“Book by Book” makes a fascinating gift for book explorers

The idea of giving a book as a gift is not an unusual one. It becomes a pleasure to locate tomes that others might enjoy, searching numerous nooks and crannies for off-the-beaten-path and well-hidden jewels. In my own case, a recent Internet expedition yielded a comprehensive list of books about books, including Book by Book: […]

A bookseller takes you behind the scenes of book collecting

I’ve been a collector of books (and a few other things) for almost 25 years. I spent most of these years as a bookseller—first as a bookstore owner and later as a manager. My love of books has kept me connected to the book industry. Being in the trade has been very beneficial to my […]

Gift books for college students—favorites from a fellow student’s Facebook list

As a college student home for the holidays, I master the art of procrastination. When not busy avoiding work (I’ve had a long semester!), I’ll sleep or watch On-Demand. Call my friends from my car. Drink cider. Send text messages during dinner. A week or two in, though, I become an early riser like everyone […]

“Book Talk” discusses book collecting in depth

In Book Talk: Essays on Books, Booksellers, Collecting, and Special Editions, edited by Robert H. Jackson and Carol Z. Rothkopf, 18 perceptive and thought-provoking essays by noted collectors and sellers of books are presented. The result is a kaleidoscope comprised of the many textures, flavors, tones, and hues found in the book field. The authors […]

Food for thought: Give cooking books for the holidays

It seems books for foodies are everywhere nowadays—and I’m not just talking cookbooks! From the wonderfully written and journalistic Heat to the off-kilter comedy of Amy Sedaris to collections of recipe favorites, here’s a short list of books that are sure to be holiday hits with the food lovers in your life. (Warning: You may […]

Book-collecting musings from a lifelong bibliophile

I caught the book-collecting bug at an early age. Growing up in Boston, I found our apartment filled with them—the teetering stacks at every turn. Henry Miller mingled with Virginia Woolf, Julia Child, and Kurt Vonnegut. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys nearly bricked up an entire wall on their own. Books were exchanged on […]

Award-winning books make prized holiday gifts

Leaves are turning color. Halloween is upon us. And, unless you’re somewhere like Florida, there’s a chill in the air. But there’s another way to determine that fall is here: It’s high award season in the book world. From the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature to the populist Quill Book Award for General Fiction—presented this […]

The accidental book collection: from the airwaves to the page

The most enjoyable book collections can begin inadvertently. Mine started that way. I became mesmerized by radio dramatist Joe Frank’s odd and inventive tales of everyday people. When I discovered Frank had penned a collection of short stories, I immediately set out to find the out-of-print The Queen of Puerto Rico. Little did I know […]