Book Reviews
I do not own a lot of Penguin books, but some of my favorite books about books are about Penguin books! As a publisher, they are worthy of every bit of attention, fandom, and cult status they have achieved. Out of all my books about Penguin, the 2016 Classic Penguin:
Book Recommendations
Here are five of the best books about detective fiction and the whole mystery genre that I have read to help us cap off 2026 National Mystery Month. Each May, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) holds their famed Edgar Awards (here are the 2026 winners) while celebrating mystery stories
Book Reviews
This is the slimmest of slim volumes, coming in at only 19 pages. Book Collecting and the Search for Reality by Jack Matthews is the printed version of a speech he gave at Wichita State University, on the evening of March 5, 1971, which used book collecting as a jumping-off
Book Recommendations
The history of book publishing is the history of the modern world. It is filled with the wackiest book ideas, business models, and so many larger-than-life characters that it all sounds like fiction. Here are three books about publishing that will help you understand how the books on your bookshelf
Book Awards
I've never been accused of being a Jane Austen fan, but I am a huge fan of Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend by Rebecca Romney. This is that rare book that has
Book Awards
What a crazy, topsy-turvy year it has been. It's been a fun one in the world of books, and I've enjoyed refining my processes for finding and sharing all the books about books being published each month. I hope you'll sign up for the
Home Libraries
We need a month dedicated to the creation, cultivation, and love of libraries in our homes. Let's find time to create our own safe spaces surrounded by the books we love. Just need to find a month to do this... I am proposing May. Every May. What do
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This July 4th holiday weekend had me revisiting some books and writing about... books and writings in early America. I wanted to share something that I ran across in a pamphlet from Williamsburg, VA that talks about how prevalent books were at the time of the American Revolution. This slim
I have created a page where I hope to chronicle (and continually update) all of the dates, events and commemorations for book lovers. One of the best things about the bookish community is when we all band together to speak up, protect or celebrate the printed word. While there is
It's a bit of a dreary gray sky start to the week for me. When I need some inspiration and a lift, I often pick up Martin Salisbury's The Illustrated Dust Jacket. This book is a wonderful large size and is chock full of all the
I love programs that get young people interested in collecting books. Some clever folks are hosting fun events these days, like the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize aimed at getting young women collecting. I am highlighting one that is taking applications right now. The Taylor C. Kirkpatrick Prize for
I have been avoiding the digital world for the past few weeks to help preserve my sanity. I have been swimming in the analog paper and glue universe that is my home library. It's very calming and grounding. I love it. But I did have to log on
I am picking Adam Smyth's The Book-Makers: A History of the Book in Eighteen Lives as the 2024 Book of the Year. Smyth does a masterful job not only explaining the cultural impact each evolution of the book and book production had, but he elevates the names and
It's been another very full year of great books. Looking back it seems that many of the new titles in the books about books category have a strong theme of the "importance of books" connecting them. I don't know if this is in response
Folks, this is why you stop in random used bookstores whenever you get the chance – Cyberbooks by Ben Bova… for $2!! What a find! I had no idea this book even existed. I absolutely love the cover of this mass paperback that came out in 1990. A quick internet search
Books are not staid things and the upcoming Why Books Still Matter looks to show us why. Books are important and, if done well, can spur us to action. I’m very much looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of this next Rivertowns Books. First, the book
I am picking The Private Library by Reid Byers as the first-ever Books About Books Book of the Year winner. I feel like I should have set up a drumroll or some sort of fanfare… maybe next year… Note: This post may contain affiliate links and is a follow-up post
I love a good end-of-the-year book awards list or “best of” feature. They’re great, but they often have many of the same titles on them. It’s rare to find a site or list that has a truly unique take on books, which is a shame. There are sooooo
James Patterson has a new book coming out on April 8, 2024, titled The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians. It’s one I’m looking forward to reading. There seems to be some competition for the subtitle. I’ve seen it listed as both “Their stories are better than