Post Your Latest Purchase

[bugen]

I think Bugen had been discussing some lately. And I could be wrong, but I thought a few other titles have popped up. It's an interesting theme and setting for a novel, implying all sorts of intrigue, trickery, illusion, moral ambiguity and colour. I too have been discussing it a bit with a friend of mine actually, comparing Laymon's The Traveling Vampire Show and Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

You're right, a number of them have come up pretty recently. Something Wicked This Way Comes, Nightmare Alley, Blind Voices, The Circus of Dr. Lao, and even Batman's The Killing Joke.. It wasn't actually on purpose, but these carnival-related stories do have a unique kind of energy, mayhem and mystique that helps catapult them up the ranks.

[bugen]

Finally got one:

SAM_9956.jpg

[Theli]

Nice grab! I go back and forth on these PS anniversary editions. I do like that they are signed and a relatively reasonable price. And they have hired some good artists, especially McKean's art for Night Shift. But the binding quality, like with most PS books, is average at best. And their practice of multiple dust jackets is pretty disgusting to be honest, just strikes me as a way to leech money from collectors with the least amount of effort.

[mhatchett]

Virginia puts out a pamphlet that lists most of the traveling Carnivals that are schedule to visit the state. When I was a kid, it seemed there was always a "shopping Center" carnival setting up somewhere. Loved the excitment!

[Theli]

Virginia puts out a pamphlet that lists most of the traveling Carnivals that are schedule to visit the state. When I was a kid, it seemed there was always a "shopping Center" carnival setting up somewhere. Loved the excitment!

Yeah that's normally where you find them around here. Or by community centres. Always fun. Maybe I'll try to track some down this year, and/or finally visit our big one; The Red River Ex.

[bugen]

Nice grab! I go back and forth on these PS anniversary editions. I do like that they are signed and a relatively reasonable price. And they have hired some good artists, especially McKean's art for Night Shift. But the binding quality, like with most PS books, is average at best. And their practice of multiple dust jackets is pretty disgusting to be honest, just strikes me as a way to leech money from collectors with the least amount of effort.

I've got to agree with you on the multiple dust jacket thing--don't like that practice at all, though it does seem pretty rare. Personally I ended up with a Skeleton Crew variant that's not as much to my liking as the original, but I'll never buy two copies of a book because of that. Those kinds of things I'll just add in to what I know about a company and it'll inevitably have an effect down the line.

Christine is, thankfully, smyth-sewn and not just glued, so it should be one of those that lasts. It seems many (most?) of their releases inexplicably skimp on this, and glued bindings aren't cool for collectible books. I'm OK with the art printed directly on glossed boards even if I'd prefer cloth or leather, and their paper quality seems on par with many other specialty presses. The glued vs. sewn binding really is a problem, though.

Bizarrely, it's the cover art that kept this edition on my mind.

[RonClinton]

I mentioned a while back that one of my favorite used bookstores in the Seattle area (probably THE favorite, given that while I like visiting U Books and Third Place, I don't often come away with much from those two) -- the Half-Price Book store in the University District -- was closing down in late March / early April. Note: For those in the area, this is the two-story HPB on Roosevelt.

I went there for the last time today -- this weekend is its last two days.

I've been going to this store for what must be over two decades, so it's a closure that hits close to home. As mentioned above, it's my favorite bookstore in the area, and book browsing is just not going to be the same anymore. Yes, there are other HPB stores in the area, but not like this two-story wonderland of creaky floors and endless shelves of books. It's no Powell's, but it's the closest thing we have around here in the Seattle area.

Anyway, I picked up a souvenir to remember my good times there...figured it couldn't hurt to ask, and the kind gentleman granted my request which he thought was "pretty cool." Measuring about 24" x 12", it hung over the area where I, no surprise, spent much of my time. For those not familar with HPB, they have such hangings signs over every different shelved genre (e.g. Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, etc.)...now it hangs over a doorway in an alcove area in my library/office:

hpbsign.jpg

[bugen]

Love that! Wonderful souvenir.

[Sock Monkey]

Very cool!

[RonClinton]

Thanks, guys...I'm pretty pleased to have it, as you might imagine. It's valueless, of course, but has emotional worth to me that's boundless.

[Theli]

Outstanding! Great souvenir.

[jeffingoff]

So awesome. An artifact from a time when people didn't live online. A reminder and a warning that people will never live online. That's it's about places and spaces and the mingling of energies kicked up but human contact. More than a souvenir, it's a touchstone.

[mhatchett]

Thanks, guys...I'm pretty pleased to have it, as you might imagine. It's valueless, of course, but has emotional worth to me that's boundless.

Ron. I think the term you're looking for is Priceless LOL!!

[Brian861]

Very cool, Ron!

[c marvel]

You can get some nice Heritage Press books for relatively cheap. I'm not familiar with that particular book though. Still need to read some Henry James.

I should have looked closer at Daisy Miller by Henry James. It is definitely not what I would normally read. The long Introduction, to me, is a chore to read. I'm just glad this is a really short book and it was very cheap.


Cap