Michigan's authors have been very prolific during 2012--here's a quick look at recent entertaining paperbacks that were either produced by a small press or were self-published.
"When in Maui" by Haslett author Colleen Nye (2Moon Press, $15.99) is a debut novel that focuses on the experiences of two friends.
Alice Tyler takes off for a vacation in Maui, leaving her best friend Vivianne Cook behind. Alice meets famous movie actor Ryan Perry; soon Vivianne is on her way to provide emotional support.
There are many funny and interesting interactions, with unexpected results as romance blooms and challenges develop.
Nye deftly tells an enjoyable tale; she's a member of the local "Writing at the Ledges" writing group and is working on her second novel. She can be reached at author.colleennye@gmail.com.
Mancelona author Buzz Harcus takes the reader in a different direction with "Thou Shalt Not", (Sandhill Publishing, $15).
In his fifth self-published novel, Harcus introduces Ron Macklin, a police detective in Graceport CT, who's investigating a bloody double murder.
He joins forces with his friend, Homicide Detective Dominic Greyson in New York; two members of a local church were murdered, each involved in separate affairs.
Dripping with violence and sexual overtones, Harcus' fast-paced tale has a creepy serial killer with a deadly, twisted agenda.
A Marine Corps veteran, Harcus has also written four other intriguing mysteries: "China Marine: Tsingtao Treasure", "Tainted Treasure", "Web of Greed" and "A Breath of Spring." Harcus' e-mail address is lesharcus28@msn.com.
"Who is Ellen Roquefort?" by Hessel MI journalist AJ Hutchison (Sault Printing, $14.95) is the latest novel by the author of "Corruption at Jamestown Prison."
Distinctly not a sequel, this fat, almost 500-page book is partially set in Lansing, Mason and Holt.
It deals with the life experiences of a woman suffering from paranoia schizophrenia who fought her illness but faced extraordinary challenges.
The compelling tale focuses on a woman who had a personality change while attending college; she later taught English and Journalism, wrote poetry, oil painted and parented a child.
This is not a happy tale, but offers realistic yet sometimes devastating insights, combining fact with fiction. It also includes over 15 pages of the main character's poetry.
AJ Hutchison's e-mail address is bobbyau@src-miup.com.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Ray's Reviews: When in Maui by Colleen Nye, Thou Shalt Not by Buzz Harcus and Who is Ellen Roquefort? by AJ Hutchison
Friday, December 28, 2012
Our SECRET SALE Has Begun! -- 50% OFF -- Limited Time Only!
The SECRET SALE has begun!
From now until the end of 2012, EVERYTHING is on sale!
Take 50% OFF almost all of our used inventory, including comics, maps, hardcovers, paperbacks, magazines, posters and more!
Help the shop (and yourself!) by stocking up on some good reads before we conduct our dreaded annual inventory book count.
We validate parking for City of EL lots and garages, with a purchase.
This architectural marvel of a museum opened in mid-November.
As always, we are very grateful for your continued support!
Many thanks, and we hope to see you soon.
Ray, Audrey and the Curious Gang
PS - Keep an eye on our Facebook page!
We'll keep you updated on strange new acquisitions and special offers.
If you'd like to receive this newsletter in your inbox, please email us at curiousbooks@gmail.com.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Mid-December Curiosities Update - Holiday Sale and Special Store Hours
Greetings, Book Lover!
Here's wishing you a happy Winter Solstice and Yuletide!
Current Sale:
Holiday shopping is fun at Curious!
There's no need to panic and rush.
Our Arts & Crafts section is overflowing with books about
Collections of classic and modern art are plentiful, with detailed pictures
You'll find books and items from the Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Tarzan,
Vintage programs and books about the Spartans, Lugnuts, Lions,
Curious Book Shop
307 East Grand River
East Lansing, MI 48823
(517) 332-0112
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
More Great Gift Ideas at Curious!
Last week, we introduced a new section of collectable books at Curious. They are all examples of undressed calf (or suede) bindings. This style was popular during the latter part of the 19th century, and the materials, though unique and beautiful, were difficult to work with and decayed rapidly. Here are just a few examples out of the dozens in our store:
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| Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha: $14.95 |
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| Title page |
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| Beautiful title lettering! |
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| Thoughts from Robert Browning: $12.95 (SOLD) |
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| This volume is from a Miniatures series, and measures only about 2.5 by 3.5 inches! |
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| Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson: $12.95 (SOLD) |
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| Title page with illustration plate |
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| The Story of a Passion by Irving Bacheller: $14.95 |
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| Title Page |
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| Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving: $125 |
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| This edition was published by the Roycroft group, an artisan collective from the early 20th century which helped form the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States |
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| Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning: $14.95 |
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| One of Browning's most famous poems, Sonnet 43 |
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| Although the title of the book insinuates that the poems are not Browning's personal work, they are all originals. Browning was hesitant to publish these highly private pieces, so she decided to imply that she had simply translated them. |
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| The Poetical Works of Alfred Tennyson: $14.95 |
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| Beautiful embossed detail on the front cover |
Read More...
