strange and random happenstance

Bookstore: Amaranth Books

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Why I Love Them: Amaranth Books is a bookstore I found by accident. I had headed to Evanston for a book signing at the local Barnes and Noble but what really drew me to the area was Bookman's Alley. This labyrinthine bookstore was mentioned in Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife and was, to me, the most memorable part of that book. So I made the pilgrimage and as I looked through the shelves and stepped over the piles of books I heard the owner, Roger Carlson, talking about the time Frank Sinatra hit on his wife. After I went into sensory overload from the sheer number of rooms and artifacts I decided to wander around the neighborhood and saw a Red Mango frozen yogurt shop. My friend Jess had recommended them to me so I went in for a post book binge treat and as I sat eating my pomegranate infused dessert I noticed a small storefront that said Amaranth Books: Used and Rare. I HAD to check it out. The store is very small, only a few aisles wide and not that deep. But for how small they are they have an amazing collection, especially of British authors that are rather hard to find stateside. There's something to be said for small stores that are well curated. Amaranth might not have had the lure of Bookman's Alley, but for all that, I bought more books at Amaranth...     

Best Buy: While I have only been able to get to the store a few times, my first visit was a true book buying success story. I adore P.G. Wodehouse. More than that I adore Overlook Press' amazing hardcover re-releases with the vintage style covers and the stripped endpaper. The problem is they are rather pricey, coupled with how prolific Wodehouse was as a writer, and this can put a serious dent in your wallet. Therefore, aside from the Jeeves and Wooster series which was worth any price, I have attempted to find all the rest of the books at used bookstores. I sometimes am successful, occasionally I have been very successful, but more often than not I strike out. That first day in Amaranth, oh, they had SO MANY of the Wodehouse books I just wanted them all. I NEEDED them all. But I was trying to be good. So I bought only the first Blandings story, Something Fresh, and then went to my book signing and then went home and stewed. I felt that I had just missed a big opportunity. I should have bought all the books they had, but I didn't. I held out hope that when I returned in the future they would still be there. But I knew, in my heart of hearts, they wouldn't be. Ironically when I did return for a book buying spree it was at Bookman's Alley and a local Half Price Books where I found more Wodehouse, because of course Amaranth had sold theirs. But I know that whenever I get the chance to return they will surely have something I need to buy.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amaranth Books, Audrey Niffenegger, Blandings, Bookman's Alley, Illinois, Jeeves and Wooster, Overlook Press, PG Wodehouse, Something Fresh, Support Your Brick and Mortar, The Time Traveler's Wife

The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
Published by: Vintage Books
Publication Date: April 6th, 1922
Format: Paperback, 211 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Antony Gillingham has a propensity to change jobs as it suits him. He is financially secure enough to take on any job that pleases him from tobacconist to waiter to experience more of the world; and then, when he's done, he tells his boss precisely what he thinks of him and goes onto his next adventure. The first time he met Bill Beverley he was working as a tobacconist, after their next encounter at a restaurant where each was there in a very different capacity, a friendship was formed, wherein Bill realized that the moniker madman perfectly suits Antony. Antony was following one of his whims when, seeing a train station he liked, he disembarked and decided to stay in the small town. He quickly finds out that he is not a mile away from the Red House, where his good friend Bill is currently staying.

Up at the Red House, it's owner Mark Ablett, with the help of his cousin come secretary, Cayley, is hosting a riotous house party. Bill is one of the number of guests, who range from quite fetching young ladies to a rather famous actress. Mark loves to have his life filled with the bright young things at his Red House. On the same day that Antony decided he liked the look of a train station, Mark informs his guests that his disreputable brother is about to make an appearance at the Red House. When Antony unexpectedly shows up he finds all the guests out and Cayley banging on the office door. What they find behind that door is the dead body of Mark's brother, Robert. Antony was planning on this being his vacation, but he feels a sudden change of occupation presenting itself... he's never been a detective. With a dead body and Mark missing, now might be the best opportunity he will ever get, with Bill being the Watson to his Holmes.   

After the last few books I read for this summer's reading spectacular, I was feeling a little burnt out. The detectives were a little too quirky or a little too self involved. Originally I had not planned on reading The Red House Mystery, but I was feeling this desperate need for something different. A mystery written by the man known more for Winnie-the-Pooh then locked room mysteries seemed like it would fit the bill. And indeed it was the perfect antidote to bring me around. The introduction alone wherein Milne deftly skewers the plot contrivances of his fellow mystery writers and promises to avoid all their pit falls was well worth the price of this book. Thankfully this tone carried throughout the book and made it a fast and fun read.

