his inmate actors will put on his Tempest and snare the traitors who destroyed him. It's magic! But will it remake Felix as his enemies fall?

Starred Reviews from Library Journal & Publishers Weekly.

How Do You Find Collectible Books?

2016-09-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

I'm getting more questions regarding how & where I find my collectible books. There's no one source of information or one place I turn to—and if there were, that would probably take some of the fun out of it for me. I like the thrill of the hunt.

First, I do the research

As for how I determine if something might be a collectible, I do A LOT of research. I read trade magazines, bookseller descriptions, publishers' websites, author websites, independent bookstore newsletters, library publications, book reviews—whatever I can get my hands on. The more information, the better.

Some of the publications I turn to:

Publishers Weekly: PW will publish the run-down of books that are soon-to-be-published. The information included in these briefs may include print run numbers or how the rights were acquired (via auction or pre-empt)
PW Tip Sheet: PW newsletter with industry news, and information about books & authors.
For reviews: Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, Booklist
Bibz2.com—Brodart has a database for librarians that sometimes includes the first print run numbers. (this is by subscription only)
Advanced reading copies of specific books—sometimes this gives information on the print runs and the marketing plan, including whether or not the author will do a book-signing tour.
Bookseller listings at Abebooks. Many times there are small bits of information or leads about why a book might be considered collectible. I look for terms like "rare 2nd printing," or "first state dust jacket," or "low print run," etc.

I'm looking for something that resonates

I'm looking for anything that gives me the sense of the book & how it came to be published. It's not scientific—it's instinctual. I'm looking for "the feels" as Sam Cooke would say. Something that resonates. A book that resonates with the public is more likely to fall into the collectible realm.

It doesn't have to be something I read and loved (although sometimes that helps).

I pay attention to the book buzz by reading reviews and asking booksellers & librarians what's popular or different. For more "organic" reviews, I look at Goodreads & Amazon (because they seem to be the most populated). Goodreads seems to have less of an agenda than Amazon, although at Amazon, if people really like the book, they're more like to post a lot (the opposite is true as well).

I pay attention to the big book fairs, festivals, and conventions

The National Book Festival
The Frankfurt Book Fair:

The Big Titles U.S. Agencies Will be Selling at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) book events
BEA (Book Expo America)

I do a lot of Google searches

Once I figure out what titles to be on the lookout for, I start researching those titles specifically to figure out what the print run numbers are, if they're up for any awards, etc. I do a lot of Google searches.

Where I look for books

I tend to shop the used bookstores and book sales in my area—this requires a lot of patience and the ability to hold lists in my head (or keep them in my phone).

I do better with actual bookstores, but have had some success with buying books online.

Online:

Abebooks: I trust Abebooks the most, as sellers tend to be more aware of book conditions and print runs.
Powell's (in Oregon) is my second choice, although I have to know exactly what I'm looking for—they're really good for ordering signed books, since they have signings at their store.
VJ Books (in Oregon)—is also good for signed editions (>> there's a link in the sidebar >>)

Bricks & Mortar:

Half Price Books: I've had a lot of luck with Half Price Books. We don't have a Half Price Books where I live, but every time I travel back to the Midwest, I hit one of their stores and usually leave with a much lighter wallet and a much heavier suitcase. I wouldn't necessarily suggest you buy from their online marketplace though. Their listings aren't always accurate as far as condition goes & they ship their books without much protection or care.
Local / Indie Bookstores
Barnes & Noble: I'll usually shop here when I have a gift card, when they've had an author signing, or during the Christmas season (when their leather bound books are on sale or when they offer signed editions).

On occasion I'll shop the Amazon marketplace, but this is hit or miss, so you have to be prepared for disappointment.

I never shop eBay. There are just too many counterfeits and misrepresented listings and it's too easy for sellers to pull up stakes & disappear. Although there are a number of fairly good eBay guides for collectors.

Speaking of Potential Collectibles...

2016-09-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I got into a little bit about what makes a book a collectible. Collectors of hypermodern books (books published in the last 20-ish years) are at somewhat of a disadvantage because it takes 5, 10, or 20 years to truly determine if the book IS a collectible.

We are basically speculators. We're making our best guesses, but there are so many variables at play, that we're lucky if we have a 50/50 track record.

That said, I'm guessing that this book may end up being a YA collectible:

The Reader by Traci Chee (G.P. Putnam's Sons, Sept. 13, 2016)

This is her debut novel with the promise of two more books in the trilogy.

It's gotten starred reviews from:

• Kirkus
• School Library Journal
• Booklist
• Publishers Weekly

And has been shortlisted for the 2016 Kirkus Prize ($50,000 USD). I'm guessing it will make other awards lists in the upcoming year.

She's been scheduled for a few book events (mostly in California), but no book tour at this point. I imagine if she starts getting more press there will be a drive for her book and a possible tour. As far as I know, the publisher didn't have her do any in-house signings. We're only a week into the publication, so it's not surprising that there aren't any signed copies available yet.

According to her website, folks who preordered her book and provided proof (in the form of a receipt) were sent signed bookplates... so watch out for those listings popping up in the near future. A signed bookplate isn't as valuable as a signed and handled book. Although I'm sure there are plenty of sellers who won't make that differentiation.

She's also getting a lot of buzz in the review sections on Goodreads and Amazon.

So keep your ears open and eyes peeled for this one.

In The Post: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2016-09-21T09:13:00.001-04:00

On Saturday I ordered a SIGNED first printing of Kristin Cashore's debut novel, Graceling. This was after a conversation in which Graceling had come up and I was curious about prices. I looked at Abebooks and out of curiosity I hit the Amazon marketplace where I found the below listing:

I was a little leery because the price listed was $5.49 plus shipping and I (naturally) thought it was too good to be true. The twist in the story is that the seller who listed the book is one that had sold me a first edition of H is for Hawk back in January, but when I received it, it was actually a 17th printing (& not a first anything). The seller apologized for the mistake and offered to refund my money with the return of the book. I gave her the benefit of the doubt and kept the book (because I wanted to read it).

When this listing came up and I saw it was the same seller, I have to admit to thinking the worst. Still, $5.49 was too good to pass up, so I bit the bullet.

It arrived yesterday in the mail. It came in a bubble mailer with no other added protection, but appeared mostly undamaged as I looked it over. (I am always amazed when books survive the USPS with minimal protection. Nothing against the USPS, it's just that shit happens.)

The cover appears clean with no rips, bumps, stains, or tears—although there are two slight indentations on the back cover (that are easier to see when the cover is removed).

The head, tail, and fore-edge appear clean. There is no bumping to the edges or corners of the book board, and the text block is fairly tight, maybe having been read once.