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Ray's Reviews: Janet Evanovich's Notorious Nineteen
Thursday, December 6, 2012
The 2012 Curious Holiday Gift Guide
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| Betsy Tacy, a favorite 20th century series of books for girls, is a great option for a young reader in search of fun adventures and lessons on friendship. |
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| Though we are a strictly Spartan bookshop, we offer a vast array of sports books, including professional and college teams. We also have books about rowing, tennis, billiards, martial arts and more. |
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| An unusual, beautiful collection of Dickens prints for your favorite lover of Victorian literature. Published in the the early 1900s, this collection features dozens of sketches depicting Dickens and some of his most memorable characters. |
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| One of the dozens of prints in the Dickens collection, compiled by Seymour Eaton. |
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| Visit our large Children's Section, where you'll find affordable picture books, early readers and young adult novels for the young readers in your life. |
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| A collection of Elvis art by Roger Taylor, sure to stir up nostalgic feelings. |
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| Finding a gift for a TV lover is a SNAP at Curious! We have books about Star Trek, Dr. Who, Buffy, MASH, Dr. Kildare, Bill Cosby, Captain Kangaroo and countless other television favorites. |
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| Betty L. Williamson's lavishly illustrated meditation on the beauty of things often overlooked. A perfect gift for your favorite nature-lover. |
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| A peek at the inside of Reflections on the Fungaloids |
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| A neat quotation collection for your favorite sleuth. |
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| An early hardcover edition of Nathanael West's celebrated Beat / Counter-Culture novel, with a neat review by Arthur Cohen! |
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| Amaze friends and family with help from this compendium of magic tricks! Our Magic section includes modern and vintage magic items, for the novice or collector. |
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| We have biographies about favorite celebrities, from the silent films to modern-day movies. We also have books on film criticism, histories, scripts, lobby cards and vintage movie posters! |
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| The Military History section has a variety of options for the historian on your list. Check out our massive Civil War section, and our many books about WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and modern wars. |
Read More...
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Quick December Update
From now until Christmas, take 20% OFF almost all of our HARDCOVER BOOKS!
Gift Certificates are also 20% off, until Ray decides to end this "Free Money" sale.
New This Week:
Classic Dr. Seuss and Friends hardcovers, pop culture comics from the 1950s and 1960s, fabulously art and photography books, Michigan history, fancy editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and other Tolkien titles... and so much more!
Our favorite gift-quality and holiday-themed books are on display.
Are you looking for unique gifts for that special people on your list?
Whether they be hunters or homemakers, scientists or solipsistic singers, you'll find the perfect gift at Curious.
We'll send out our monthly newsletter later this week.
Please email us if you'd like to receive it in your email inbox!
curiousbooks@gmail.com
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Ray's Reviews: Michael Connelly's The Black Box and Lee Child's Jack Reacher's Rules
If you're trying to escape the holiday rush, here's a quick look at a pair of highly entertaining recent releases.
"The Black Box" by best-selling author Michael Connelly (Little
Brown, $27.99) is the 18th in his exceptionally popular series starring
Los Angeles Police detective Harry Bosch.
It's been 20 years
since Bosch first appeared as a fictional character in the "The Black
Echo"; he began in the Homicide Unit. Now he's working in the Open -
Unsolved Case Unit.
He gets involved in a case that has special meaning to him: the
investigation of the murder of a female photojournalist in 1992, during
the height of the L.A. Riots.
Bosch originally handled the case,
but it was handed to the Riot Crimes Task Force and never solved. Step
by step, Bosch investigates the case, trying to figure out the woman's
real killer.
It's not an easy trail, but Bosch carefully backtracks, gathering
information and interviewing related individuals as he tries to discover
the truth.
There are many clever, believable plot twists and the exciting, violent, action-packed conclusion makes it all worthwhile.
This is an exceptional police procedural mystery, another compelling
page-turner from one of the masters of contemporary crime fiction
writing.
"Jack Reacher's Rules" (Delacorte Press, $16) is an
unusual book that features a brief introduction by Lee Child, who's
written 17 books in the hugely popular series.
This small, 152 page book isn't going to please everyone, as it
offers little new material, but it's still great fun for mystery readers
who like a change of pace.
It's compiled by Val Hudson, who includes many nifty illustrations and photographs to emphasize points.
If you're familiar with Lee Child's books starring the mysterious
loner Jack Reacher, you're in for a real treat. Diehard fans still can't
believe that Tom Cruise was selected to portray Reacher in the new
upcoming film.