A.A. Milne goes about avoiding the faults of other writers by clearing the decks. Instead of extraneous characters out the wazoo, we get a sparse mystery about two guys humorously trying to find out how their suspect committed the crime. There are no lovestruck ninnies or plethora of suspicious servants. There are no last minute surprises that come out of nowhere. While other writers have done a quick nod and wink to Holmes and Watson, Milne goes all out and embraces this trope and has Antony and Bill openly referring to each other by their designated roles. Milne believes in the fact that a detective must Watsonize (I'm totally going to use this word all the time now), because without that, how are we, the reader, to be brought along and given the evidence to solve the crime? Therefore Bill becomes Watson, though a rather clever one, and Antony dons the famous mantle of Holmes... or at least he smokes a pipe a lot.

Yet, the question becomes, how does this book sustain itself? You have the obvious good guys and the obvious bad guy and lots of time spent trying to one up each other. Also, to be frank, the mystery, well, it's not overly obvious, but it is not that taxing on the little grey cells. So why does this book work then? Because of the characters. Antony and Bill's camaraderie and witty banter belongs to the works of Wodehouse. The two of them sitting on a bowling green thinking out all the facts before them is more interesting then all of Inspector Grant's internal monologues combined. This humor just gives the book such a freshness that it should be considered one of the staples of the Golden Age of Detection... it has a lot more going for it then some of those other books!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A. A. Milne, Golden Age of Detection, Golden Summer, Inspector Grant, PG Wodehouse, Sherlock Holmes, The Red House Mystery, Watson, Watsonize, Winnie-the-Pooh

1) The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters - Finally found the sixth Cadfael book in the pretty editions I've been picking up at Half Price Books. Bought at Half Price Books.

2) The Occasional Diary of a Transtemporal Adventuress by Paul Magrs et al - Now that I'm getting near the end of Paul Magrs's Brenda and Effie books I am in desperate need of more Magrs, enter Iris Wildthyme, which thankfully I could get some of the titles on my Kindle. 99 cents yo! Bought at Amazon.com.

3) Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus edited by Paul Magrs - Ditto above, though a little pricier, still, can't wait to read it! Bought at Amazon.com.

Ok, so now it's going to be a long list... because I had birthday money to spend! Really, my friends and family know me so well they know I get giddy with book vouchers!

4) The Second Empress by Michelle Moran - Which I have been dying to read for over a year, ever since Michelle's first French novel. Also, Target, because they have had her books as part of their book club, had signed first editions! Woot! Bought at Target.

5) The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede - Because I needed the newest and I believe final installment in her alt-west series. Bought at Frugal Muse.

6) Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear - Steampunk book which I haven't heard anything about, but it was literally $4 at Frugal Muse. Bought at Frugal Muse.

7) The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George - Elizabeth George's foray into YA found A MONTH early at Frugal Muse! Bought at Frugal Muse.

8) The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow - One of the Steampunk Books I've been dying to read, it is Steampunk Summer afterall... Bought at Barnes and Noble.

9) Geist by Pip Ballantine - I adored her two Steampunk books so I decided to give this a shot. If it's even half as good it will be awesome. Bought at Barnes and Noble.

10) The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent - See, more Steampunk, it's not just me having a Steampunk Summer, but the whole publishing industry! Bought at Barnes and Noble.

11) Aladdin and his Wonderfully Infernal Device by Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine - Was trolling Amazon and found that Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris had some other little epubs out there that wheren't part of the Ministry, so I thought I'd give them a go. Bought at Amazon.

12) Magic by Gaslight by Pip Ballantine - Ditto above. Bought at Amazon.

13) Chasing the Bard (The Fey with Us) by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris - Ditto above and above. Bought at Amazon.

14) For Want of a Nail by Mary Robinette Kowal - Which looking at the Pip and Tee epubs, I stumbled on this one by one of my favorite authors, Mary Robinette Kowal, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Bought at Amazon.

15) Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - Finally! The last Jeeves book released in the Collector's Wodehouse! How I adore these editions from Overlook Press and how I have waited to finish my Jeeves collection! Bought at Amazon.