The indentation on the back of the dust jacket translated to the book boards as well, but it's a minimal invasion—with no tearing or piercing of the paper covering. You can see the marks in the image on the right. They appear diagonally on the upper left and lower right. It's enough to take it from a Fine to a Very Good copy (given that there are no other issues).

But I'm sure what you're most eager to know is if it is truly a signed first printing, or did I get burned once again. I was a bit cautious when I opened the book to the title page because I was indeed afraid that I'd been scorched—but no.

This is what I saw.

Sure enough, the book is inscribed to "Tema" and Cashore's signature appears sandwiched above the title.

My next thought was to confirm that this was an authentic signature, which isn't always easy, as there aren't many examples of her early signature available online.

I found several samples of her later signature (from Fire and Bitterblue), but only one example from the first book (an Abebook seller's image). A comparison of the early signatures shows that they appear to be very similar, but since there was only one other copy with which to compare, I decided to do a side by side comparison with the later signatures, for which there are more examples. While signatures do change, there are some things that remain fairly constant—especially when dealing with the beginning and ending strokes.

Comparison of the two early signatures:

The easiest letters to compare would be the K in her first name, the C in her last name, the T in "To," the lowercase m in "Tema," and the w's, s's, and b. Her later signature is much looser than the one in my edition, but the uppercase K, C, and T all show similarities.

Signature examples:

Signature comparison

Here's a side by side comparison of some of the letters:

Clearly, her signature changed, but the loop and the upward swoop of the K as well as the fact that the arms don't connect with the K's backbone indicate a similarity.

The C is tall and skinny and a little more controlled on the earlier signature.

The 'To' is nearly identical—from the angle of the T's cap to the little tail on the left side.

The lowercase m and w have similarities, but differences can be attributed to the changing of the later signature, the speed with which the book was signed, or where the letters appear within the word.

Lastly, the copyright page does show the full letter line from A to H, indicating that it is a first printing. So then, the question becomes, what makes this particular book so collectible?

Truly, this is the question for most collectibles. The problem is, there's not always a concrete answer.

Usually we can apply the formula [scarcity + desirability = collectible score]. The more scarce a book actually is combined with a larger number of people who want to get their hands on it, makes for a higher collectibility score. Of course, all of this is subjective and based on perceptions.

In this case, there were no first print run numbers published, that I could find. So the scarcity score will depend on how easily people can find it in the marketplace at any given time. If there is perceived scarcity, the price will probably go up.

Add to the equation whether or not this was the author's debut novel. If so, the desirability score goes up because it's the first. As collectors we like firsts. We're gambling that the author will go on to reach fame and popularity, in which case the early/first adopters are rewarded.

Follow that with a series of questions:

Did the book win awards?
How well was it reviewed?
Did it have a big fan base or following? (even if the fans came along later)
Is it the first of it's kind or an early adopter of a new genre?
Is there an interesting story about how the book came to be?
Were the author's next book(s) equally well received? (if there were other books)
Were there any issues with the first printing that caused it to be lower (caught mistakes, recalled book, etc)
Is there anything currently driving desirability? (Was there just an article about the book/author? Is there a controversy surrounding it? Did the author pass away? etc.)
Was there a movie made? (if so, did it bomb or was it a hit?)

Any of these scenarios can sway the desirability of a book and effect value.

This is Cashore's debut novel and it won many starred reviews (Kirkus, PW, Booklist), accolades, and awards. It was embraced by teens and adults, indie booksellers as well as mainstream, and it was an early adopter to the "mash-up," appealing to fans of multiple genres (YA Fantasy + Female Heroine + Romance).

Combine that with the fact that they made a movie (which always seems to bump collectible prices up, even if just temporarily), and that it's hard to find a first printing—presumably because people liked the book so much that they held on to their copies... and it seems to make for the perfect storm for a collectible.

If you can find first printings in Very Good to Fine condition, they're worth $70+ unsigned, and $200+ signed.

—and apologies to buymeimcheap for thinking the worst. You did not do wrong by me.

Best,

Oh Amazon, Ye Marketplace of Scoundrels

2016-09-17T08:43:00.000-04:00

So I got into a conversation over on Facebook about how to know if a book is collectible (which I won't go into for this post—but maybe after I get back from my weekend Vacay)... Anyway, Graceling, by Kristen Cashore was brought up in the conversation. So I figured I would go check out prices (you know, like you do).

My first stop was Abebooks (naturally), where the listings were about what I expected: on average $70 for unsigned up to $175 (signed) for first printings. Then I hopped over to Amazon to see what was being offered over there. I didn't get very far because I ran into this (we'll call it, too-good-to-be-true) listing:

Whoa. $5.49 for a "Pristine First Edition... Signed by author..." — usually the price point would be such that I'd go for it immediately with the expectation that it's probably NOT what it says it is... Then I notice the seller, "buymeimcheap."

For those who've been reading along for awhile, back in January, I procured a copy of H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald—this was the listing:

What I got was a 17th printing—not a full number line—albeit it was pristine.

When I contacted the seller to enquire about it she said it'd been a long day of copying and pasting book listings and she'd neglected to correct the listing to match the edition. She offered to refund my money if I wanted to send the book back to her (which I did not do, opting to keep and read it).

At that time, one of my readers suggested that I'd been duped and, after seeing the Graceling listing, I am inclined to believe that she was right. But just for giggles, I went ahead and purchased the above "signed" copy of Graceling for $9.48 (including shipping). In 2 weeks, we'll see what I actually purchased.

Stay tuned...

So Many Short Lists, So Little Time

2016-09-16T08:41:00.001-04:00

I look forward all year to awards season. Not the Tonys, Oscars, or Emmys but the NBAs, Man-Bookers, Peace Prize, etc. I love book awards season. Yet another set of awards lists have come out in the last couple of days: The Dayton Literary Peace Prize short-list and the National Book Awards for Fiction longlist.

The 2016 Dayton Literary Peace Prize fiction finalists are

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara:

Synopsis: Four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition — seek fame and fortune in New York City in this hymn to brotherly bonds. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into and those that we make for ourselves.

*This has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the Man-Booker and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Last year, signed first editions listed up to $425 and unsigned copies listed up to $250. Almost one year later, signed first printings are still listing from $120-$400. Unsigned copies list from $95-$185.

The U.S. edition published by Doubleday is the true first.

Delicious Foods by James Hannaham:

Synopsis: Held captive on a mysterious farm and under the sway of an overpowering addiction, a widow struggles to reunite with her young son. Hannaham's daring and shape-shifting prose infuses his characters with grace and humor while wrestling with timeless questions of forgiveness, redemption, and the will to survive.

