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*A Collection of Antiquarian Curios & Relics*

"My hat's in the ring.  The fight is on and I'm stripped to the buff . . ."

                                                                                 --Theodore Roosevelt

IN A GLASS GRIMMLY (9780142425060) 7.99 by Adam Gidwitz

(Sung to the tune of Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida)

In a glass grimmly, baby

(In the fairy tale I'm readin')

In a glass grimmly, honey

Don't you know that I'm believin' you

Oh, won't you come with me

And take my hand

Oh, won't you come with me

To this mystical land

Please take my hand . . .

[The third book in Adam Gidwitz's series, Grimm Conclusion (9780142427361) 7.99 is now available in paperback.]

 

1)  WOOLY BULLY . . .  I hope, like me, you were able to watch Ken Burns' latest confection, The Roosevelts (9780307700230) 60.00 on PBS this past week.  It was outstanding.  From Jon Meacham, author of Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher (9780385387491) 19.99 to H.W. Brands, author of The Man Who Saved the Union (9780307475152) 17.95, he featured a veritable galaxy of stars from American history who weighed in with their opinions on, arguably, two of the greatest Presidents of the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt and FDR.  Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of The Bully Pulpit (9781416547877) 22.00 appropriately made several appearances.  And finally, our legendary man of letters, David McCullough, author of The Greater Journey (9781416571773) 20.00, of course, loomed over all of them.  For any history buff, watching this series was comparable to viewing Bernini's sculpture, Ecstasy of Saint Teresa for the first time.  'My God, it's full of stars . . .'  

  

 

2) LI'L RED RIDING HOOD . . .  A year or so ago, I rhapsodized about Salina Yoon's Penguin and Pinecone (9780802728432) 14.99 [which, by the way, is now available as a board book (9780802737311) 7.99].  It was adorable and I have to admit that it did bring a tear to my eye.  Now, just in time for autumn, the perky little Penguin and his younger brother Pumpkin are back in Penguin and Pumpkin (9780802737328) 14.99.  Once again, Salina's illustrations are wonderful, and it's backed with a story of sibling love.  There is no better title to share with your toddler so that they too may learn the joys of the fall season . . .              

        

 

Odds & Sods

Our good friend Loren Long popped in last Friday to sign copies of his latest Otis book, Otis and the Scarecrow (9780399163968) 17.99.  I was surprised to find that Loren has an excellent sense of humor.  We laughed and laughed.  This title is destined to become a fall classic.  As per usual, our signed copies are on a first come, first served basis . . .

 Speaking of lovable scamps, we also have signed copies of Seth Casteel's Underwater Puppies (9780316254892) 21.00.  You may recall that his Underwater Dogs (9780316227704) 19.99 sold exceptionally well two years ago.  We're down to a handful of books, so order yours before they're gone . . .

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*A Collection of Antiquarian Curios & Relics*

"The issues are too important to be left to the voters . . ."

                                                                                 --Henry Kissinger

1)  BUT WHERE WERE THE SPIDERS . . .  I've always been a huge David Bowie fan, so I try to snap up any new biographies that sashay down the catwalk.  Wendy Leigh's Bowie (9781476767079) 28.00 is no exception: I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.  If it's even half as good as Starman (9780316032254) 25.99 by Paul Trynka, it will be reading time well invested.  Ironically, I grabbed Chris Wild's Retronaut: The Photographic Time Machine (9781426213830) 28.00, and who should be lurking on the backcover . . .  The Thin White Duke himself.  I mean, like, what are the odds?

  

 2)  MAYBE THE WINDI(N)GO GOT YOUR BABY . . .  And it's still one of the greatest Seinfeld lines of all time.  However, this time I'm referring to William Kent Krueger's Windigo Island (9781476749235) 24.99, which is the latest in his award-winning Cork O'Conner series.  Fresh from winning the Edgar Award for Ordinary Grace (9781451645859) 16.00, this may just be the national breakout book that he so richly deserves.  Much like Torture Town and Massacre Mountain, this is another geographical location that you probably should not pencil in for your next vacation . . .

