Category Archives: Books

Love Your Local Indies

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

The New Yorker magazine’s “Page Turner” blog recently asked cartoonist Bob Eckstein to travel around New York City and draw his favorite bookstores. Here’s a sample of his first installment from the series of annotated cartoons. It’s bittersweet to see … Continue reading →

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That Old Book Aroma

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

As a bookseller and book collector, I’m surrounded by books every day. The distinctive scent of old books is a constant intoxicating companion. This fascinating infographic explains just what causes the aroma from antiquarian volumes, as well as new books.

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Don’t Quote Me

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

 

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It’s A Crime

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Each June, International Crime Month is a celebration of international crime fiction. Four of America’s most prominent independent publishers—Grove Atlantic, Akashic Books, Melville House, and Europa Editions—have joined forces this time to bring this compelling genre to a wider North American … Continue reading →

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An American Odyssey

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

These rediscovered Photochrom and Photostint postcard images were produced by the Detroit  Photographic Company between 1888 and 1924. Using a photolithographic process they offered peoplethe very first color photographs of The United States. For the first time, America’s colors were … Continue reading →

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There’s No Mystique

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less … Continue reading →

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How Do You Write ?

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

George R. R. Martin’s recent revelation that he does all of his writing on an old computer running DOS seems to have inspired this infographic:

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Discovering Literature

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Last week the British Library launched Discovering Literature, an online treasury of more than 1,200 items from the Romantic and Victorian periods, including first editions, manuscripts and rare illustrations. A wealth of contextual material – newspapers, photographs, advertisements and maps … Continue reading →

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Cultivating Thought

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

One day the writer Jonathan Safran Foer was sitting in a Chipotle Mexican Grill enjoying a veggie burrito (they’re quite good and GMO-free) when he realized that he had nothing to read. This sparked a clever idea for the author … Continue reading →

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Library in the Tram

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

I love libraries and I love trams, so how could I resist this story about the Library in the Tram—Tram to the Library out of Brno, Czech Republic. This winter, Moravia’s capital city and the historic Jiri Mahen Library launched … Continue reading →

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