*Unsigned first printings list, on average, for $50; Signed list from $80-$150.

Green on Blue by Elliot Ackerman:

Synopsis: A young Afghan orphan is forced to join a US-funded militia in order to save his brother, who is hospitalized after an attack on their village, in this morally complex debut novel about the harrowing, intractable nature of war and the sacrifices we make for love.

*Signed copies list up to $55.

Orhan’s Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian:

Synopsis: Drawing on her own family history, Ohanesian pulls back the curtain on a devastating chapter of the Armenian Holocaust, moving between the 1990s and the 1915 Ottoman Empire in this remarkable debut novel about war and recovery, crimes and reparations.

*Signed list from $50-$75; Unsigned: up to $40

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen:

Synopsis: This profound, startling, and beautifully crafted debut novel tells the story of a man of two minds whose lofty ideals necessitate his betrayal of the people closest to him. Both gripping spy yarn and astute exploration of extreme politics, The Sympathizer examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.

*Signed: list from $400-$1,600; Unsigned start at $50

Youngblood by Matt Gallagher:

Synopsis: During the final dark days of the War in Iraq, newly minted lieutenant Jack Porter struggles with the preparations for withdrawal from the country, especially the alliances with warlords who have Arab and American blood on their hands.

*Listing, on average, for about $50, signed (no unsigned copies were listed on Abebooks at the time of this posting)

Some Books You Might Like

2016-09-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

Here are a few books that sound pretty interesting and garnered starred reviews recently:

First on the list is a book that's been popping up a lot lately (Kudos to Putnam and her agent for getting it out there)

The Reader by Traci Chee (Putnam, Sept 13, 2016)

*debut novel—young adult

Synopsis: After 15-year-old orphan Sefia is separated from her aunt, she sets out on a rescue mission. Determined to learn the truth about her past and the rectangular object she’s spent her life hiding, Sefia eventually discovers that the item—bound paper covered in symbols—is a book. Books, reading, and writing are unheard of in the land of Kelanna, but Sefia is certain that this book holds the answers she seeks.

Ages 12 and up

Starred reviews: PW, Kirkus, Library Journal

Beloved Poison, Elaine Thomson (Pegasus, Sept 13, 2016)

*debut novel—historical fiction/mystery

Synopsis: Jem Flockhart, an apothecary at St. Saviour’s Infirmary, has successfully passed herself off as a man in order to work alongside her father, continuing a family tradition in medicine that dates back a century. Meanwhile, the hospital governors have agreed that to sell the property to make way for a railway bridge, which necessitates emptying its graveyard, an unpleasant task delegated to junior architect William Quatermain. And, in the midst of that upheaval, one of the infirmary’s doctors is fatally poisoned, a crime that Jem believes is linked to her discovery of six tiny coffins, each containing a blood-stained doll.

Starred review: PW

Children of the New World, Alexander Weinstein (Picador, Sept 13, 2016)

*debut short story collection

Synopsis: Touching on virtual families, climate change, implanted memories, and more, Weinstein’s debut collection of digital-age sci-fi stories is scary, recognizable, heartbreaking, witty, and absolutely human.

Weinstein was listed in B&N Discover Great New Writers for August.

He'll also be signing books at Powell's on October 14th.

Starred reviews: PW, Booklist

Darktown, Thomas Mullen (Atria, Sept 2106)

mystery

Synopsis: A pair of rookie black cops in 1948 Atlanta uncover political corruption and conspiracy when they stumble on to a murder case.

Starred reviews: PW, Booklist

2016 Man Booker Short List Announced

2016-09-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

The short list was announced this morning for the 2016 Man Booker Award and some of the names you thought might be on the list, aren't:

Paul Beatty (U.S.) for The Sellout (published in the U.S. by FSG in hardcover, Picador in paper)
Deborah Levy (U.K.) for Hot Milk (Bloomsbury USA)
Graeme Macrae Burnet (U.K.) for His Bloody Project (Skyhorse)
Ottessa Moshfegh (U.S.) for Eileen (Penguin)
David Szalay (Canada-U.K.) for All That Man Is (Graywolf Press)
Madeleine Thien (Canada) for Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Norton)

The winner will be announced October 25.

The biggest surprise was Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project. The Guardian kicked off their article on the short-listers stating, "Scottish writer Graeme Macrae Burnet’s story of murder in a 19th-century crofting community has beaten novels by some of literature’s biggest names on to a shortlist for the Man Booker prize that judges said 'take[s] risks with language and form.'"

This is Burnet's second novel. His first, The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau was released in 2014 by Contraband/Saraband Books in Scotland. According to the publisher it "received a New Writer’s Award from the Scottish Book Trust, was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award and was a minor cult hit."

Most likely it was a smaller print run, although I couldn't find print run numbers on either title. Both titles are in paperback only. I found one signed book online (shipping from the U.K.).

First printings of Paul Beatty's The Sellout (published by Oneworld) are fairly scarce. Both hardcover and softcover were released in March 2016. At the time of this posting, I was only finding listings for later printings of the hardcover. It's in at least its 5th printing, if not later.

Deborah Levy's Hot Milk (published by Hamish Hamilton in the U.K. and Bloomsbury in the U.S.) is listing in the $100+ range unsigned and between $200-$400 signed. Levy was also a short-lister in 2012 with her Swimming Home and Other Stories. Not all of Levy's books are collectible, but these two seem to be faring well in the current market.

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh is getting lots of accolades. If you didn't get this title early on, then it might be a pinch to your pocket book now. Unsigned hardcovers are starting in the $100 range and going up from there. Signed copies list up to $600.

David Salazny's All That Man Is, is all over the board price-wise. This tells me that this one is toeing the line between collectible and not collectible. If it wins, the value will undoubtedly go up—whether or not it stays up in the long-run is the question. If it doesn't win, then prices will decrease. So people are still trying to make up their minds about it. It needs a push from the collecting world and I'm not sure it's going to get it.

Madeleine Thein's Do Not Say We Have Nothing (Knopf / Norton, Canada) appears to be a bit scarce. I couldn't find print run numbers, but only 2 hardcover copies were listed as of this posting (with no mention of printing or edition).

A note on one of the longlist titles, The Many by Wyl Menmuir. Salt (the publisher) printed only 1,000 copies in the first print run. Prices for first printings over on Abebooks aren't all that overwhelming (from $30-$51 USD—plus shipping). Which just goes to show that it's not always about the scarcity of the first printing. There also has to be the desire for the book.