 

(Due to time constraints and a preponderance of bizarre Tea Party oriented rants, I've had to edit my latest letter from Sir Charles Edmund Wilson III to the bare minimum before I could share it with you.)

Dearest Mick--

  Chip, my loyal manservant, had just blacked my boots and prepared a delicious breakfast when we decided to fly to Lucerne, as a lark, to visit the duty-free English language bookstore there.  I have been reduced to reading most of the liberal-leaning titles you had sent in your 'care packages' and much like Popilius, I am drawing a line in the sand.  No more!

  First of all, I was pleasantly surprised that my good friend Henry Kissinger had written a new book, World Order (9781594206146) 36.00.  Did I ever tell you about the time I had dinner with Henry and Chilean President Augusto Pinochet? (Ed.: Yes, he has told me this story many times.) . . .  Speaking of former Secretary of States, the book that Hillary Clinton tried to stop, Mitchell Zuckoff's 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi (9781455582273) 28.00 made for some riveting reading.  (Ed.: Hillary tried to do no such thing.)  Did you know that I had once served in the Benghazi consulate before the war?  (Ed.:  I did.) . . .

                                                                                    Warmest Regards,

                                                                          Sir Charles Edmund Wilson III    

 

Odds & Sods

You may have heard that the Minecraft franchise was just sold to Microsoft for like a bajillion dollars, and I can assure you that there is no shortage of titles coming in the near future.  In fact, two new titles have just arrived, including: Megan Miller's Minecraft Hacks (9781632204400) 12.99 and The Minecraft Construction Handbook (9780545685177) 7.99.  Check your stock.  It looks like Minecraft isn't going away anytime soon . . .

 

Hockey season is right around the corner, and we have received the new edition of Allen & Duff's 100 Things Every Red Wings Fan Should Know & Do Before They Die (9781600787669) 14.95.  Go Wings!

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*A Collection of Antiquarian Curios & Relics*

"So long ago was it in a dream, was it just a dream?

I know, yes, I know, seemed so very real, It seemed so real to me . . ."

                                                      --John Lennon, #9 Dream

Paper.  Paper and ink.  First there were wedge shapes on tablets of clay, brought to you in cuneiform from some backward burg called Ur and bound between two rivers.  Papyrus practicality, illustrated by Moses / Mel Brooks walking down the Mount in the 'History of the World: Part 1', problematic tablets, he said, "The Lord Jehovah has given you fifteen . . .  Oy!  Ten!  Ten commandments for you to obey!"  And then like X-Files black oil, the ink snakes onto papyrus sheets, ensconced in hidey holes in the Alexandrian library; it's rolled into tubes and then morphed into pipes, pumping, pumping knowledge into eye sockets.  Electrical cords masquerading as words.  Finally, Gutenberg raises his ink-stained hands towards the sky and exalts, "Eureka!", and mumbles to himself, "What have I wrought?"

This!  I've had two new favourite books this week, and they're both quirky.  They were both originally web sites, and as sure as Giorgio Tsoukalos is convinced it was aliens, so they shall be quirky.  The title says it all for Kat Su's Crap Taxidermy (9781607748205) 12.99.  I could not help but think of Steve Carell in 'Dinner for Schmucks' when I saw that there is a chapter on How To Stuff Your Own Mouse.  I also believe there were no wiser words written than: Do not rupture the poop sack.  It won't be a bestseller; however, the other title, Randall Munroe's What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (9780544272996) 24.00 already is.  This book was written specifically for most men (and probably a few women, too).  What guy hasn't wondered, 'Is it possible to build a jetpack using two downward-firing machine guns?'  (Spoiler alert: It is possible.)  And since this title is already a bestseller, I may have to remove the 'quirky' appellation.

 

As obvious as Empress Theodora starring in 'Leda and the Swans', new celebrity children's books will hit the holiday bestseller lists.  Keith Richard(s) and his daughter, Theodora, have written and illustrated respectively Gus & Me (9780316320658) 18.00.  With a cigarette performing pirouettes on the tips of his fingers, Keef was on The Today Show and The Tonight Show yesterday.  And fresh from playing David Foster Wallace in a movie that may never be released, Renaissance man Jason Segel had time to write the first book in his middle reader trilogy, Nightmares! (9780385744256) 16.95.