Some of the rules include: "Hope for the best, plan for the worst",
"They mess with me, they answer to me" and "Hit them hard, hit them fast
and hit them a lot." There's also a scattered selection of items that
the anti-hero would not say or do.
This book is not meant to be real serious; it's best to stretch out your enjoyment, perhaps savoring a dozen pages a day.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Ray's Remarks: An "Average" Night of Book Buying and Acquisitions at the Curious Book Shop
Ray offers a peek into the mysterious world of book-buying at Curious.
This chronicles the evening of Monday, November 26th 2012.
I never know from one day to the next what we'll have access to. Today was no exception!
I try to encourage people to set up appointments; I'm generally available to buy items in the shop from 3 until 7:30 PM, Monday Friday and Saturday - but it's always best to call first.
First in to sell items was a man who'd called and set up an appointment. He brought in a big Walt Disney Mickey Mouse book and some items he inherited from his father.
Unfortunately, the Disney book's cover was soiled - I passed on it; while the contents were in nice shape, the exterior discoloration would turn a lot of people off. It just wasn't "gift" condition, and we see this book frequently.
He also had some items from the Korean War, a book from the U.S.S. Pittsburgh and a military scrapbook from the war with many black and white photos. There were also a few large photographs of the crew, but these were damaged, almost torn in two.
While I do have customers for these types of items, we didn't agree on a price; I suggested that he might want to donate them to the Michigan Historical Museum - and honor his father permanently. It would be ideal for researchers and historians.
We talked about the decreasing number of collectors of this type of material - and the fact that more items like these were surfacing as World War II and Korean War veterans are passing away with increasing regularity.
He decided to take them home and think about what he was going to do. I gave him a card and would be interested in buying them, but I have to make a profit. These items are not fast sellers, but they are still pretty interesting.
Next in was a man with a big bag of old "girlie" magazines - but most were in poor shape, with covers coming off. I don't have much demand for men's magazines but I can use those types of magazines in nice condition, from the 1950s and 1960s.
We also had the usual people trying to sell old textbooks - and advised them to go nearby textbook shops.
A man came in with an item, carefully packed in plastic, that he wanted to sell. It was a Flash Gordon Big Little Book from the late 1930s - but it was only in good condition. There was lots of cover wear to the exterior and penciling inside. He had great expectations - he said that one company said it could be worth up to $307 - but he'd have to send it to them, first.
He decided to bring it to us - but his copy was not in desirable condition; we currently have over 60 Big Little Books in stock in nice shape! On items of this type, condition is exceptionally important - and copies that are only in Fair or Good condition are notoriously slow sellers.
Earlier in the day I brought in some boxes of hardbacks and paperbacks that I'd acquired from the estates of two professors - art books and useful volumes of lecture and poetry.
We also acquired an interesting wooden bookcase from a local estate sale; it is only a foot wide, but six feet tall, with adjustable shelves!
Audrey had the bright idea of putting it next to our stairway leading to the basement. It fits perfectly. Now, we just have to figure out what we'll going to put on display!
Other items that we put out today included a nice selection of Tolkien-related books. In a few weeks, we'll send to auction a FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Tolkien's The Hobbit, in Good condition.
We currently are offering an original gouache painting by Rowena Morrill on Ebay. It was used as the cover art for The Dracula Book of Great Vampire Stories!
Other items we made available today were a large number of 1950s Dell TARZAN comics, including a few scarce Four-Color issues. We added a number of SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS of science fiction novels and anthologies signed or inscribed by Hugo-Award winning author Clifford D. Simak.
I also dug out a box of books that had been somewhat buried. I priced and shelved a few more Cherry Ames books in dust jackets, and Nancy Drew, too. There are many interesting books awaiting plastic wraps. They'll appear on our shelves soon.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Ray's Reviews: The Racketeer by John Grisham & The Cocktail Waitress by James M. Cain
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Find the PERFECT Gift at Curious - Gift Certificates on Sale! - Comics, Pulps and more at CLASSICON 42 this SATURDAY - November 2012 Curious Book Shop Curiosities Newsletter
Greetings, Friends of Curious!
It's been a busy month at the book shop.
Thank you, all who came down to help celebrate our 43rd anniversary!
We hope you found fabulous deals and reveled in our nostalgia-steeped shop.
The holidays are nearly upon us.
Curious is your one-stop shop for affordable, unique, unexpected gifts sure to delight
your favorite book lover, historian, movie buff, hunter, explorer, sports fan or young reader.
Need help finding the right thing for that someone special?
Ask us! We'll point you in the right direction, and help you find unique items sure to please.