Last year's winner A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James is listing up to $1,500+ for signed first printings of both the U.S. (Riverhead) and U.K. (Oneworld) editions. Unsigned are listing in the range of $100-$250 for the U.S. edition; $250-$300 for the U.K. edition. You can still find used copies for less, but be really wary of the condition for this title. I saw one listing that claimed the book had been read several times with shelf wear and small tears in the dust jacket (generally considered "Good" condition) and it was going for $30 USD. Fine and near fine condition values jump to the $100+ range.

If you're looking for this title, look for a first printing that does not have the Man Booker sticker on the cover. First print run numbers weren't available, but the second printing from Oneworld (U.K.) was 80,000—in an attempt to meet the demand. The first U.S. printing from Riverhead was small and sold out quickly. Most likely their second printing was also larger.

2016 NBA Young Adult Longlist Announced

2016-09-12T10:46:00.003-04:00

LONGLIST:

Kwame Alexander, Booked (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Kate DiCamillo, Raymie Nightingale (Candlewick Press)
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin & Nate Powell (Artist), March: Book Three (Top Shelf)
Grace Lin, When the Sea Turned to Silver (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Anna-Marie McLemore, When the Moon Was Ours (Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin’s Press)
Meg Medina, Burn Baby Burn (Candlewick Press)
Sara Pennypacker & Jon Klassen (Illustrator), Pax (Balzer & Bray / HarperCollins)
Jason Reynolds, Ghost (Atheneum Books for Young Readers / Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing)
Caren Stelson, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story (Carolrhoda Books / Lerner Publishing Group)
Nicola Yoon, The Sun Is Also a Star (Delacorte Press / Penguin Random House)

Book Restoration Tips: How to Remove Library Stickers

2016-09-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've seen a lot of videos and tutorials on how to remove library markings (stickers, in particular) from used books. A lot of them opt for Goo Gone and fingernails or razor blades—which is fine if you're not dealing with collectibles (although honestly I'd shy away from using any of those options. Ever).

When I worked in a library they were very fond of Goo Gone. What I found was that because it's an oil-based product, it often left slight oil staining on anything that absorbed it. This includes cloth-bound books, dust jackets that weren't coated (glossy), and text block paper. I still have books that I used this technique on over 5 years ago and although I was told the stains would dissipate, they have not.

With a few exceptions, you want to avoid introducing wet-media to your dry book. (There are, of course, wet restoration techniques, but you should leave those to the professionals who have been trained in such matters.)

When attempting to restore a book with library markings, you actually want to interfere as little as possible with the structure. This means trying ease stickers off without ripping the paper underneath and gently cleaning off residue from the surface.

In general, you have the following problem areas when dealing with library books:

The sticker(s) on the cover / spine
The front end sheet ISBN sticker
Tape residue from an improperly taped dust jacket cover
Library pocket
RFID sticker
Library stamps on the end sheet, title or half title pages
Library stamp on the head (top edge) of the book block
Possible cancellation marks, when the book is removed from the library's collection

These basically break down into two categories:

Ink marks
Glue residue

(I'll talk about ink marks in another post.)

Rule #1: Each book is different.

You'll use different techniques based on the condition and age of the book.

Rule #2: If you're not comfortable with any of the techniques, leave the book alone.

The last thing you want to do is completely ruin the book. Sometimes, the better thing to do is to just leave it alone, or take it to a professional to restore.

Rule #3: Use the right tools.

FYI, your fingernail, while handy, does not constitute "the right tool."

A peeler label knife: This has a long, sharp bevel on one side and is completely flat on the other. It's fairly rigid, so not great for areas that are contoured, but works well on flat surfaces.

A paper spatula: Instead of a peeler label knife, you can use a paper spatula. It's a bit more flexible and good for sliding between paper & label.

Delrin Hera: This is a bookbinder's tool—Kind of like a multi-purpose spatula, but you can also use it as a gentle scraper. Warning, it's not cheap.

A crepe eraser: This is a specialty eraser that picks up modern, petroleum-based adhesives.

A polymer eraser: good for picking up certain inks and pencil marks.

Fine grit sandpaper: I don't usually recommend sanding your text block or altering the pages, but a 320 grit sandpaper can help smooth over roughened/torn surface areas on your end sheets. The grit is fine enough that it can technically clean off the surface dirt on the page or the book edges. Some restorers go so far as to sand off remainder marks and library stamps from the book head or foot.

A hair dryer. I opt for a hair dryer with a low heat setting. I stay away from heat guns because you can too easily burn your paper if you're not careful.

You may also need:

Waxed paper

A scissors

A spray bottle

Paper towels

A stack of magazines

Clean, white copy paper

Stickers

For stickers, you want to use a peeler label knife or a paper spatula. Some petroleum based glues also will release more easily if heated. This is where the hair dryer comes in.

Support your book cover if you're removing stickers from the interior pages. You can do this by stacking magazines or books next to the book you'll be working on—so that when you open the cover, it rests on the stack.
When using your knife/spatula angle it so that its practically parallel to your work surface. You want to avoid gouging or indenting the surface of the book.
Carefully work your way around the edge of the label or sticker, catching the edge and lifting it slightly. This is more exploratory, to see how well the label is stuck and if removing it will also remove part of the book cover or end paper.

Note: you don't want to use a razor blade or scraper for this because the blades aren't completely flat on one side. This in conjunction with the sharpness of the blade elevates the potential for catching on or cutting through the paper surface. Rips can be repaired much more easily than clean cuts.

If no part of the book is pulling up with the label, continue to work your way around, exploring a little further under the label with each pass. Be patient. Do not just rip off the sticker.
If you start to notice any part of the paper or book cover coming off with the sticker, stop and come back from the opposite direction. If it continues to tear, stop altogether.

You can come back in with a hairdryer, set on low and carefully heat the sticker. This may help the adhesive to release. Again, be patient & take it slow.
The only problem with this method is that you don't want to over heat the adhesive because it may absorb into the paper and stain it—or it may release completely from the sticker paper but leave a residue on the book cover or end sheets, in which case you'll have to do a little more doctoring.

Tape Residue

Tape residue is annoying, but easily tackled. Generally we see tape residue when someone has taped a mylar dust jacket protector—holding the flaps to the book block or the front cover.

If the book contact with the tape was minimal and the tape is easily removed, I'd just use the crepe eraser to remove the adhesive bits.

If the tape is laminated to the book boards, first use your paper spatula to probe around the edges. The tape may come up easily. If it does not, you may need to heat the tape slightly with a hair dryer. Be careful to not over heat which could melt the tape and the adhesive into your book cover.

Depending on the tape used, it may leave a stain behind. I would not attempt to remove the stain for fear of damaging the cover. I would use the crepe eraser to ensure that all adhesive residue is removed, however.

Glue Residue

With glue residue, you want to first determine if the glue is animal, vegetable, or petroleum based.