16) Enter Wildthyme by Paul Magrs - Again, need more Paul Magrs! Bought at Amazon UK.

17) Wildthyme Beyond by Paul Magrs - Ditto! Bought at Amazon UK.

18)* My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell - Because once I read Cranford, I had to read the other short stories that the miniseries incoporated into "Cranford." Bought at Amazon.

*Means it's already been read

19*) Mr. Harrison's Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell - Ditto My Lady Ludlow. Bought at Amazon.

20) Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie - So, one goal in my life is to have all the facsimile editions of Agatha Christie's books, because they are awesome, both as stories and as lucious editions. So, yeah, if you will notice, I bought a few with my birthday money... Also, if you really know your Christie, you will notice why I bought these ones, and it's not just that they're Poirot, there's a very important supporting character that I love. Bought at Amazon CA.

21) One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie - Ditto. Bought at Amazon CA.

22) Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie - Ditto. Bought at Amazon CA.

23) Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - Ditto. Bought at Amazon CA.

24) Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie - Ditto. Bought at Amazon CA.

25) The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie - Ditto, also this one is your big clue. Bought at Amazon CA.

26) Curtain, Poirot's Last Case by Agatha Christie - Ditto. Bought at Amazon CA.

27) Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale - I've been so excited for this book. Princess Academy Sequel in the house! Also, because I don't know if school will let me take the time to see her on this recent book tour, I ordered a signed and inscribed copy from her book launch party at The King's English in Salt Lake! Bought at The King's English.

28) Murder Most Austen by Tracy Kiely - I remember reading something about this on the Jane Austen Centre's website because this cozy takes place durning their annual Austen Festival, so when I saw it at Frugal Muse I picked it up! Bought at Frugal Muse.

29) A Trick of Strong Imagination by Alyson Grauer - A new Ministry of Peculiar Occurances short story, which have become my monthly crack! Bought at Amazon.

30)* Chi's Sweet Home Volume 9 by Konami Kanata - Because everyone needs cute kitties in their lives! Bought at Amazon.

31) Diva by Jillian Larkin - Because I adore anything flappers! Sometimes it boggles my mind to think my grandmother was one! Bought at Frugal Muse.

Note on the bookstores:
Amazon.com - because sometimes, more often that not, your local Barnes and Noble didn't stock that ONE book you where looking for, and having prime means everything shows up so fast!

Amazon.ca - because sometimes you really want British books and don't want to wait or pay this shipping for the book to come from England so you look to Canada.

Amazon.co.uk - because sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and buy the book from England.

Barnes and Noble - the last big chain in the Midwest that everyone knows and loves or loathes accordingly.

Frugal Muse - local Madison, Wisconsin chain with two stores in town which sells both old and new books at wonderful prices (at a really steep discount for new books too) and is easily my favorite bookstore.

Half Price Books - chain store of used books where you can often get amazing deals, but whose prices are not quite half off anymore since they decided to raise their prices in a bad economy.

Target - Megachain that has everything, including sometimes they have good books.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Gaskell, Elizabeth George, Mary Robinette Kowal, Michelle Moran, Patricia C. Wrede, Paul Magrs, PG Wodehouse, Pip Ballantine, Shannon Hale, Steampunk

So here is the breakdown of my book buying breakdown of the month. It wasn't as bad as past months, though a few of the items were a bit more on the pricey side, but I'd been looking for them for awhile. As I see it, if it's on my list of books that I'm looking for (yes, I have a list, it's alphabetized and in my wallet, and no that's not strange) then I allow myself the splurge, seeing as I usually hunt for bargains on everything else. Also I went to a library sale... there were many books purchased there not on this list... but I only spent $20 and a lot of them are for all you, my lovely blog readers. That's right, I was stocking up on giveaways as I stocked up on Elizabeth Peters novels for myself. Anyway... onto the list of damages:

1) 84 Charing Cross Road and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff - I can't believe I finally found The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street!!! I can give my friend back her copy and stop drooling over the $40 editions online. I found mine at a quirky downtown bookstore for $7! $14 for the pair.

2) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I can't help it, I see pretty leather bound editions that are to those mega sets through the Easton Press and I have to buy it! $50.

3) The Man with Two Left Feet by P.G. Wodehouse - FREE! Went to Borders the other day and spent all this time trying to decide if I should get the final volume I needed to complete my Jeeves and Wooster collection seeing as I'm short on funds. The book obviously won, I don't know why I thought it could be otherwise... so I get to the register and I somehow have $25 in Borders bucks! Free book! Score!

