Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Ye Olde Partners Page

*News From the Glamorous World of Bookselling*

"Groovin' on the freeway, gauge is on the red,
Gun down on my gasoline, I believe I'm gonna crack a head,
Talkin' 'bout love, talkin' 'bout love, talkin' 'bout love
I can't stop talkin' about . . ."
--Trampled Underfoot, Page, Plant, Jones
RAMBLIN' ON
So here we are. We are one day away from Thanksgiving and Black Friday is looming in our rearview mirror like the Peterbilt 281 tanker truck in the movie Duel. It almost feels like we're the passengers in a semi-truck careening down a mountain road and the brakeline has blown out. However, I'm here to cushion your fall and keep you alive in the upcoming weeks. Take a deep breath. It will be all over soon . . .

The National Book Award winners were announced last week. The fiction winner was by Pride-of-Kalamazoo Jaimy Gordon and the title is Lord of Misrule (9780929701837) 25.00. It's not often a Michigan author wins this prestigious award, so we all should get behind this one. We will have stock today. Order up. Also, we did receive more copies of the Young People's Literature winner Mockingbird (9780399252648) 15.99 by Kathryn Erskine. It has the fancy NBA award winner medal embossed on the cover. The paperback edition isn't due until April so we have some time to sell this one, too.

Bully! I know, but it had to be done. Edmund Morris' Colonel Roosevelt (9780375504877) 35.00 has blown out of here right out of the gate. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; after all, Mr. Morris is one of America's pre-eminent historians. Also, Laura Hillenbrand of Seabiscuit fame has a new one out called Unbroken (9781400064168) 27.00, which, unfortunately, isn't about horses, but is an inspiritional story of an American pilot's survival in the Pacific theatre during World War II. Last week, she started to hit the media and the sales show it.

For Cleveland fans only, Gray & Co. is out of stock on Dan Coughlin's Crazy, with the Papers to Prove It (9781598510683) 14.95. We are the only vendor in the country with stock. So over order while you can. And for young Dick Vitale fans, we have Dickie V's ABC's and 1-2-3s (9780984113088) 14.95 audio/boardbook in stock. Will it sell? 'You better believe it, baby!' For Detroit fans only, we had Bob Probert's autobiography Tough Guy (9781600785627) 24.95 come back in. Who's Bob Probert? Only the greatest fighter ever in hockey history. (And yeah, you read that right, it's part of the game, pansies.)

Everyone at Partners would like to wish you a great day off tomorrow and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Odds & Sods

Is it the wave of the future? To combat the Kindles and the Nooks, it appears that books with unique graphics like Jay-Z's Decoded (9781400068920) 35.00 could be the answer. Oh and be careful if you go to one of his download sites, you might get a virus. Furthermore, children's books like Potato Chip Science (9780761148258) 17.95 will not be easily replicated on e-readers either.

Blade Runner Deckard said,"The report read 'routine retirement of replicant.' That didn't make me feel any better about shooting a Kindle in the back."

Monday, November 22, 2010

Ye Olde Partners Page

*News From the Glamorous World of Bookselling*

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children . . ."
--Sitting Bull
1) FAIR & BALANCED . . . Barack Obama's new children's book, Of Thee I Sing (9780375835278) 17.99, was released yesterday. It's also illustrated by one of our favourite artists, Loren Long. Yesterday, I stumbled upon USA Today's article on the book that featured this headline, 'Obama Shares Dreams for his Kids in Book on 13 Americans.' FoxNation.com used the USA Today article verbatim for their website, but somehow in the interim, the banner with a picture of Chief Sitting Bull nestled next to it became, 'Obama Praises Indian Chief Who Killed U.S. General.' Okay, even as a conservative I would have chuckled at their heavy-handed tactic. However, as a student of American history, I was more offended by the allusion to the Battle of Little Bighorn, and the not one, but two errors in the headline. First of all, George Custer had been reduced in rank to Colonel in the 'peacetime' army, and Sitting Bull didn't even participate in the battle. But hey, why let the truth get in the way of a great headline? You can read it yourself at http://gawker.com/5690436/fox-news-turns-obamas-kid-book-into-anti+american-war-epic .

