Faber & Faber's New Poetry Series

Why is all the good stuff coming out of the U.K.?


Faber senior designer Miriam Rosenbloom, together with six British printmakers, created the Faber Poetry Hardback Collection (published in the U.K. in May 2010).

This is the second set of hard-bound poetry books designed and published by Faber and Faber. (The first was a set of black and white illustrated covers).

If you live in the U.K. you can sign up (by August 28, 2010) to be entered into a drawing to win this set.

You can also just buy the collection from the faber U.K. Web site (they're about $12.50 each, closer to $20 each when you add in shipping charges to the U.S.).

Finding copies in the U.S. is a bit harder, but you can always do a search over at Amazon.com for "Faber 80th Anniversary Edition" and see what pops up - Most likely it will be Independent Book stores listing their goods.

Penguin UK releases limited artist edition Puffin Classics

The Oxen of the Sun Blog just reported that Penguin will release another set of limited edition classics (a follow up to their 70th Anniversary editions, long since sold out). Print runs are limited to 1,000 books, with cover designs by six chosen artists.


This time they're focusing on Puffin Children's classics:

1. The Secret Garden, designed by Lauren Child
2. Oliver Twist, designed by Sir Peter Blake
3. Little Women, designed by Orla Kiely
4. James and the Giant Peach, designed by Antony Gormley
5. Around the World in Eighty Days, by David Adjaye
6. Treasure Island, designed by Frank Gehry

I just checked for copies at Amazon.co.uk and Treasure Island is already sold out (not surprisingly).  
Penguin.ca and Penguin.co.uk are still selling copies of some of the books. If you're used to a $20 price tag, be prepared, these books are currently selling for between $100 and $200. As they sell out we will undoubtedly see even higher resale prices.

Who's afraid of Inger Ash Wolfe?

A couple of months ago I was in a used bookstore minding my own business when, quite literally, a book fell off the shelves and into my lap.  I was sitting on the floor (because I can only imagine the unsightly view one might be faced with as I bend over in a half headstand to see what's buried on the bottom shelves) - so, I was sitting there while someone else, above me, was attempting to put a book back. Long story short, the shelf was jostled and a precariously perched book fell - into my lap. 


The book was The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe, an author I had never heard of, with good reason. She doesn't really exist. Inger Ash Wolfe, according to the book jacket, is "the pseudonym for a North American literary novelist." (Code, some think, for a Canadian author).


Now, you have to understand, I've fallen for this gimmick before and have been burned (Thanks John Twelve Hawks), so I wasn't hooked THAT easily, BUT since I do give the Fates some credit now and then, I opened the book and began reading. After hitting chapter three, I figured $3 was a darn fine price to pay to make this book mine. I took it home and finished it in three evenings.


The Calling is a mystery, but even if you're not into mysteries per se, you still might like this book. The author, whomever s/he is (some, including myself, lean towards Margaret Atwood) creates wonderfully tangible characters. The main character is Hazel McCallef, a 60-something Detective Inspector (police chief) in a small Canadian town with all the ailments that might befall a woman in her 60s. She's backed up by a rag-tag crew of small town deputies - none of whom have ever dealt with a murder, at least not in their small town.


PW says of the book, "This bracingly original mystery from the pseudonymous Wolfe opens with the grisly slaying of an elderly cancer sufferer..." and it is grisly, but the characters overtake the grosser aspects of the story, so don't let that stop you from reading it. The review continues, "...in Port Dundas, a remote Ontario town that has gone years without a homicide. The murder hits at a particularly tough time for 61-year-old Det. Insp. Hazel Micallef, who's struggling to come to terms with a surprise divorce and battles daily with her acerbic 87-year-old mother. A serious staff shortage and an injured back add to the department commander's woes."

Now, a second novel in the series, The Taken, has been released (July 2010).  Both books have gotten fairly decent reviews, although I was hard pressed to find many reviews at all. I had to rely somewhat on the readers over at Amazon.com, most of whom have given the books 4 stars (although Tim Rutten at the LA times panned The Taken. You can read his review for yourself - Personally, I lean towards liking the books). 


PW says, "Lovers of twisty but plausible plotting and an out-of-the-ordinary lead will embrace Wolfe's standout second police procedural featuring Canadian Det. Insp. Hazel Micallef."


As far as collectibility of these books, well...

It turns out that the very first prints of The Calling list the author as Inger Wolfe (big Oops). For those that don't know, Inger Wolf (sans e) is a [living] Danish writer who publishes crime fiction (double oops, since Mysteries tend to blur the "crime fiction" line). Wolfe's publisher and literary agents quickly recalled the books and sent a letter of apology to the Danish Ms. Wolf and rereleased the books under the Inger Ash Wolfe pseudonym. If you could lay your hands on one of those copies, it would undoubtedly be quite valuable.  As it stands now, however, first editions of the Canadian version of The Calling (released just prior to the U.S. edition by McClelland & Stewart of Toronto) are listing for up to $60. My $3 U.S. copy is listing for about $26. Not a bad return, but it sure would be cool to find one of those first Inger Wolfe copies.