Animal and vegetable glues

These are usually water soluble and therefor reversible with water. There is a technique to releasing labels with animal or vegetable glues (so don't just go spraying water on the label). You'll see these glues most often used to adhere older bookplates to the end sheets of a book.

If you think you have an animal or vegetable glue (vegetable glues include potato, rice, and wheat pastes):

Cut 2 pieces of waxed paper. One to slide between the page with the label and the page behind it. This protects other pages from getting wet / damp; And one to place over your label after the wet material is applied.
Cut a paper towel slightly smaller than your label. (this is important because when water is applied to the paper towel it will expand.)
With a spray bottle, spray your paper towel to moisten it. Do this away from the book to avoid getting the pages or cover wet. You want your paper towel wet but not dripping.
Lay your moistened paper towel over your label, making sure that the paper towel doesn't actually touch the page the label is adhered to. We're trying to control the amount of moisture that's introduced to your book.
Place your second piece of wax paper over the moistened paper towel. You may want to weight this slightly to ensure it doesn't move.
Set a timer for 10 minutes, after which remove the weight, waxed paper and moistened paper towel.
With your paper spatula, explore the edges and corners of the label to see if it will easily pry up. If any of the label still sticks, place a re-moistened paper towel back on top of the label and repeat in 5 minute increments.
If an animal or vegetable glue was used, this should cause the label to release with minimal to no residue on your paper.
If your page gets damp, use the hair dryer, on the low setting to dry it.
If the page is still a bit 'worbly' after you've dried it, you may need to press it for 24 hours.

Make sure the page is completely dry to the touch
Place waxed paper in front of and behind the page
Lay it on a flat surface
Stack heavier books on top of it

Petroleum based adhesives

These need heat to help them release from the substrate. Most modern adhesives are petroleum based and most likely anything glued into a library book in the past 40+ years will be petroleum-based.

Use your paper spatula to gently probe the edges of the label to see how well the glue is adhered to the book. Some glues are very superficial and will just lift off the surface with a little pressure from a paper spatula or a Hera. Other glues are more stubborn and may need heat to release.
If there are any parts of the label that aren't glued, carefully remove them by tearing and pealing back the pieces that aren't stuck to the book beneath.
Carefully work your way around the adhered areas with your spatula. If the adhesive begins to remove the paper beneath, stop and use the hair dryer.
On the lowest setting, use the hair dryer to slowly heat the adhesive areas, occasionally checking with your spatula to see if the adhesive will release. You don't want the heat too high or the adhesive will absorb into the end sheets, staining them.
If this still doesn't work, you may need to pull out the big guns and use an iron. I didn't include this in the supply list because I don't recommend using an iron unless you are 100% comfortable doing so.

You want to use an iron that doesn't have holes on the bottom or a steam setting, and you'll want a clean piece of paper to lay on top of the label you are heating up.
You want an even, dry heat, set at the lowest setting (if the iron has settings)
Tack irons work well, but you need to be quick and possibly have an extra set of hands available so you're not juggling a hot iron and a paper spatula.
The only problem with this technique is that you will most certainly get staining as the adhesive heats up and is absorbed into the paper—and the only way to get the stain out is to sand the paper with a 320 grit sandpaper.

Once your label is removed, you may still have some adhesive residue. This is when you pull out your crepe eraser and run it over the sticky areas, just as you would a regular eraser.

With your other hand, make sure to hold the paper down on either side of the area you are erasing to ensure the paper doesn't wrinkle or buckle.
Do this until all the sticky bits have been removed.
If the adhesive has stained your page, the only way to remove the staining is by sanding with a fine grit sand paper. If the end sheet is printed, this may mean that a portion of the printed matter will get sanded away, so you have to decide which is the lesser of two evils. In this instance, I'd opt for the stain rather than removing the printed matter.

If you're dealing with a leather binding and/or silk covered end sheets, you may want to take the book to a book restorer as special rules apply to these materials when removing adhesives.

2016 Scotiabank Giller Longlist Announced

2016-09-09T09:15:00.001-04:00

This year's Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist was announced yesterday. The prize "highlights the very best in Canadian fiction," awarding $100,000 CAD (about $77K USD) to the winner and $10,000 CAD to each of the finalists. The shortlist will be announce on September 26th and the winner will be announced November 7th.

The longlist for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize is:

Mona Awad for her novel 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, published by Penguin Canada
Gary Barwin for his novel Yiddish for Pirates, published by Random House Canada
Andrew Battershill for his novel Pillow, published by Coach House Books
David Bergen for his novel Stranger, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Emma Donoghue for her novel The Wonder, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Catherine Leroux for her novel The Party Wall, published by Biblioasis International Translation Series, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
Kathy Page for her story collection The Two of Us, published by A John Metcalf Book, an imprint of Biblioasis
Susan Perly for her novel Death Valley, published by Buckrider Books, an imprint of Wolsak and Wynn Publishers
Kerry Lee Powell for her story collection Willem De Kooning’s Paintbrush, published by HarperAvenue, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Steven Price for his novel By Gaslight, published by McClelland & Stewart
Madeleine Thien for her novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
Zoe Whittall for her novel The Best Kind of People, published by House of Anansi Press Inc.

Emma Donoghue made the longlist in 2008 with her novel Sealed Letter (She's also the author of the Man-Booker long listed Room, 2010).

David Bergen made the 2010 short list with The Matter with Morris, the 2008 longlist with The Retreat, and won the 2005 Scotiabank Giller for The Time In Between.

Kathy Page made the 2014 longlist with Paradise and Elsewhere.

Once Upon a Time: Vintage Library Posters

2016-09-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time there was a world in which knowledge & reading were celebrated as weapons against ignorance—ignorance was the enemy, and it was patriotic to be well read.

In the Post: Umami by Laia Jufresa [Special Sunday Edition]

2016-09-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

After writing the post on Upcoming Small & University Press Titles, I decided to get Laia Jufresa's Umami which had a first English print run of 7, 500 copies. Amazon was the only one who had it in stock, so I ordered it. (Although, to make myself feel better, I ordered it through Amazon Smile so a percentage of the sale would benefit Hirsch Wellness Network, a cancer support organization I work with). Of course, now Powell's has it in stock too.

Side note: I just have to say, it always feels like a crap shoot with Amazon and books that have small first print runs because you never know if Amazon will send you a first or later printing. They've been known, when something sells out, to just tell you your book will have a longer than usual delivery date. This is a red-flag that your copy will most likely not be a first printing—this happened to me with the Mark Twain autobiography (not that I'm bitter).

