Judging a Book by its Cover...

One of the tried and true clichés in the book world is the age old adage don't judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately, a lot of the time that's what my job requires. When buying remaindered books I rely on my knowledge of what sells in our store but also I take a chance on titles I don't know. I don't have the luxury of reading every book I see (at abook fair or warehouse I see up to a million titles in an eight hour day) and when a sales rep comes they usually bring only the covers. So a lot of times this is all I have to go on.

On the other hand sometimes that is just what a book needs as it's sitting on our new release tables. One of those books has been on various display tables since I saw the cover in the summer of 2006: Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan (who has now become a friend of mine after a pretty fun reading we did with him. We have since sold 635 copies of the paperback, 150 remainder copies, and if I remember correctly almost 200 in the original hardcover edition....

I picked up this book after one look of the cover and didn't put it down after the first paragraph:

"I was stealing saltshakers again. Ten, sometimes twelve a night, shoving them in my pockets, hiding them up my sleeves, smuggling them out of bars and diners and anywhere else I could find them. In the morning, wherever I woke, I was always covered in salt. I was cured meat. I had become beef jerky. Even as a small, small child, I knew it would one day come to this."

I was in the middle of two other books when I walked past Tupelo Hassman's first novel, Girlchild, on our newly released hardcover fiction table. The library card over the trailer-home in the desert photo caught my eye and I picked it up and started reading:

"Mama always hid her mouth when she laughed. Even when she spoke too gleefully, mouth stretched too wide by those happy muscles, teeth too visible. I can still recognize someone from my neighborhood by their teeth. Or lack of them. And whenever I do, I call these people family. I know immediately that I can trust them with my dog but not with the car keys and not to remember what time, exactly, they're coming back for their kids. I know if we get into a fight and Johnny shows up we'll agree that there has been 'No problem, Officer, we'll keep it down.' "

From there I couldn't put it down. This is a dark, compelling, and poignant novel about a young girl and aspiring girl scout trying to escape the history of the women of her family and escape the Calle, a mobile-home town outside of Reno full of white trash, drunks, and the danger of being from a long line of damaged women.

- npb

How San Francisco was almost called Don Gaspar

From Chapter XVII, How the Leather-Jackets rode north:

During all those decades of the wars, the Spanish rule in Mexico had sunk further into languor, but at last the King sent a man to stir life up. This was Jose de Galvez, Andalusian-born of the fiery south, with full shares of Spanish pride and Spanish cruelty, and a triple share of restless energy. Wherever the tight-lipped Galvez went, the land seemed to break into a sweat of energy. No careful man wished to arouse the cold glitter of his eyes, and sometimes he crossed the line of sanity, imagining himself King of Sweden or of Prussia, or even God Almighty.

Most of his energy he loosed upon the western coast. He looked at what charts and reports were available, and saw the notations of harbors with the names Viscaino had given them--San Diego and Monterey. There was also a vaguely known bay, not mentioned by Visaino, called San Francisco.

It had come by its name in 1595. A certain Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno, commanding the galleon from Manila, made a landfall far along the California coast, and sailing southward, entered a good harbor. On November 7, he landed and took possession. The time of year was well past the day of St. Francis, but there was with the ship a Franciscan father, whose own name was also Francisco. This father "baptized" the land, doubtless by pouring water upon it symbolically as in baptizing a child, and the bay was thus named San Francisco. The galleon itself was wrecked, but Cermeno and his men got back to Mexico in a longboat.

Seven years later Viscaino reached the same bay, but as usual, displacing the names of others, he called it Don Gaspar, for the Viceroy. Nevertheless the name San Francisco remained, somewhat dubiously.

* * *

I'm enjoying mentally substituting Don Gaspar for San Francisco: the Don Gaspar Giants, "I left my heart in Don Gaspar," Rice-a-roni would be a Don Gaspar treat, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Don Gaspar"... You get the point.

Also, we've just received Stewart's delightfully entertaining book, in which he uses expressions like the abovementioned "the land seemed to break into a sweat of energy," in remainder, which we're selling for $7.98.

More Holiday Gift Ideas: New Books At Used Prices...

AMMO's GONZO by famed American author and journalist Hunter S. Thompson. GONZO presents a rare look into the life of Thompson, whose groundbreaking style of "gonzo" journalism made him one of the greatest writers of his generation. Now, for the first time, his photographs and archives have been collected into a visual biography worthy of his literary legacy. With a heartfelt introduction by close friend Johnny Depp, GONZO captures a man whose life was as legendary as his writing.
NEW it costs you $39.95...
Green Apple's Price only $5.98!!

Rolling Stone Cover to Cover is a backstage pass to four decades of popular culture--a DVD ROM-based, searchable digital archive of every issue of Rolling Stone magazine from 1967 to 2007. Browse issues 1 through 1026 – over 98,000 searchable pages, exactly as they first appeared in print--every story, review, interview and even every ad.