2) MAMA GRIZZLY . . . Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin's new reality show Alaska debuted this past week with strong ratings. In fact, it was the best ratings ever for any Discovery Channel show. Ms. Palin certainly has a knack for self-promotion, so I can say without reservations that her new book, America By Heart (9780062010964) 25.99, should hit the top spot on the bestsellers list when it's released next Tuesday. As for watching her show, I think someone on the internet put it best, "I really enjoyed her first reality show 'Running for the Vice-Presidency.' So I'm sure her new show will be just as entertaining."

3) BLACKHAWKS DOWN . . . Triumph Books has really outdone themselves with their new title, One Goal Achieved: The Inside Story of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks (9781600785597) 39.95. In fact, this book is a steal at $39.95. It's a full-colour coffee table book with all kinds of cool paraphernalia, including a facsimile of a Stanley Cup Finals ticket, packets of player scouting reports, and trading cards. I hope they do an identical book for the Detroit Red Wings when they win the Stanley Cup this season . . .

4) KINGDOM COME . . . Jay-Z, arguably one of the biggest names in hip-hop, has released his memoir / history of rap / book of rhymes in his new handsomely illustrated title, Decoded (9781400068920) 35.00. He explains how he goes about crafting his songs and reveals the lyrical references. This book has been selling great out of the gate and should continue through the holidays . . .

Odds & Sods

Mark Twain has been making a lot of personal appearances. In fact, I heard that he presented Tina Fey with his Mark Twain Award this past week. We are expecting more copies of The Autobiography of Mark Twain V1 (9780520267190) 34.95 on Tuesday. Backorders are piling up . . .

She was no Helen of Troy, but I hear Cleopatra was quite the looker back in the day. National Book Award winner Stacy Schiff's bio on Cleopatra (9780316001922) 29.99 will be back in stock today . . .

A quirky little title that you might have missed is Judith Schalansky's Atlas of Remote Islands (9780143118206) 28.00. It's kinda cool . . .

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Ye Olde Partners Page

*News From the Glamorous World of Bookselling*


"In Mexico, you know what they call Twinkies? 'Los submarinos.'"
--Tallahassee from Zombieland
I was surprised at how accurate the TV show based on The Walking Dead #1 (9781582406725) 9.99 really was.

Like Rudy Waltz from Kurt Vonnegut's Deadeye Dick (9780385334174) 14.00, I'm taking potshots with my rifle from the upstairs window of my non-descript house. Unlike Rudy, I'm purposely trying to shoot the zombies wandering around in the daylight on my street. Yeah, you read right -- Zombies. To put them down, you need to hit them with a good, clean headshot. Usually, the undead aren't too active during the daylight hours, but then, loud sounds seem to attract them. Like in Guillermo Del Toro's The Strain (9780061558245) 9.99 and the sequel The Fall (9780061558221) 26.99, the pathogen seems to be some sort of virus that is transmitted either through infected saliva or the blood. I know they were actually vampires in Del Toro's books and Justin Cronin's The Passage (9780345504968) 27.00, but it seems to work the same way. In other words, don't get bitten.

*Crack*

(A zombie head explodes like a watermelon in a bad Gallagher skit.)

"Sorry, John. But it's for the best," I mumble.

It happened so fast. I think it was Wednesday night when I was half-watching former President George W. Bush on Bill O'Reilly's show; he was promoting his new book Decision Points (9780307590619) 35.00, and then the Civil Defense Warning thing kicked in. I put down my copy of Stephen King's Full Dark, No Stars (9781439192566) 27.99 and listened. Paraphrasing here, the CDC basically told civilians to stay in their homes. I looked out my window and I saw that a lot of my neighbors were milling around outside. Some of them were cradling rifles and I could hear gunfire in the distance.

I reloaded my rifle.

*Crack*

(Mrs. Wilson's head snaps backwards and she crumples onto the concrete.)