4) A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris - From my friends at Murder by the Book, signed to me at her big Huston event this past month.

5) Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris - Again my friends in Huston don't let me down. There was also another author there who I got a book from, but seeing as one of my friends reads this blog I don't want to spoil her Christmas present. Needless to say, it too was awesome!

6) New York Public Library Editions: O Pioneers! and Other Tales of the Prairie by Willa Cather, Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington and Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - I have a confession... I covet these New York Public Library Editions! When they were released quite a few years back I wanted them and didn't get them and then they went out of print as books I like tend to do. I've spent many years hunting down a complete set. My friend Matt can attest to the weird maniacal glee that happened earlier this summer when at Half Priced Books I found half the set in mint condition for sale. After these three I only need Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, with a dust jacket... I found a crap edition but still I hope. Decently priced, I got a sweet deal on one and another was a little overpriced, so it balanced out.

7) Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein - I've really been wanting this but didn't feel justified spending the money and then I found it for $5.

8) The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliot - Found at Frugal Muse for $5, didn't realize until after I bought it that it was the same Patricia Elliot who wrote the book Murkmeer which I loved, the cover almost more than the book.

9) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - The Twlight Tie-In Edition. I can't help it, I don't like the Stephenie Meyer books but their design is brilliant, so at least this is a book I love designed the same. Plus only $4.

10) The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery by Tarquin Hall - It looks so fun and I found it for $6!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:47 AM 6 comments  

Labels: Charlaine Harris, Helene Hanff, Jane Austen, Lady Macbeth's Daughter, Patricia Elliot, PG Wodehouse, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, The Man WIth Two Left Feet, Wuthering Heights

Today I have a very special treat in store for you lucky readers! No, not tea and biscuits. The author Gail Carriger is here for a guest blog. Her debut novel, Soulless, was released upon the book buying masses yesterday, and lets hope those masses were buying this book, I know I was trying to influence you.... As it says on her website "Soulless, book the first in the Parasol Protectorate Series, is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of vampires, dirigibles, and tea. It is either Jane Austen does paranormal, or PG Wodehouse does steampunk." Either way I'm in, loving anything English, especially Jane Austen and PG Wodehouse. It's like a Buffy and Anglophiles dream! Well, enough of me, you get enough of me every day, it's not that often I hand the reins of my blog over to someone else...so without further ado, I present Gail Corriger:

There is something incredibly appealing about Victorian London. While I'm certain it was stinky, uncomfortable, unsanitary, and largely unpleasant for many of its residents - the romantic appeal is unassailable. I don't know what makes it so alluring to others, but for me it is equal parts the clothing, the manners, and the intellectual revolution of the time. London in 1873 seemed to me a natural habitat for vampires, with all their vaunted urbanity (not to mention the whole "can't enter without an invitation" thing - the only people more obsessed with proper etiquette than vampires were the Victorians), just as the army of the British Empire seemed like the perfect place for werewolves.

There is an odd kind of logic to the Victorian mentality, and that, coupled with a sense of scientific superiority, makes acceptance of the supernatural easy to imagine. One can envision the Victorians sipping tea with werewolves, discussing ancient philosophy with ghosts, or playing cards with a vampire. One simply can't imagine the 19th century French or Italians doing anything nearly so civilized when confronted with fangs or fur.

I just love the idea of a whole genre centered around a stately yet pompous mixture of paranormal and high society, gravitas ab umbraculum. (Dignity in Parasols, or something like.) Gothic literature, after all, had its heyday during Victorian times, and what is the urban fantasy genre but gothic writing modernized? In a way, returning to Victorian London is full circle for paranormal authors. Toss a little steampunk in there and what could be more fun? I, for one, was excited by the idea of urban fantasy quitting its contemporary setting. And since I had nothing better to do – I wrote about it myself.

(Me, Miss Eliza again...I hope you enjoyed that wonderful post, and make sure to go out and get that book and check out Gail Corriger's site, it's lots of fun, it even has an interactive paperdoll! And we all know how much I love those...)

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:50 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Alexia Tarabotti, Anglophile, Gail Carriger, Gothic, Jane Austen, Parasol, PG Wodehouse, Soulless, Steampunk, The Parasol Protectorate, Vampires, Victorian London