Books for Bibliophiles
Fiction
Cooley,
Martha.
The Archivist (1998)
A library archivist, entrusted with a
collection of little-known letters
written by T.S. Elliot, has his
convictions tested by a young scholar
who desperately wants access to them.
Crumey,
Andrew.
Mr. Mee (1952)
The three storylines in this book follow
an octogenarian collector's quest for a
book about two minor characters from
Rousseau's Confessions, the antics of
the characters themselves, and the
hospital-bed confessions of the author
of the book in question.
Dunning,
John.
Booked to Die (1992)
Hommocide detective and book collector
Cliff Janeway investigates the murder of
a struggling book hunter. What was the
murderer looking for, and will Janeway's
investigative tactics cost him his
badge?
Dunning,
John.
The Bookman's Wake (1995)
Detective-turned-rare-book-dealer Cliff
Janeway takes an assignment: find the
girl who stole a priceless copy of Poe's
The Raven and deliver her to the proper
authorities. To find her, Janeway must
unravel the secrets behind the book and
its mysterious publisher.
Hellenga,
Robert.
The Sixteen Pleasures (1994)
American book conservator Margot
Harrington travels to after the 1966
flood of the Arno. While helping to
salvage the valuable materials in a
Carmelite convent library, she and an a
dashing Italian art restorer stumble on
a priceless (and controversial) book of
Renaissance erotica. Can they save it
from disapproving church elders?
Kaewert,
Julie.
Uncataloged: a Booklover's Mystery
(2002)
Documents by famed English diarist
Samuel Pepys are rumored to be in the
U.S., where publisher Alex Plumtree and
his fiancée are headed for his college
reunion. As bizarre things events start
to mirror the works, Alex begins to
suspect the diaries weren't written by
Pepys after all.
Kaewert,
Julie.
Untitled: a Booklover's Mystery
(1999)
Publisher Alex Plumtree discovers a
rare, book rumored to have been
destroyed by King Edward IV, and he
receives an invitation to join a select
society of book collectors. Soon,
however, the book disappears, someone
turns up dead, and Alex suspects the
tome is even more valuable than he
thought.
King, Ross.
Ex-Libris (1998)
Hired to restore a once-magnificent
library that had been ravaged during the
English Civil War, London bookseller
Isaac Inchbold becomes embroiled in the
search for a missing manuscript and a
conspiracy of spies, smugglers, and
forgery.
Kurtzweil,
Allen.
The Grand Complication (2001)
New York Public Library Reference
librarian Alexander Short gains a new
lease on life when he meets a collector
who hires him to research an enigmatic
eighteenth-century inventor.
Van Gieson,
Judith.
The Stolen Blue (2000)
Rare book librarian Claire Reynier
retrieves a batch of particularly
valuable Southwest titles from an old
friend and mentor's ranch. When the
rancher is killed that night, and
someone steals the books from her truck,
Claire investigates.
Nonfiction
Basbanes,
Nicholas.
A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles,
Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for
Books (1995)
The first half of this work documents
the history of book collecting from
antiquity to the 1940s. The second
examines the state of book collecting in
the 1980s, highlighting important
acquisitions (and crimes) in the book
world. For an update, try Basbanes'
subsequent works:
Collins,
Paul.
Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books
(2003)
The small welsh town of Hay-on-Wye has
over 40 bookshops--a paradise for book
lovers. Collins, an American, recounts
the summer he spent working in one of
the town's used book stores.
Ellis,
Estelle, Caroline Seebohn and
Christopher Simon Sykes.
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Care
live with and Care for Their Libraries
(1995)
This gorgeous book depicts 40 gorgeous
home libraries, as well as offering
professional advice on editing,
cataloging, and preserving a book
collection.
Goldstone,
Lawrence and Nancy.
Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World
(1998)
A married couple recounts the beginning
of their love affair with rare books,
sharing what they've learned and the
mistakes they made along the way. Other
titles on book collecting by the
Goldstones include:
Hanff,
Helene.
84, Charing Cross Road (1970)
A chronicle of the 20-year
correspondence between outspoken New
York author Helene Hanff and London
bookseller Frank Doel. From 1949-1969,
two exchange news of their family,
thoughts on the war, and most
importantly, share their love of the
printed word.
Henderson,
Bill.
Rotten Reviews: a Literary Companion
(1986)
Not every "classic" was always
considered great. Henderson has compiled
unfavorable reviews on books by such
respected authors as Fitzgerald, Swift,
Chaucer, and Tolstoy. If you hated these
in high school, here are some early
critics who agreed!
Pearl,
Nancy.
Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every
Mood, Moment, and Reason (2003)
Pearl, a Seattle librarian (and the
model for the infamous "librarian action
figure"), has compiled this list of over
100 of her favorite reads. With
categories like "Families in Trouble"
and "In Big Sky Country," there's
something for everyone here.
Salwak,
Dale.
A Passion for Books (1999)
This collection of original essays by
well-known authors, critics and book
business figures addresses such topics
as the effects of television and
computers on reading habits, the future
of the book v. the audiobook, and the
dichotomy of admiring an author's work
while not admiring his personal conduct.
Spufford,
Francis.
The Child That Books Built: A Life in
Reading (2002)
British author and journalist Spufford
recalls his childhood fascination with
books and reading, musing on the impact
of compelling fiction on young souls.
Wenger,
Shauna Kennedy & Janet K. Jensen.
The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes
Inspired by Celebrated Works of Fiction
and the Passages that Feature Them
(2003)
The authors, both chefs and avid
readers, have compiled a collection of
food-related passages from literature
and devised recipes for each.
Compiled by B. Hinton
November, 2003
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