2010 Indies Choice Book Award Winners

The American Booksellers Association, way back in April, announced the Indies Book Choice Awards. Books appearing on the 2009 Indie Next List were voted on by Independent bookstore owners and staff over a four week period. As a supporter of Independent bookstores (when and where ever possible), I thought I'd share their insights.


I thought I'd also check to see how they fared in predicting collectibles (not that that was their intention, after all, these are just damn fine books). At any rate, I've done a little research and have marked titles according to the key below:

[§] = signed copies currently garnering prices of $50 - $100

[§§] = signed copies currently garnering prices of $101 - $250

[§§§] = signed copies currently garnering prices of over $250

* = first editions already highly collectible

** = value may go up with additional printings 

And the winners were...

• Adult Fiction: Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese (Knopf) * [§]
• Adult Nonfiction: The Lost City of Z, by David Grann (Doubleday) [§]
• Adult Debut: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam) * [§§§] First editions of this book are selling for over $100 (unsigned) and up to $1200 (signed)
• Young Adult: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic) [§]  
• Middle Reader: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb Books)  [§§]
• New Picture Book: The Lion and the Mouse, by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown) * [§]
• Kate DiCamillo was voted Most Engaging Author both for being an in-store star and for having a strong sense of the importance of indie booksellers to their local communities. [ABA]

So far (some notable books) on the 2010 list:

• Shades of Grey, Jasper  Fforde [§]
• The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova  [§]
• The Unnamed, Joshua Ferris * [§] 
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson [§]
• Horns, Joe Hill  [§]
• The Dream of Perpetual Motion, Dexter Palmer
• Angelology, Danielle Trussoni  [§]
• The Solitude of Prime Numbers, Paolo Giordano 
  
• Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, Karl Marlantes * [§§]
• Bite Me: A Love Story, Christopher Moore 
• 31 Bond Street, Ellen Horan  [§]
• The Singer's Gun, Emily St. John Mandel  [§]
• The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall  [§]
• Beatrice and Virgil, Yann Martel  [§]
• Backseat Saints, Joshilyn Jackson  [§] **
• The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Aimee Bender  [§]
• The Madonnas of Echo Park, Brando Skyhorse
• The Marrowbone Marble Company, Glenn Taylor  [§]

So, Again, the lesson here? Buy signed copies whenever possible! Even if you don't have signed copies, it might be fun to see if you have any of these books on your shelves (in all honesty, I only have five in this list, although I've eyed quite a few in the bookstore). And if you don't have any? Well, now you have a great reading list courtesy of Independent bookstores everywhere! 

All About Dave Eggers

This is a shout out for my friend Sarah, who is currently (brave soul that she is) RE-reading What is the What.  So, I thought I'd do an author-themed collectibles run down for her (and you).


Eggers has been on the literary scene, pretty strongly since 2000 and has written a number of books, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as articles, and yes, even screenplays. I'm going to focus on his fictional work here, with one exception - his first book. Why? because it was his first book. And an author's first book is a must (if you're collecting):



A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Simon & Schuster, 2000): "Literary self-consciousness and technical invention mix unexpectedly in this engaging memoir by Eggers, editor of the literary magazine McSweeney's and the creator of a satiric 'zine called Might, who subverts the conventions of the memoir by questioning his memory, motivations and interpretations so thoroughly that the form itself becomes comic." [PW]


This is a slightly fictionalized memoir of Eggers' life. His parents both died of Cancer when he was in college, leaving him to raise his younger brother. His older sister was in law school at the time, and his older brother had a full time job. His older sister made claims that, in writing the book, Eggers used her journals without consent and completley undervalued the amount of help she leant in raising their younger brother. She recanted this statement prior to committing suicide in 2002.  


First editions of this book are selling on Abebooks.com for between $50 (unsigned) and $300 (signed).



You Shall Know Our Velocity (McSweeney's, 2002). "a moving and hilarious tale of two friends who fly around the world trying to give away a lot of money and free themselves from a profound loss."


This was the first book Eggers published with his own publishing company (McSweeney's). It had a smaller first run (50,000). Copies generally sell for between $45 and $200+. Eggers re-released an expanded version which was dubbed Sacrament and came out in a limited edition of 2,000 signed copies. (good luck finding it, but if you do, they list for over $200).


The Unforbidden is Compulsory or Optimism (McSweeney's, 2004). Paperback, short stories. I've seen this list for between $20-$100.