I know I should probably head for the country, but it wouldn't be right for me to leave my friends and neighbors like this. I hope that they would have done the same for me. I notice my little sister's book on the floor. It's called Zombies Vs. Unicorns (9781416989530) 16.99. I pick the book up, whip it at the wall, and scream, "This ain't a joke!"

I wait for the hyperventilating and the shakes to stop. Then I reload again.

*Crack*

Who would have thought a librarian would last this long in the Zombie Apocalypse? Certainly not me . . .

What Zombies might look like . . .
Schuler Books 2nd Annual Zombie Party


 
Odds & Sods

The lovely and vivacious Melissa Del La Cruz stopped in here last week to sign copies of her latest book, Misguided Angel (9781423121282) 16.99. As usual, it's first come, first served . . .

Former President George W. Bush's Decision Points has been big so far, but Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (9780810984912) 13.95 has been selling copy for copy. In fact, it's doing so well, you might want to check his backlist . . .

Surprise local bestseller Dan Austin's Lost Detroit: Stories behind the Motor City's Majestic Ruins (9781596299405) 24.99 should be back in stock in about two days. Backorder accordingly.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Ye Olde Partners Page

*News From the Glamorous World of Bookselling*


"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure . . ."
--Mark Twain
OBSERVATIONS IN THE COLD NOVEMBER RAIN

Tilar Mazzeo, who wrote The Widow Cliquot (9780061288586) 15.99, has returned with her new title The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History (9780061791017) 25.99. From the inside flap, "Reverently known among industry insiders as 'le monstre' -- the monster -- it is arguably the most coveted consumer luxury product of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries . . ." Really? This actually reminded me of that old Chris Farley bit, "For those of you who don't habla espanol, El Nino is Spanish for: The Nino." Man, I really miss that guy . . .

The Boneyard is my favorite restaurant in the Detroit area. We're talking spare ribs to die for and not those wimpy baby back ribs. Yum. Speaking of dying, Richard Bak has a new book called Boneyards: Detroit Under Ground (9780814333532) 34.95. This book is chockfull of historical and contemporary photographs of Detroit's finest graveyards. My favourite undertaker Thomas Lynch had this to say, "Boneyards is that rarest of things: a commingling of text and images, so finely wrought and perfectly realized that it produces a permanent gift and indispensible record." Geez Thomas, sign me up for a case.

Oprah had Jerry Seinfeld's wife on last week to promote Double Delicious! Good, Simple Food for Busy, Complicated Lives (9780061659331) 26.99. We have seen a big bump in sales, and so far, no lawsuits for Jerry Seinfeld's wife. Also, Oprah had Ellen DeGenere's wife and author of Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain (9781439177785) 25.99 on Monday's show, and there has been nary a peep. It seemed like the kind of book that her viewers would eat up. Humph . . .

I saved this one for last. Back in the day, when I was young lad, I definitely had a thing for 90210 star Shannen Doherty. Of course this was early on in her career, it was long before the string of bad marriages, fights wth her co-stars, and her drug addictions. She now has a book out entitled Badass: A Hard Earned Guide to Blah Blah Blah (9780307591534) 25.99. She purportedly shows you how to go from being a 'Bad Girl' to being a 'Badass.' Really? So being a spoiled Hollywood actress that nobody wants to work with, including your co-stars on Charmed, qualifies one as being a 'Badass'? I think Red Forman would back me up on this one, "It sounds to me that she's more of a dumbass."

Odds & Sods

First of all, we're starting to get some sizeable backorders on George W. Bush's Decider Points (9780307590319) 35.00, which goes on sale next Tuesday. You might want to check your stock since these types of books tend to sell great out of the gate, but then peter out fairly quickly . . .

I don't usually do this, but I'm such a huge slappy for Paul Clemens and his book, Punching Out (9780385521154) 24.95 that I'm going to post it anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOgDw_xKHq4

Finally, Lego Star Wars Brickmaster (9780756663117) 29.99 might be this year's Lego Star Wars Visual Dictionary (9780756655297) 21.99. Order accordingly.