NEW it costs you $125.00...
Green Apple's Price only $39.98!!

What do Marilyn Monroe, Bettie Page, Jayne Mansfield and Brigitte Bardot have in common? They are the most alluring sex symbols of all time--and they all graced the pages of Playboy in the 1950s. But Playboy wasn't only about beautiful women--it featured serious literature by equally serious writers like Hemingway, Kerouac, Bradbury, and Steinbeck. Playboy Cover to Cover--the 50s brings the magazine's entire groundbreaking first decade--every issue, every page, cover to cover--into one searchable digital archive.
NEW it costs you $100.00...
Green Apple's Price only $39.98!!

You can have your high-tone, filled-with-stunning-color-plates retrospectives of Goya and Picasso -- none come close to The Completely MAD Don Martin ("1,000 pages, 2 volumes, 1 slipcase, 25 pounds!"). This insanely special gift to the ages from Running Press has every piece of art that MAD's Michelangelo published during his 30-year run at the magazine, plus letters, sketches, photos and an intro by the "Far Side's" Gary Larson.
NEW it costs you $150.00...
Green Apple's Price only $49.98!!
Be sure to check out all the Remainders that Green Apple has to offer!!

Gift Ideas at Great Prices!

Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life - This amazing art book from AMMO books, is out in a smaller $49.95 edition...or you can buy the $200.00 edition for only $79.98!







The Ultimate David Sedaris Box Set - Listening to David Sedaris act out his memoirs and stories is as good as reading them yourself. In the Ultimate Box Set you get 20 CDs containing most of his work. It was $99.98 for you...$39.98!








The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus - The perfect gift for any comedy lover. Every episode of the Flying Circus as well as bonus discs with live performances. We have the set for $172.44 or you can by brand new, sealed copies for only $69.98!

One more book to add to your list...

A short time ago I talked about reading The Implacable Order of Things on my recent remainder-buying trip to Pittsburgh (sort of) & Boston (not really). On my trip to McKeesport, PA & Fall River, MA I read not only this Saramago Award winning book but one other, Jerusalem & our Book-of-the-Month, Running Away.

(See the new Green Apple Commercial HERE)

Now that you watched that & read about two of the books I was fortunate enough to choose to read on my trip here is the third...

Jerusalem by Gonçalo M. Tavares is another new & exciting book put out by Dalkey Archive. Jerusalem is another Saramago Prize winning book. When presenting the Prize to Tavares Saramago said of both author & book, "Jerusalém is a great book, and truly deserves a place among the great works of Western literature. Gonçalo M. Tavares has no right to be writing so well at the age of 35. One feels like punching him!"

More recently Saramago said, "Gonçalo M. Tavares burst onto the Portuguese literary scene armed with an utterly original imagination that broke through all the traditional imaginative boundaries. This, combined with a language entirely his own...I've predicted that in thirty years' time, if not before, he will win the Nobel Prize and I am sure my prediction will come true. My only regret is that I won't be there to give him a congratulatory hug."

All that being said I will only tell you that I don't want to tell you anything about this book. I want you to be as surprised & taken by this book as I was.

So there you have it, three books all under $15.00.

From Pittsburgh...My Airplane Read

Hey everyone. I have just landed in Pittsburgh, PA, and I thought I would post before I hit the sack, seeing as I have to hunt though warehouses for remainders at 8am Eastern tomorrow.

So here is the book I just finished on the plane.

For awhile now I've seen the beautifully designed cover of José Luís Peixoto's book The Implacable Order of Things with "Winner of the Jose Saramago Literary Award" at the bottom. I have twice picked the book up, read the back, and immediately put it back on the shelf.

The description of this book does it a huge disservice.

Yes, there are "a pair of twins conjoined at the pinky, a 120-year-old wise man, a shepherd turned cuckold by a giant, and even the devil himself," but--as the back of the book states--these characters are far from an "oddball cast."

These are deeply complex and sorrowful characters who seek the meaning of love and life. There is something refreshingly ordinary about each one. Though unique, they are also simple townspeople dealing with the trauma of love and death, of family and loneliness.

This novel is like a river. The repetition and story wind in and out of generations like currents. If Luís Peixoto is not yet known as one of the best writers from Portugal, if not the world, this young writer soon will be.

Book Expo America...Green Apple in the Big Apple

B.E.A....

I’m sure you have all noticed that we haven’t posted for almost a week now. Part of the reason is that a few of us were at the Book Expo of America in New York this past week. Well I’m back & so I thought I might tell you a little of what I saw back east…

The first day is always remainder buying day, this involves jumping from hotel to hotel & to showrooms…many of which aren’t always close together. We saw a lot of books & there will be some great remainder deals coming to you in the next month or so (to go along with the already great titles in the store currently) so be sure to check out the tables.