Because this book is published by a smaller press, the copyright page looks a little different from the standard. Instead of a number line and the phrase "First Edition," it has a "first published" statement. In this case:

"First published in North America, Great Britain and Australia by Oneworld Publications, 2016."

It should be noted that this is actually a "First thus," (or First English edition) because it was originally published in Spanish by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial in 2015.

Simple Tools for Cleaning Your Books

2016-09-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so you may recall (given that I only posted about it a couple days ago) that I received a rather un-good copy of Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb. And by "un-good," I mean that it was a bit worn, torn, and dirty. There's not much I can do about the worn parts, but there are a few simple things I can do to clean up the dirty areas—at least if the "dirt" is caused by dust, pencil smudges, or other dry elements. Pen marks, highlighter, & water stains are another story. (Unfortunately there's really not much you can do about those.)

Allow me to introduce you to my conservator's cleaning kit:

1. Magnetic dust cloth: good for getting that loose film of dust from covers and book block edges (unless rough cut or deckled).

These are fairly inexpensive dusting cloths, not to be confused with microfiber or regular dust rags. They're essentially a lint-free cloth (made of tyvek & nylon) that creates an electrostatic charge which acts like a magnet for dust. They're about the thickness of a doubled-up paper towel & can be washed and reused.

Hopefully, you'll have archival covers for your jacketed books, but these are handy to have (especially after a trip to the used bookstore).

2. Drafting Pad: sometimes called a document cleaning pad or a "dry clean eraser," not to be confused with household cleaning pads like the magic eraser. A drafting pad is essentially a bag of tiny, crumbled eraser bits. You shake it over the page, allow the eraser dust to settle and gently rub it with your (very clean) finger to pick up surface dirt. You then brush it away with a soft artist's brush.

3. An artist's dusting brush or unused, soft-bristled paintbrush: You'll find that just about any soft artist's paint brushes will work. You just need to make sure it's not been used for painting or other arts/crafts, and that it isn't the cheap-o kind that sheds bristles. Flat brushes (not pointy) work best. You use the dry brush to gently sweep away eraser bits & dust.

4. Absorene: This is a putty/play-dough like substance used to wipe away surface dirt. It's very much like a pliable eraser, but the dirt particles get absorbed into the putty, so it won't streak your page as it collects the dirt. It works best on superficial rather than ingrained dirt.

This is the same basic idea as a kneaded eraser, but I'd stay away from those because they can smudge.

Don't try to use Absorene on cloth book covers. Like play-dough it can get crumbly and stick in crevices & is nearly impossible to get out when that happens.

If you want to get really fancy, you can use Groom Stick (which sounds like it should be some fancy shmancy mustache comb—which it is not, no matter how much you may want it to be). It's a little more expensive but is probably lasts longer than the Absorene. Groom Stick sort of reminds me of silly-putty (but it's not. don't go out and buy silly putty thinking it will work). It's a non-abrasive, non-staining "molecular trap." Which just means that it traps the dirt, much like Absorene, and won't smudge. Unlike Absorene, however, it won't crumble and dry as it gets used.

5. A plastic eraser: You know those cheap-o white erasers you get in the school supply aisle? They work great. Technically I guess it's a "polymer" eraser, but you know the ones to which I am referring.

Again, you use these on superficial or pencil marks. Always erase in one direction (no going back and forth) and when you erase move from the spine toward the edge of the book. This prevents wrinkling or page buckling. And be gentle, especially with older books. If the mark doesn't come out with several passes of a light touch, it probably won't fare any better with a heavy hand.

When cleaning a book, you want to be careful and methodical. You'll probably not be able to make the book shiny and new again, but you will be able to remove the top layer of dust / dirt which helps the book stay healthy for a little bit longer.

The other proactive thing you can do is dust your books regularly, especially the head (or top) of the book that collects the majority of dust. A good magnetic feather duster works fine for this.

Upcoming Small & University Press Titles (Fall 2016)

2016-09-02T12:58:00.001-04:00

Christodora, Tim Murphy (Grove, Aug)

An Indie Next pick, an Amazon best book of August, 17,500-copy first printing

Set in the Christodora, an iconic building in Manhattan’s East Village, this novel moves from the Tompkins Square Riots and the attempts by activists to galvanize a response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s to a future New York City of the 2020s, where subzero winters no longer exist.

Umami, Laia Jufresa, trans. from the Spanish by Sophie Hughes (One World / PGW, Sept)

Winner of an English PEN award, 7,500-copy first printing

This novel, which was listed as an International Hot Property by PW last year and was named one of the most anticipated books of 2016 by the Millions, takes place in Mexico City. Ana, a precocious 12-year-old who reads Agatha Christie to forget the mysterious death of her little sister, decides to plant a milpa, a crop-growing system common in the Yucatan, in her backyard. As she digs, her neighbors delve into their own past. The ripple effects of grief, childlessness, illness, and displacement saturate their stories, secrets seep out, and questions emerge.

Agnes, Peter Stamm, trans. from the German by Michael Hofmann (Other Press / PRH, Oct)

25,000-copy first printing

Stamm’s international bestselling debut novel, a psychological romance first published in Germany in 1998, is being published in the U.S. for the first time. In it, an unnamed writer pursues a love affair with a Ph.D. candidate after meeting her at the Chicago Public Library. “‘Write a story about me,’ she said, ‘so I know what you think of me.’” While he crafts the story of their love, their relationship is often dictated by the story itself, as he imagines what might be rather than what is.

Welcome to the Universe, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael Strauss, and J. Richard Gott (Princeton University / Perseus Academic, Oct)

25,000-copy first printing

This heavily illustrated book by three leading astrophysicists covers topics including why Pluto lost its planetary status, whether our universe is part of an infinite cosmos, and the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.

Never Look an American in the Eye: Flying Turtles, Colonial Ghosts, and the Making of a Nigerian American, Okey Ndibe (Soho, Oct)

Author tour, 35,000-copy first printing

Ndibe’s memoir takes its name from the advice his uncle gave him when he left Nigeria to edit African Commentary magazine—advice that caused some problems when he was mistaken for a bank robber 10 days after he arrived in the U.S. Ndibe examines his development as a novelist, as well as the differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics. His novel Foreign Gods, Inc. was starred in PW and was an NPR Great Read of 2014.

The Gloaming, Melanie Finn (Two Dollar Radio, Sept) — trade paper

5,000-copy first printing

In her second novel after Away from You, Finn, a finalist for the Orange Prize, has created a literary thriller about a young woman whose husband has left her. After a tragic accident in the Swiss countryside, the woman flees to Tanzania, where she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being followed. Published in the U.K. last year (under the title Shame), the novel was shortlisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize.

Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas, Edited by Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (University of California / Perseus Academic, Oct)

Author tour; first printing: 55,000-copies paper, 5,000-copies hardcover

This beautifully designed and illustrated volume from journalist Solnit and Jelly-Schapiro, author of Island People (Knopf, Nov.), conveys the experience of being in New York City through 26 maps and essays by experts including linguists and ethnographers. The book, which completes a trilogy of atlases, celebrates New York City’s unique vitality, while critiquing its racial and economic inequality.

This is the third in the series. The first two, Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas and Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas were released in 2010 & 2013.

In the Post: Robin Hobb's Assassin's Quest

2016-08-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I found a copy of Robin Hobb's Assassin's Quest online (at the Half Price Books website). The description stated that the book was in "Very Good" condition and while not actually being half off the cover price, I figured the price they were asking was good enough to risk being off by a condition point or two.

I took a chance and plopped my payment down, as it were, and ordered the book. Fast forward two weeks...

Today, when I opened up the package, what I found was something south of "Very Good." Oddly, the invoice shows the condition listed as "Very Good" but someone added a note at the bottom stating that the book was in "good or better condition."

I would say "good" is being rather nice, although the entire text block does appear to be present and there is only light tanning to the pages.

The dust jacket has several torn and creased spots both on the spine and front & back covers. The worst tear is at the bottom of the front cover where it looks like someone shoved it into a bubble mailer and it caught on the edge as it was going in.

Lovely.

I have since put it in a mylar dust jacket protector to keep it from tearing any further.

When I opened the book I noticed the front end sheets weren't quite sitting right. I flipped over to the half title page and saw that the end paper has pulled away from the text block. It appears ripped rather than just coming unglued.

Something that, with my knowledge of book conservation and book binding, I can probably fix, but the condition points keep dropping.

The text block itself is beginning to yellow (or tan) with age. That's just the nature of the beast with some older books. This one was published in 1997 and I would expect it to have fared a little better, but they apparently used a lesser grade paper. All of the book seller descriptions I could find mentioned tanning. This just means that I have to be a little more vigilant in keeping it in good condition (and away from sunlight).

The book boards are somewhat shelf-worn, but the whole lower corner of the text block has some major bumping going on. I mean, through a good 1/4 of the book block.

Some time in a book press may help reduce that a bit.

And the fore edge of the book appears to have been splattered with something. I'm not sure that can be remedied, although perhaps a soft eraser might reduce the staining somewhat.

A note on condition

Antiquarian booksellers use the following guidelines to categorize a book's condition:

Very Good describes a book that shows some small signs of wear, but no tears on either the binding, paper, or dust jacket. If there are any defects they should be small but noted.

Good describes an average used, worn book that has all its pages. The binding may be a bit looser. Defects should be related to wear and noted.

Fair describes a book that has the complete text block, but may lack endpapers. The binding and dust jacket may also be worn.

Poor describes a book that is sufficiently worn and may have missing pages. The copy may be soiled, scuffed, stained, or spotted and may have loose joints, hinges, or pages.

Let's compare these descriptions to my book:

Has all of its pages [Condition: Fair, Good, Very Good]
Torn and creased dust jacket beyond just regular wear [Condition: Poor, Fair]
End sheets coming loose [Condition: Poor, Fair]
Bumped corners / sufficient wear [Condition: Poor]
Staining, scuffs, spots [Condition: Poor]

So what do you do with a hard to find book whose condition was improperly reported by a bookseller (who has little concern regarding collectibles)? Return it? Attempt to salvage it? Keep it as a place-holder until a better replacement comes along?

Given that I paid less than $20 for it, I think I'll do the latter and perhaps try to clean it up a bit and do some minor repairs.

Upcoming Signed Editions from Powell's

2016-08-27T13:53:00.001-04:00

The fall event calendar at Powell's is chock full of signings, including:

Sabaa Tahir, for her 2nd book: A Torch Against the Night (Event: Thursday September 1, 2016), pre-order price: $19.99 USD + tax & shipping.

Carl Hiaasen, for Razor Girl (Event: Tuesday September 13, 2016), pre-order price: $26.95 + tax & shipping.

Amy Stewart, for Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Event: Monday September 19, 2016), pre-order price: $26 + tax & shipping.

Ann Patchett, for Commonwealth (Event: Tuesday September 20, 2016), pre-order price: $27.99 + tax & shipping.

J. Patrick Black, for Ninth City Burning (Event: Thursday September 22, 2016), pre-order price: $27 + tax & shipping

Craig Johnson, for An Obvious Fact: A Longmire Mystery (Event: Monday September 26, 2016), pre-order price: $28 + tax & shipping.

Colleen Houck, Recreated (Event: Thursday September 29, 2016), pre-order price $17.99 + tax & shipping.

Jonathan Safran Foer, Here I Am (Event: Friday September 30, 2016), pre-order price: $28 + tax & shipping.

Top 10 Most Sought After Out-of-Print Books (in 2015)

2016-08-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Each year Bookfinder.com releases a top 100 list of most searched for out-of-print book titles. 2015 saw a mix of sex, sports, horror, and art top the chart.

1. Sex
by Madonna (i.e. Louise Veronica Ciccione)
Warner Books; New York, NY, 1992
Full-Metal, Spiral Bound; First Edition

2. Rage
by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)
Signet; New York, NY, 1977
Paperback, First Edition

3. Unintended Consequences
by John Ross
Accurate Press; St. Louis, MO, 1996
Hardcover; First Edition

4. Promise Me Tomorrow
by Nora Roberts
Pocket Books; New York, NY, 1984
Paperback, First Edition

5. Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting
by Richard Schmid
Stove Prairie Press; Manchester Center, VT 1999
First Edition

6. Finding the Winning Edge
by Bill Walsh
Sports Pub; Champaign, IL 1998
First Edition

7. The Vision and Beyond, Prophecies Fulfilled and Still to Come
by David R. Wilkerson
World Challenge Publications; Lindale, TX, 2003
Paperback

8. Permaculture: A Designers' Manual
by Bill Mollison
Island Press; Washington, DC, 1990
Hardcover

9. Halloween
by Curtis Richards
Bantam; New York, NY, 1979
Paperback

10. Mastering Atmosphere & Mood in Watercolor
by Joseph Zbukvic
International Artist Publishing, 2002
Hardcover, First Edition

Book Collecting Apps 2016 Review

2016-08-25T10:59:00.000-04:00

Time once again to check in with the slew of book collecting and categorizing apps out there. Some of the oldies, but goodies showed up rather prominently—still going strong, while other newer (& promising) apps are trying to make their marks.