How We Are Hungry (McSweeney's, 2004). Hard cover with no dust jacket issued. Short stories. The hard cover edition includes the story "There Are Some Things He Should Keep to Himself," which consists solely of five blank pages, this not included in the paperback edition.  First editions sell from $25 (unsigned) to $185 (signed).


Short Short Stories. (Pocket Penguin, 2005). Paperback, short stories. I've seen this listed on Amazon for $16-$85.



What is the What (McSweeney's, 2006) is a "fictionalized memoir, in which Valentino, [s]eparated from his family when Arab militia destroy his village, joins thousands of other 'Lost Boys,' beset by starvation, thirst and man-eating lions on their march to squalid refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, where they try to piece together a new life. He eventually reaches America, but finds his quest for safety, community and fulfillment in many ways even more difficult there than in the camps: he recalls, for instance, being robbed, beaten and held captive in his Atlanta apartment. Eggers's limpid prose gives Valentino an unaffected, compelling voice and makes his narrative by turns harrowing, funny, bleak and lyrical." [PW]


Hardcover first editions (first issues) of this book list for $50 and up (unsigned).  The book itself has thicker boards covered in blue and brown papers. The second issues used orange and blue papers.


How the Water Feels to the Fishes (short stories; part of One Hundred and Forty-Five Stories in a Small Box) (2007).  On the upper edge, it sells for $60ish -- but you can still find copies in the $15 range.



The Wild Things (McSweeney's, 2009). Based on Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are.  A "Faux Fur" edition was released in conjunction with the standard first edition. The Faux Fur cover has a cut-out in the front panel from which a pair of green eyes peer out. Standard cover shows a silhouetted profile on a mottled red background (no dust wrapper).  First editions of either can list from $35 (unsigned) to $175 (signed).

Zeitoun (McSweeney's, 2009). From The New Yorker:"Through the story of one man’s experience after Hurricane Katrina, Eggers draws an indelible picture of Bush-era crisis management. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born painting contractor, decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees. After the levees break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and swept powerlessly into a vortex of bureaucratic brutality. When a guard accuses him of being a member of Al Qaeda, he sees that race and culture may explain his predicament."

Signed copies are going from $50-$130. First editions can still be had for $24-$60.

So, the lesson learned here? Buy whatever Eggers first edition you can get your hands on, 'cuz the boy can write AND his books are valuable collectibles.

For the Love of Jasper

If you've never heard of Jasper Fforde, you're not alone. It seems Fforde is somewhat of an acquired taste. But I have to say, I quite enjoy his work. And, if you like Douglas Adams, Monty Python, Christopher Moore, Christpher Fowler, or even Shakespeare, you may too. His latest novel Shades of Grey, the Road to High Saffron is an "...insanely clever novel... a cult classic for people who crave a rich brew of dystopic fantasy and deadpan goofiness..." according to the Washington Post.

Fforde is an author whose imagination, humor, and literary sense create hilarious, fun reads.  What I like best about him is his love and understanding of language - and his ability to have fun with it.

His first novel, The Eyre Affair, published in 2001, began his Thursday Next, Literary Detective series. Of which four more have followed. (The fifth in the series is slated to be published in March 2011). The story begins  in "Great Britain circa 1985, but a Great Britain where literature has a prominent place in everyday life. For pennies, corner Will-Speak machines will quote Shakespeare; Richard III is performed with audience participation … a la Rocky Horror and children swap Henry Fielding bubble-gum cards." [PW] 

Publishers Weekly said of it, "Surreal and hilariously funny, this alternate history, the debut novel of British author Fforde, will appeal to lovers of zany genre work (think Douglas Adams) and lovers of classic literature alike." 


He has yet another series that is a spin-off of the Thursday Next books, called The Nursery Crime Series. To date, he has only published two books in this series [The Big Over Easy and The Fourth Bear]. These haven't gotten great reviews primarily because they're not as involved as either Thursday Next or Shades of Grey story lines (some went so far as to call them shallow). But they're still fun, and very quick reads should you come across a copy of either.  The first book, The Big Over Easy, springs from one of the Thursday Next story lines in which book characters (some of whom star in nursery rhymes) are allowed to take 'working vacations' in lesser read books (it is, after all, hard work to be on call 24-7 in case someone wants to read your book). It's here that we're introduced to Detective Jack Spratt (whose history of eating no fat is kept under wraps). In this spin-off, Detective Spratt must investigate the death of Humpty Dumpty. Was his fall an accident or was it murder?


His sequel, The Fourth Bear, follows the same nursery rhyme scenario suggesting that there was a another bear with Goldilocks and her crew. Again, goofy, but fun.
 
Probably most noteworthy, for Fforde fans, is his foray into the Young Adult genre. His novel, The Last Dragonslayer is due to be released in November 2010.  This will supposedly be the first in a trilogy.


For more information check out Jasper Fforde's Web site - full of frivolity and goofiness galore.