'High Reading Entertainment -- at a Low Price!'

We had a to-do list a mile long on Friday that was going to take us over in the direction of McIntire Road, so we decided to pay a visit to the McIntire Road Book Exchange. We hadn't been in awhile and stuff is always moving there, so we hoped there might be something new for us.

It wasn't a life-altering experience, but we did find a couple of fun things to add to our library. We've mentioned that we have a thing for a particular type of Signet Classic Editions books -- namely because we like the style of artwork on the cover. Today we happened upon three such specimens: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night; Henry James' The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Novels; and -- a particular favorite of Kristian's -- 1984 by George Orwell.

I also picked up a 1961 Dell paperback edition of Helen Keller's autobiography. Not fiction, but I was just last night reading the preface to Maria Montessori's book detailing her educational approach and she mentions Helen Keller as an inspiration. It seemed a happy coincidence to stumble upon it today.

The final thing we found was all Kristian's doing. He was digging through some boxes on the way out and came up with a tattered dust jacket for The Razor's Edge (one of my favorite novels).

On the cover appear two actors in black and white and some text stating "The famous novel from which the Darryl F. Zanuck production was made, starring Gene Tierney and Tyrone Power." Apparently this edition is promoting the film adaptation of this book. Kristian kept digging around, and eventually came up with the book itself. It was printed in 1946 by Triangle Books. The printing on the dust jacket reminds us a bit of the Modern Library Giants we've come across. The back cover is a marketing medium claiming "High Reading Entertainment -- at a Low Price!" I love it! And you can't beat free as a low price at the Book Exchange. The dust jacket is in pretty rough shape though, so we may have to make another visit to Ryan at Random Row for a plastic dust jacket cover -- or, even better, we should invest in some of these plastic covers ourselves for future tattered covers. 

Books added: The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham; 1984 by George Orwell; The Story of My Life by Helen Keller; The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Novels by Henry James; Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

Publishers (in same order): Triangle Books; New American Library, Signet Classics; Dell Publishing; New American Library, Signet Classics

Years: 1946; 1961; 1961; 1962; 1963

Where obtained: McIntire Road Book Exchange

Price: Free

Cincinnati is definitely a Riverside city

As we approached The Ohio Book Store, we gazed up at a five-story brick building, with bookshelves visible through the windows all the way. Kristian looked at me and asked "Are you ready?"

Boasting a collection of more than 350,000 books, the Ohio Book Store had us full of anticipation as we walked in the door. There was bound to be something here for us. It turns out there was a whole stack of somethings, starting at the bottom floor in the paperback classics section. I had a feeling that we might find some Riverside Editions -- it just looked like the kind of place that would have some. 

But the first thing I laid my hands on was a 1962 Signet Classic of The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper. Score! I actually got chills. We had collected all but Mohicans in Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales in the Signet Classic printing and we really didn't expect to come across Mohicans any time soon, as it is the most popular of that series. The set has really interesting, colorful artwork on the cover -- it has a sort of stained-glass like appearance that we find very attractive. We're so excited to have all five now. Thanks Ohio Book Store! 

Next, seconds later, Kristian did indeed put his finger on a Riverside Edition -- The Octopus by Frank Norris. The fun thing about collecting this particular style of Riverside Editions -- simply because we like the look of the publication -- is that it means we get our hands on books and authors we have sometimes never heard of, thus broadening our literary horizons. (The Octopus was apparently first published in 1901 and was originally intended to be the first part in a trilogy that Norris never finished. It is about the conflict between California wheat growers and the Southern Pacific Railroad. We'll definitely read it one day.) 

Well, that find opened the floodgates and we found Riverside after Riverside, snagging six more for our collection -- the most we've ever found in one place. They included Ten Greek Plays, Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy, The American by Henry James, The Egoist by George Meredith, and Minor Classics of Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Volume 1. Sadly, we can only increase our total count of Riverside Editions by five -- we'd already found Minor Classics Volume I, but we thought we had Volume II. Since we couldn't remember we had to get it to be safe. Oh well. This version is in much better shape, so we'll replace the other. Our total count is up to 24. 

There are lots of great things about the Ohio Book Store -- many of which Kristian points out in his post -- but one very cool aspect is the fact that they have a bindery on the bottom floor of the store. They do amazing restorations of old books and have been in operation since 1940. As torch bearers for paper-paged, physical books, we are thrilled that places like the Ohio Book Store and its Bindery are going strong -- restoring and repairing the old books that we love and hope to keep around for a long time to come. We may have a couple to send their way...

Books added: The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper; The Octopus by Frank Norris; Ten Greek Plays edited by L.R. Lind; The Egoist by George Meredith; Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy; The American by Henry James; Minor Classics of Nineteenth Century Fiction, Volume I edited by William E. Buckler

Publishers (in same order):  New American Library, Signet Classics; Houghton Mifflin Company, Riverside Editions

Years: 1962; 1958; 1957; 1958; 1965; 1962; 1967

Where obtained: Ohio Book Store, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Price: $21.00 for all ($2.00 - $4.00 a book)

Our first time at Second Story

Back in our prior lives, in the days before "we," Deborah and I both lived in Washington, D.C. We both lived in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. For a time, we both lived within two blocks of Dupont Circle in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.

Yet it wasn't until today that either one of us had ever set foot inside  -- or lingered outside near the book carts -- at Second Story Books, on the corner of 20th and P Sts. NW.

We were on a little vacation in the nation's capital, the cherry blossoms were in full (early) bloom, and the day was too good to do anything but be outside. So after lounging a bit on the lawn at Dupont Circle, we stopped by Second Story before meeting up with a friend of Deborah's.

It wasn't long before we had our hands full from the "$4.00, or 6 for $18.00" carts outside on the sidewalk. We took our haul inside to check out the shop proper, and while impressive, most of the items of interest to us on the inside were too rich for our blood. Definitely cool, and desired, but we had to pass.

One thing we learned the hard way: when traveling on foot in a major city, bring a bigger bag if you think there's even the smallest chance you'll be going to a bookstore. It's no fun to paper-bag it for many city blocks with a pile of hardcovers.

Books added: Adam Bede, Middlemarch, Romola, Essays, George Eliot

Publisher:  A.L. Burt

Year: c.1900

Where obtained: Second Story Books, Washington, D.C.

Price: $3.25 each.

Book added: The Red Rover, James Fenimore Cooper

Publisher:  W.B. Conkey Company

Year: c.1900

Where obtained: Second Story Books, Washington, D.C.

Price: $3.25

Book added: The Siege of London, Henry James

Publisher:  James R. Osgood and Company,

Year: 1883

Where obtained: Second Story Books, Washington, D.C.

Price: $3.25

Book added: Classic Myths, Charles Mills Gayley,

Publisher:  Ginn and Company,

Year: 1911

Where obtained: Second Story Books, Washington, D.C.

Price: $3.25

Book added: Our Old Home, English Notebooks, Nathaniel Hawthorne,

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin and Company, Riverside,

Year: 1885

Where obtained: Second Story Books, Washington, D.C.

Price: $3.25