Oldies but goodies

Book Crawler by Jaime Stokes

Cost: Free for trial/limited version; $2.99 for unlimited entries
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

This one is only available for iOS (iPhone & iPad), and now there is a desktop version (available for mac only: $14.99).

Developer website: http://www.chiisai.com/j25/

People who continue to use this app appear to be quite happy with it, and in fact, I liked it quite a lot while I had an iPhone. The price has gone up since then, but is still quite reasonable given the features.

Features:

Uses device's camera to scan ISBN & add title automatically
Batch scanning support (with separate scanner)
Integration with: Google Books, Drop Box, iBooks, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Ability to sort entries by title, author, copyright, date, decimal, genre, collection, rating, if read/when, ownership status, media format, series information, loan status, price, or customizable fields
Can create customized categories (i.e. Science Fiction books read in 2016)
Can manually add items

CLZ Books by Collectorz

Cost: Free for trial/limited version; $14.99 for unlimited version
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Available for iOS and Android

Developer website: http://www.clz.com/books

Collectorz started out as a desktop application but with the onset of smart phones has moved rather robustly into the app world. Initially their phone apps were offered to enhance the desktop version (and as such weren't as fleshed out as they are now). Now the apps are stand-alone products. The hardest thing to overcome will be the price tag, especially in a world where perfectly decent Free and nearly free cataloging apps are available. But CLZ Books is a solid product and I've only ever had one issue with it in the 4+ years that I've owned it (and that was when I switched from iPhone to Android, prior to cloud storage being offered. I lost and had to rescan my library data, something that shouldn't be an issue now).

Features:

Uses device's camera to scan ISBN & add title automatically (Collectorz also sells a batch scanner app)
Batch scanning available
Manually search for and add items
Back up to the Cloud for free
Can order your list by author, title, or year published
Create your own tags / subcategories
Sync data between devices / Collectorz desktop app (additional cost)

Up and comers

Shelfie by BitLit

Cost: Free. In app purchases for eBooks and Audiobooks available.
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Available for iOS and Android

Developer website: https://explore.shelfie.com

Shelfie is an interesting addition to the book cataloging app library. Rather than scanning your books' barcodes, you can take a snap shot of the books on your shelf and the app software will read the book spines or book covers to automatically grab information from Google Books and then upload it into your library. Reviews seem to claim that this function works pretty well. For those titles that can't be automatically input, there is a manual function.

The highlight of this app, however, is the fact that they claim to offer free eBooks and/or audio books for the titles you own. Of course, to prove that you own the book, they ask that you write your name on the copyright page—which is an absolute deal breaker for collectors. A secondary option is to affix a bookplate with your name on it—again on the copyright page—which is equally ridiculous to collectors. Still, that photo function is pretty cool.

Features:

Add books by taking pictures of your bookshelf (the software will automatically scan the book spines and add the titles)
Manually add ISBNs for books that aren't recognized
Search Google Books for titles and descriptions
Built-in Social Networking element
Goodreads integration
Offers free eBooks / Audio books (although the titles are rather limited)

Libib by Libib Inc.

Cost: Free
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Available for iOS and Android

Developer website: http://www.libib.com

Reviews claim that the scanning/capture mechanism is fast (unlike other apps), but it can load incorrect information into the library. This seems to happen a lot when retired ISBN numbers are re-used by publishers. Some apps have found a way to either return all possible options or default to the most recently published title. It appears that Libib hasn't worked out that kink yet.

Reviewers like that you have more control over categorization, in that you can create up to 100 different libraries and subcategories—so you can group all of your Neil Gaiman graphic novels in one library without having to sort through other titles that might share the "graphic novel," "Neil Gaiman," or "fantasy" tags.

Features:

Works in conjunction with the Libib.com website (free subscription option available)
Scan books via smartphone camera to automatically add title and cover information
Batch editing capabilities
Can have up to 100 different libraries / subcategories
Can have up to 100,000 titles
Cloud backup
Import / Export libraries via CSV
Built-in Social Networking element
Categorize your titles via tag-system
Create and publish reviews

Book Collector Apps (2011)
Book Collecting Apps: 2012
Attack of the Book Collecting Apps, 2013

Upcoming Book Signings from The Signed Page

2016-08-23T17:14:00.002-04:00

Just a heads up: The Signed Page is offering signed copies of J. Patrick Black's debut science fiction novel Ninth City Burning. You can also pre-order signed copies of Sabaa Tahir's A Torch Against the Night and Brom's Lost Gods.

Ninth City Burning Book Description:

For fans of Red Rising, Starship Troopers, and Ender’s Game comes an explosive, epic science fiction debut…

We never saw them coming.

Entire cities disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving nothing but dust and rubble. When an alien race came to make Earth theirs, they brought with them a weapon we had no way to fight, a universe-altering force known as thelemity. It seemed nothing could stop it—until we discovered we could wield the power too.

Five hundred years later, the Earth is locked in a grinding war of attrition. The talented few capable of bending thelemity to their will are trained in elite military academies, destined for the front lines. Those who refused to support the war have been exiled to the wilds of a ruined Earth.

But the enemy’s tactics are changing, and Earth’s defenders are about to discover this centuries-old war has only just begun. As a terrible new onslaught looms, heroes will rise from unlikely quarters, and fight back.

2016 Hugo Awards Announced

2016-08-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

The 2016 Hugo Awards were voted on and announced last night at the World Science Fiction Convention. The short list with winners (in bold) are listed below:

Best Novel (2,903 final ballots, 3695 nominating ballots)

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
Seveneves: A Novel by Neal Stephenson (William Morrow)
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher (Roc)

Best Novella (2,903 final ballots, 2416 nominating ballots)

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold (Spectrum)
Slow Bullets by Alastair Reynolds (Tachyon)
Perfect State by Brandon Sanderson (Dragonsteel Entertainment)
The Builders by Daniel Polansky (Tor.com)

Best Graphic Story (2,171 final ballots, 1838 nominating ballots)

The Sandman: Overture written by Neil Gaiman, art by J.H. Williams III (Vertigo)
Invisible Republic Vol 1 written by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, art by Gabriel Hardman (Image Comics)
The Divine written by Boaz Lavie, art by Asaf Hanuka and Tomer Hanuka (First Second)
Full Frontal Nerdity by Aaron Williams (ffn.nodwick.com)
Erin Dies Alone written by Grey Carter, art by Cory Rydell (dyingalone.net)

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (2,406 final ballots, 1922 nominating ballots)
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2014 or 2015, sponsored by Dell Magazines. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)

Andy Weir *
Alyssa Wong *
Pierce Brown *
Sebastien de Castell *
Brian Niemeier

* Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility.

For a full list, see the Hugo Awards website.