New Arrivals
The Bookman's Wake
New York: Scribner, 1995. 6 1/4 x 9 1/2". 351 pp. First edition; Illustrated dust jacket in near-fine condition; Tan cloth over maroon boards with red lettering on spine, signed by the author on the title page with date of "4-12-95", binding a little loose in the spine, otherwise in near-fine condition.
This is the author's second book and the second time with the Cliff Janeway character. It involves a mysterious and rare Edgar Allan Poe book that someone might kill for and probably did.
10-lb Penalty
London: Michael Joseph, 1997. 6 x 9 1/2". 272 pp. First edition; Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition; Black cloth over boards with gilt stamped lettering on spine, signed by the author on the title page, in fine condition.
In Dick Francis' 36th novel, Benedit Juliard is an amateur jockey whose father has political ambitions which end up embroiling them both in lies and treachery. Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself).
Trouble with Trolls
New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1992. Approximately 9 1/4 x 11 1/4". Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition; Illustrated paper over boards, inscribed by author on title page, a few small water marks on title page, in near fine condition.
Beautiful picture book, from Jan Brett, an American write and illustrator. A Scandanavian tale about a girl named Treva who tries to keep the Trolls on Mount Baldy from stealing her dog. Lovely to find a first edition, first printing, and signed copy.
The Burglar in the Library
New York: Dutton, 1997. 342 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4"; First Edition. Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition; Black cloth over black paper boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, author inscribed on title page, in fine condition.
A delightful mystery with the scenario from the flap describing, "What do you get when you combine an English-style inn, a group of snowbound guests, and a dead body in the library". A fun bibliographic whodunit.
Shambleau and Others
New York: Gnome Press, Inc., 1953. 224 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/4"; First Edition. Pictorial dust jacket with some minor creases and rubbing, original price of $3.00 intact, cover art by Ric Binkley, some tanning on inside flaps, in near fine condition; Turquoise cloth over boards with crisp maroon lettering on spine, bookplate on front paste-down endpaper of William Robards Wetmore, some ink lettering on copyright page, some spotting to top page edges, otherwise in very good + condition.
Catherine Lucille Moore (1911 - 1987), was an American science fiction and fantasy writer at a time when women were first starting to write in this field. Most of her work during the years of 1940 - 1958 was done in collaboration with her husband, Henry Kuttner. Moore was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Children of the Dark
New York: Henry Holt & Company, 1956. 270 pp. 5 1/2 x 8"; First Edition. Original dust jacket with some creases and small repaired tears, slight waterstain on rear cover, otherwise in very good condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering to cover and spine, crisp and bright, in near fine condition.
Irving Shulman (1913 - 1995) was an American author and screenwriter. Many of his books were adapted into movies. This book was developed after the film "Rebel Without a Cause" came out, however; and, it was based on the story ideas that Shulman had and fleshed out with the screenplay writer, Stewart Stern, and director, Nicholas Ray. The movie was best known for its great performances by James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo.
The Terminal Man
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972. 247 pp. 5 3/4 x 8 1/2"; First Edition. Dust jacket is price clipped, otherwise in very good condition; Grey paper with brown cloth over spine, stated First Edition on copyright page, top edge stained green, in near fine condition. (Clute & Nicholls p. 273)
Michael Crichton (1942 - 2008) graduated from Harvard with an MD, which is apparent in much of his work. He first wrote under the name of John Lange but The Andromeda Strain is the second work of his under his own name, which was very successful. It was made into a movie in 1974 and delves into the morality of using electronic brain implants to control behavior, now a better known method of the use of a neurostimulator.
Mine
New York: Pocket Books, 1990. 442 pp. 6 1/4 x 9 1/2". First Edition, first printing. Illustrated dust jacket with original price of $18.95, in fine condition; Red paper over boards and black cloth spine with silver lettering, slight foxing on top fore-edge, signed by the author on the title page, in near fine condition.
Robert McCammon (1952 - ), is a well-known fantasy/horror writer, having been a recipient of the Horror Writers of America, Inc.'s Bram Stoker Award and nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel. This novel is about a woman who steals a baby, the mother who tries to hunt her down and an FBI man who also has a grudge to settle. From the jacket: "A novel of psychological terror and unrelenting suspense set against the backrop of America today".
Miniature Book Society Conclave XXI Keepsakes
Various: Various, 2003. Ten miniature keepsakes made in limited editions from various publishers, along with a unique drawstring bag, all produced as keepsakes for the 21st MBS Conclave, held in Toronto, Canada, in fine condition.
Keepsake items from some of the best miniature book presses in the trade. Included are the following: Bookplate by Darragh Hunter (signed), The Pelican by Gray Goose Press, The Longest Street in the World by Evron S. Collins, T'bull's Aaht by The Final Score (numbered), Beloved Books by The Bronte Press, Toronto by Kathy King & Janet King, A Quirky Thought for the Day by Bookarts Canberra (bound in leather), Because of Miriam by Frank & Jeanette Anderson, Miniature Books: A Counting Conundrum or Stymied Statistics, by Rare Book & Texana Collections of the University of North Texas Libraries, and a decorative cloth keepsake bag in American and Canadian flag motif by Margaret Challenger.
Alphabet People
Santa Cruz, CA: Peter & Donna Thomas, 1989. 64 pp. 1 7/8 x 2 3/8"; LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, this being #141. Printed paper over boards with illustrated paste-down label on cover, letterpress printed on Peter's handmade paper, illustrated by Tanya Thomas, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Peter & Donna Thomas, 42)
An interesting ABC book where the illustrations are based on Tanya Thomas, (the daughter of Peter and Donna), twisting her body into the shapes of letters of the alphabet and creating a drawing for each.