I LOVE Lists

Random House, publisher of the Modern Library series of books stirred the book business pot in 1998 by making a list of the top 100 books of the 20th Century. After the "100 Best" story first broke in The New York Times on Monday, July 20, 1998, all kinds of opinions about the list - and theories about the Modern Library's purpose in concocting such a contest of sorts - emerged. According to Random House, the goal of the "100 Best" project was to get people talking about great books. And they succeeded beyond their wildest imaginings -- more than 400,000 avid readers rushed online to cast votes for their favorite books and the students of the Radcliffe Publishing Course quickly responded with a rival list.

Random House also conducted two other polls - one for best non-fiction published in the English language since 1900, with a total of 194,829 votes cast. The readers' poll for the best novels published in the English language since 1900 had 217,520 votes cast. I love lists, especially when they provide great hints for great reading. Here's the Random House lists:

Some Bestsellers Aren't So Bad

Being a bestselling book doesn't mean that the book is worthwhile. Since the World started in 1943, when I was born, I though that you might like to see what sold in that most fateful of decades. Some of them are still really good reads. Enjoy !

Cheap Reads Worth Having

Many of our customers want to have a library of worthwhile books that look good too. If you're on a strict budget and a literature reader, we would suggest to you the Reader's Digest -insert a very loud scream here - "The World's Best Reading" series. These are serious literature, not abridged, have credible translations of foreign literature, and extremely high production values - colorful, excellent bindings and illustrations - plus they include a four page biographical insert on the author. They're built to last, and considering the books' quality, could even become heirlooms. And, they're quite reasonably priced on the used market.

Gastronomy is not "Rumbly in the Tummy"

Even though Winnie the Pooh might say so. One of our colleagues is also a Chef - a real chef, not just a cook. Another of our colleagues has the best selection of cookbooks in Las Vegas, but we're running hard after her, and gaining. When we put our snob suits on, we refer to cooking books as "Books on Gastronomy."
I'm a plain, home cook, and very much enjoy reading, as do all other cookbook collectors, cookbooks. There are two wonderful magazine hardbound annual editions that are just the thing for those of us who don't like their food to look like somebody put their fingers all over the minute portions of whatever current weird veggie disguised under an Italian version of its name, or some strange fish name that most of us know as tuna fish. We recommend:

The Taste of Home annuals, and
The Cook's Illustrated annuals

if you cook like me. If not, we still recommend them. Buon Appetito !

Absolutely Amazing Technique - and Writing

Why would I evidence ANY interest at all in a current mystery author, especially one who writes noir, or hard-boiled mysteries ? Because Charlie Huston has a great hook: the way he writes dialog. No “Jack said,” “Mary responded,”, no he-said-she-said. He uses long dashes, not “-” or “--” but ¼ inch or 3/8 inch dashes. And it works, dammit. All prices below are for fine condition first editions in fine condition dust jackets, as available. However, I expect that one of the major book clubs will publish a 3-in-1 fairly soon, and this should be the first hardbound edition, thus.

Phil the Idiot & Another Idiot !

I do buy books for my collections, upon occasion, off the Internet. The Internet Idiot below listed a book I wanted, so I tried to buy the book below:
Ghost Brigades First
Edition. Hard Cover. New/As New.

The book arrived, and it was not right.

Here’s the e-mail exchange that I had to go through:

Internet Idiots - One of Many

We do not sell on line - I'm too lazy, like the education customers give us, and want our clients to be able to handle the books before they buy them. There are, unfortunately, a large number of idiots out there on the Internet who are selling books, but not necessarily the ones they advertise for sale. Which of these dealers would you buy from ?

The Internet Idiots.
Which dealer would you buy from ?