Day 2 was pretty much the same with Kevin Ryan attending meeting & education seminars while I hit the last of the remainder companies. That night Sparks arrived & it was off to the Melville House party (picture to the left is the Manhattan bridge on the Brooklyn side from the steps of the Melville House Bookstore) who publish the very popular Bonsai on our Staff Favorites.

From there on out is was time to see Book Expo in all its glory…row after row of booth after booth of publisher after publisher. It’s a long day with a lot to see, & though it was different than the last couple years it was worth the time.

I just got back yesterday & am very tired so I apologize for there not being too much content here worth reading...

Super Cheap & Plentiful...

Frequently you will hear a Green Apple customer ask, “Why are these children's books so cheap?” This is the beauty of remainders (you know: all those cheap books piled in stacks on tables with the bright green stickers). So if you are interested in '"why these books are so cheap," read on. . . .

A Remainder comes in two forms:

The Remainder, which is mostly publisher's overstock that they want to move quickly. For example, if they still have a lot of hardcovers of the latest Sue Grafton mystery but it's coming out in paperback, they need to make space for the next one. These sales are usually negotiated in bulk to a remainder company who specializes in wholesale books.

The other form is Hurts. Hurts are books that have been returned to the publisher by stores (usually big box retailers) and thrown into to large tubs called skids. These are then sold to a remainder wholesaler who pays by the skid, not knowing exactly what they are getting. They know the publisher, whether they are paperback or not, but that's about it. The remainder company then sorts these skids at their warehouse.

As the remainder buyer, I then go through these warehouses or trade shows or lists online to find the best possible books at the best possible price so that we can pass the savings on to you. . . .

Just in, Children's Remainder Paperbacks for under $4:

Little Polar Bear – $2.49
Mad Libs (Assorted Titles!) – $1.98
The Country Bunny & the Gold Shoes – $1.98
City by the Bay – $3.98
The Cable Car & the Dragon – $3.98
Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble - $2.98

15 Bucks or Less

The economy...enough said. So I thought I would start out with the top ten paperback fiction books that I read from February '08 to February right now. (I will give a small disclaimer on the $15.00 part of this. Most of these books will cost a little more then that with the addition of tax.) There is no particular order here & no real order that you need to read them in. They are a fairly eclectic collection but if you are looking for a great read, read on:

1) Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell ($14.95): I was very close to putting Ghostwritten on here as well. It is rare for me to read two books by the same author in a row but Cloud Atlas was so amazing that I immediately read Ghostwritten. But to make things easier I say start with this.

2) Zazie in the Metro - Raymond Queneau ($14.95): I read this book on my way to Chicago last October & it was the most enjoyable flight I have ever had (though people do look at you a little strange when you laugh out loud on an airplane). This book is funny & brilliant & unique. It is also one of my Staff Favorites.

3) Book of the Unknown - Jonathan Keats ($13.00): Local author Jonathan Keats' first book is an incredible reinvention of Jewish folklore. These tales have already had me rereading them multiple times & the book was just released.

4) Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson ($14.00): This is just a beautifully written book. I was on a three hour bus ride to Santa Rosa & arrived all too soon. This was also Green Apple's best selling paperback fiction book last year. If you haven't read this book yet you must do so.

5) Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson ($14.00): When George Albon told me, "this books kicks your ass," he wasn't kidding. This is now one of my favorite books I have ever read. It is a haunting, small miracle of a book. It is the kind of book that you wish went on forever.

6) Motel Life - Willy Vlautin ($4.98): This book is a real & visceral novel. Willy's voice is one of a kind & makes Reno, NV come to life. This is a fun, gritty novel.

7) Everything is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer ($10.00): I feel like most everyone has read this book already but I just read it for the first time last year. & it was awesome. So if you haven't read it do so & if you have you should still buy this edition that Harper Collins recently put out for only ten bucks.

8) The Bathroom - Jean-Philippe Toussaint ($12.95): This is a fascinating novel. It is written in short chapters that play out like mini scenes in a movie. I started reading it & could not stop. It's a quick read so if you feel like you don't have much time to read these days, this is a great book for you.

9) The End of Vandalism - Tom Drury ($5.98): This has been a long time Staff Favorite & now we have it on remainder for only $5.98! Tom Drury has now become my favorite living American author, everything I have read by him is effortless & beautiful.

10) The Way Through Doors - Jesse Ball ($13.95): To be honest I am only halfway through with this book. I am really enjoying it & loved Jesse Ball's last book Samedi the Deafness. This book is a strange & wonderful story that winds back & forth through the mind. So even though I haven't finished & am pretty certain that it is one of the top ten books that I read in the past year.

Looking at this stack of books in front of me I am pretty happy that I got to read so many great books. There are of course others but those can wait for another time.