 

 And finally, Ken Follett should heartily thank the Chinese for the invention of paper made from mulberry and bast fibres.  I cannot imagine how many clay tablets it would have taken to hold his latest and final book in The Century Trilogy, Edge of Eternity (9780525953098) 36.00.  Paper and ink.  Paper.                        

Odds & Sods

Onyx, that lovable Coast Guard scamp is back!  In the fourth book in The Adventures of Onyx series, The Angels in the Air (9780989284539) 14.99 by Tyler Benson, our beloved black lab is on a routine helicopter patrol out of Traverse City.  Unfortunately, a sailboat has capsized on Lake Michigan and a mother and daughter are stranded in the water.  'There's no need to fear, Onyx is here!'

And the new Guinness Book of World Records 2015 (9781908843630) 28.95 was released this week.  You know you will sell x-amount of this title every year, so check your stock.  My lasting impression of this book is the photo of the two largest twin brothers astride two motorcycles.  You know the one . . . 

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*A Collection of Antiquarian Curios & Relics*

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology

has exceeded our humanity . . ."

                                                                                 --Albert Einstein

It has been nearly one thousand years since the arrival of the 'Georgian Bug', as was recounted in the Emily St. John Mandel novel, Station Eleven (9780385353304) 24.95.  The lightning fast plague had consequently wiped out the majority of humanity.  The surviving people had reverted to a mostly agrarian society, which was in turn governed by the priesthood of the dominant religion, The Church of Latter Day Winfreys.  We now join the New Petoskey congregation during their early morning prayer service:

"My brothers and sisters please rise.  And with both hands make the symbol of the 'O' and repeat after me: 'Our Oprah from Chicago / you are a blessed prophet / your book club is eternal  /  Give us our monthly read / you are the teacher / we are the students.'  Please be seated.  Before our Lord wiped the earth clean of evil in the great plague, there was a horrible, horrible War upon Christmas in Chicago.  There was a beating of breasts and a childish weeping by men.  And lo, Diane Muldrow issued forth her tome of salvation, Everything I Need to Know About Christmas I Learned From a Little Golden Book (9780553497359) 9.99.  And her words smote Satan and his evil designs upon our most holiest of days!  Repeat after me: 'Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year and all, but there's just so much to do.  Amen.'"

The priestess made the sign of the 'O', fumbled beneath the lectern, and retrieved another book.  She spoke again, "I will now read from the 10th Book of Mitford, Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good (9780399167447) 27.95 by the prophetess Jan Karon.  From Chapter 12: 'He was roaming the store looking for 'O' titles when he heard the bell.  Irene McGraw.  Irene was in her usual garb of pants and cotton sweater, making the casual appear elegant.  He wished he could remember the name of the famous film star people said she looked like, but since he never saw a movie . . .'"

The congregation responded, "Irene, we got your 'O' title right here!"

"Yes, we do," the priestess plucked out another book from beneath the lectern and lifted it above her head, "The Oprah Bible!  It is called What I Know For Sure (9781250054050) 24.99 and it is both wonderful and wise.  We know one day Oprah will send nuclear emissions from beneath the earth and it will cleanse our world. Our souls will rise to the blessed realm and we will embrace our holiest of Mothers, Oprah Winfrey.  Only then will we join her by the lake to watch her TV show and Beloved.  Amen."                   

Odds & Sods

Victoria Brehm's The Women's Great Lakes Reader (9780970260604) 22.95, which has been a staple for bookstores throughout our region for many years, has been unavailable for most of the summer.  Well, fret no more!  We have received a reprint of her book with a new price and it is once again available from Partners.

Back in the day, I would spend most of my Saturday nights at the midnight movie to take in a viewing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Now you can relive those days with Sal Piro and Larry Viezel's The Rocky Horror Treasury (9780762455195) 27.00.  It's just a jump to the left . . .