November Sale:
30% OFF Travel, Cooking and Oversized Sports & Entertainment Books
20% OFF Gift Certificates (for a limited time)
New Acquisitions:
Russian history, vintage comics, beautifully illustrated children's classics,
a selection of early issues of High Times and Harvard Lampoon,
Charlie Brown cartoon books, chess books, magic books, science and biology,Gourmet and Saveur magazines, 20+ years of National Geographic,
recent mystery and general fiction bestsellers, science fiction and fantasy paperbacks,
books in German, French, Latin and Russian, and art and architecture hardcovers.
Numerous paperback mysteries by Ellis Peters and William Kent Gardner,
Also, we've recently acquired beautiful editions of Tolkien's novels published by the Folio Society.
They're fabulously illustrated and in slipcase. Quite a find for the discerning collector!
Shop Gossip:
CLASSICON IS COMING!
Join us THIS SATURDAY, November 17, for Classicon 42.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the University Quality Inn, near Frandor (in Lansing).
Admission: $3.00
Classicon is one of the first pulp/paperback shows ever established.
There are thousands of collectable vintage comics, Pulp magazines,
digests, and paperbacks available for sale or trade.
Find out more on our website or Craigslist.
Want to exhibit? There's still time!
Call the shop (517.332.0112) and talk to Ray.
MSU's latest museum, The Broad, opened this week!
The grand opening was cause for celebration at Curious.
We've reorganized and expanded our Art History,
Art Theory, Architecture, Photography, European Art,
American Art, Asian Art, Religious Art, Museum Guides
and Arts & Crafts sections.
Ray recently reviewed the latest science fiction and fantasy novel by Jim C. Hines
Hines is a local, award-winning writer -- and a favorite at Curious!
Libriomancer, the first in a promising new series, takes place in East Lansing.
This novel features a suspiciously familiar character... an eccentric bookseller named Ray.
Is this just a coincidence?
Pick up a copy of Libriomancer and tell us what you think.
Read Ray's reveiw of Libriomancer, and the latest from Jonathan Stars, on our blog: Curiosities.
We have an especially wonderful collectors piece up for auction, this week.
Released from Ray's private collection is an original painting by Rowena Morrill.
Morrill was the 2012 World Science Fiction Convention Artist Guest of Honor.
Take a peek at the online auction.
Special Holiday Hours:
Curious will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving. Turkey! Yum!
Literary Happenings for November:
Ivan Turgenev, born Nov. 9 1818. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. born Nov. 11, 1922.
Herman Melville's Moby Dick first published by Harper and Brothers in
New York on Nov. 14, 1981. Sylvia Beach opened her Parisian book shop,
Shakespeare & Co., on Nov. 17, 1919. George Eliot born Nov. 22, 1811.
Ray Walsh, owner and founder of Curious Book Shop, celebrates his
birthday Nov. 25th! Lewis Carroll gave his handwritten manuscript,
Alice's Adventures Underground, to Alice Liddell as an early
Christmas gift on Nov. 26, 1864. John Donne, born Nov. 27 1573.
C.S. Lewis born Nov. 29, 1898. Oscar Wilde died in Paris, Nov. 30, 1900.
Many thanks, and we hope to see you in the shop sometime soon.
Ray, Audrey and the Curious Gang
If you'd like to receive our newsletter in your email inbox, please contact us at curiousbooks@gmail.com
__________
Curious Book Shop
307 East Grand River
East Lansing, MI 48823
(517) 332-0112
www.curiousbooks.com
www.facebook.com/CuriousBooks
http://curiousbookshop.
Ray's Reviews: Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines and 2035 by Jonathan Stars
If you're trying to escape reality, here's a quick look at two
intriguing new releases by local authors. Both are set in East Lansing
and other Michigan locations, but are worlds apart in reality.
This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on Sunday, November 11, 2012.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Ray's Reviews: John Sandford's "Mad River" and Richard Castle's "Frozen Heat"
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
43% OFF?! -- 43 Years of Bookselling -- SAVE BIG for a Limited Time Only
***Our Anniversary Sale ends THIS FRIDAY, November 1st, at 8 p.m. ***
Greetings, Book Lover!
How long have you been coming to Curious?
This week marks our 43rd anniversary!
To celebrate, we're showing our age and giving you a great deal:
43% OFF All Used Items $43 and Under
20% OFF Everything Else - Including New Titles and Tshirts!
Come to Curious and congratulate Ray Walsh on 43 years in business.
He'll be at Curious from 3 - 7:30 p.m. this Friday and (probably) Saturday.
This limited-time-only sale is a great opportunity to do some early holiday shopping.
We have beautiful, gift-quality items for book lovers of all ages - but they're going fast!
Browse around in Curious and find unique gifts for that special bibliophile in your life.
You can also contact us through Facebook if
Did you know that we have THREE FLOORS?
http://www.cityofeastlansing.
Shop Hours:
Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sundays 12 - 5 p.m.
Many, many thanks.
We hope to see you soon!
If you wish to receive our newsletters in your email inbox, let us know! curiousbooks@gmail.com Read More...